Colony of New South Wales
On 18 January 1788, the First Fleet led by Captain Arthur Phillip founded the first British settlement in Australian history as a penal colony. Having set sail on 13 May 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip assumed the role of governor of the settlement upon arrival, until 1792. 18 January 1788, the first ship of the First Fleet, with Phillip aboard, reached Botany Bay. Botany Bay found unsuitable by Phillip. After Phillip led exploration of Port Jackson, he, on the first ship, sailed and reached Sydney Cove on night of 25 January 1788. On morning of 26 January, men on board this ship went ashore and started clearing land for a camp. In the afternoon-evening, they erected a flag pole, raised the Union Jack, and the officers ashore made toasts to the Royal Family and the success of the colony. Likely, some, or all, ships of the First Fleet were present for the flag raising. On the morning of 27 January, all the fit male convicts, marines, and likely some ships' crew went ashore to establish the camp and find food, especially that having what today we call vitamin C. The female convicts came ashore on 6 February 1788 and likely officers wives and children if any. About mid-day 7 February 1788, the convicts, marines and others who were staying, were gathered by the Governor for the reading of the proclamation of New South Wales and a long reading of the rights of the convicts and others. Colony of NSW founded 7 February 1788. Before that, British naval administration applied.
Botany Bay
Lieutenant James Cook first landed at Kurnell, on the southern banks of Botany Bay, on Sunday 29 April 1770, when navigating his way up the east coast of Australia on his ship, HMS "Endeavour". Cook's landing marked the beginning of Britain's interest in Australia and in the eventual colonisation of this new "southern continent". Initially the name "Stingrays Harbour" was used by Cook and other journal keepers on his expedition, for the stingrays they caught. That name was also recorded on an Admiralty chart. Cook's log for 6 May 1770 records "The great quantity of these sort of fish found in this place occasioned my giving it the name of Stingrays Harbour". However, in the journal prepared later from his log, Cook wrote instead: (sic) "The great quantity of plants Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander found in this place occasioned my giving it the name of Botanist Botany Bay".