Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in Australia in 1829. In 1832, the colony became the state of Western Australia .
British settlers first arrived in Australia in 1788. That year, a group of convicts and guards known as the First Fleet arrived at what is now Sydney and established the colony of New South Wales . At that time, New South Wales was the name used for the eastern part of Australia and included land that is now the states of Queensland, Victoria, and part of South Australia.
In 1826, the British government learned that a French vessel had reportedly explored portions of King George Sound on the west side of the continent. Governor Ralph Darling of New South Wales sent Captain James Stirling to visit the area. Stirling arrived in western Australia in March 1827. He explored the Swan River area and reported back to Darling that the region had all the elements for a successful settlement.
On May 2, 1829, Captain Charles Fremantle arrived on Australia’s west coast. He took formal possession of the western third of Australia for the United Kingdom. Stirling arrived with the first settlers in June. He founded the Swan River Colony and selected the sites where the settlements of Perth and Fremantle were established. Thousands of settlers soon flocked to the Swan River Colony.
In 1832, the Swan River Colony was renamed Western Australia, and its borders were expanded to their current size. For more information see Western Australia (History) .
