Changes

==History==

==History==

Sydney was founded by [[Arthur Phillip]], commander of [[Britain]]'s [[First Fleet]], on 26th January 1788 when he established the first European settlement on the continent at the site now known as Circular Quay.  Prior to this, lieutenant [[James Cook]] had visited Botany Bay (a few kilometres south of Sydney Harbour) in 1770 and later claimed the whole of the east coast of the continent - then known as [[New Holland]] - for the British Crown, coining the name [[New South Wales]].  After the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]], [[Britain]] decided it needed to establish new colonies to which it could send its growing number of convicts.  Thus the plan to dispatch a fleet to [[New South Wales]] was drawn up.  Arriving at Botany Bay, Phillip soon recognised that the site was unsuitable for a colony due to the lack of fresh water.  The fleet moved on to [[Sydney Harbour]], which was more suitable.  Phillip named the harbour Port Jackson, which remains the official name.

Sydney was founded by [[Arthur Phillip]], commander of [[Britain]]'s [[First Fleet]], on 26th January 1788 when he established the first European settlement on the continent at the site now known as Circular Quay.  Prior to this, lieutenant [[James Cook]] had visited Botany Bay (a few kilometres south of Sydney Harbour) in 1770 and later claimed the whole of the east coast of the continent - then known as [[New Holland]] - for the British Crown, coining the name [[New South Wales]].  After the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]], [[Britain]] decided it needed to establish new colonies to which it could send its growing number of convicts.  Thus the plan to dispatch a fleet to [[New South Wales]] was drawn up.  Arriving at Botany Bay, Phillip soon recognised that the site was unsuitable for a colony due to the lack of fresh water.  The fleet moved on to [[Sydney Harbour]], which was more suitable.  Phillip named the harbour Port Jackson, which remains the official name. The city was originally a large house and estate within the parish of St. John and before that was a farm house and land within that same parish. In 1851 it was deemed a separate parish, although some sources still refer to the area as being part of Sydney. The Estate was later sold by its last owner, Sir Henry Merewether in 1856.

==Contemporary Sydney==

==Contemporary Sydney==