本题考查澳大利亚的早期历史。
In 1770, the British captain James Cook landed in southeastern Australia near what is now Sydney and claimed the land for Britain. He named it New South Wales, he thought that New South Wales was a good place for settlement. At the time, England's prisons were overcrowded. So the English government decided to send prisoners to Australia to start a penal colony.
1770年，英国船长詹姆斯·库克在澳大利亚东南部靠近现在悉尼的地方登陆，并声称这片土地属于英国。他把它命名为新南威尔士，他认为新南威尔士是一个殖民的好地方。当时，英国的监狱人满为患。因此，英国政府决定把囚犯送到澳大利亚建立一个罪犯流放地。
故选择A选项。