# List of towns and cities in Australia by year of settlement

This is primarily a list of towns and cities in Australia by year of settlement. The article also contains information on permanent settlements established in Australia before British settlement commenced in 1788.

## Pre-European settlements
### Australia proper

For 40,000–70,000 years, the Australian mainland and Tasmania have been inhabited by the Australian Aboriginal people, and the Torres Strait Islands (now part of Queensland) by Torres Strait Islanders. Aboriginal people were hunter-gatherers and fire stick farmers who travelled between seasonal settlements inside country boundaries. Many groups had more permanent camps that they lived in for much of the year. Torres Strait Islanders engaged in some agriculture and had permanent villages. In 1788, the British Empire began colonising Australia, constructing permanent towns and farms. Aboriginal people began living in permanent settlements, some by choice while others were forced.

### External territories

The Cocos-Keeling Islands and Christmas Island have only been inhabited since the 1880s. Information for them can be found in the table below. Norfolk Island was first settled by Polynesians in the 13th or 14th century. In 1788 the British colonised the island, by that time the Polynesians had been gone for hundreds of years. Jervis Bay Territory is located on the Australian mainland and has two small villages. Prior to British settlement, the area was inhabited by Yuin aboriginal people. The Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory have never had permanent inhabitants, but do have weather and research stations where people temporarily live and work. The Ashmore and Cartier Islands have never been inhabited, but are regularly visited by traditional Indonesian fishers.

### Former territories

From 1947 to 1966, Australia administered the island of Nauru, which has been inhabited for at least three thousand years. The Nauruan people traditionally lived in permanent villages. Nauru is now an independent sovereign country formally called the Republic of Nauru. Australia governed the Territory of New Guinea (1920–1941), Territory of Papua (1902–1945) and then the Territory of Papua and New Guinea (1945–1979), which were all located on the island of New Guinea. Many of the native Papuan people traditionally lived in permanent settlements. In 1979 these territories became the independent sovereign country of Papua New Guinea.

## 18th century

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1788 | Sydney | New South Wales | First permanent Australian city. Largest city in Australia, capital of New South Wales. |
| 1788 | Parramatta | New South Wales | Second-oldest settlement in Australia. Now a part of the Sydney urban area. |
| 1788 | Kingston | Norfolk Island | Island settled as part of the Colony of New South Wales. It is now a separate territory of Australia. |
| 1791 | Windsor | New South Wales | Part of the City of Hawkesbury and Sydney urban area |
| 1794 | Richmond | New South Wales | Originally known as Richmond Hill, which is part of the City of Hawkesbury and Sydney urban area |
| 1794 | Pitt Town Bottoms | New South Wales | Originally known as Mulgrave Place. Part of the City of Hawkesbury. |
| 1798 | Liverpool | New South Wales | Now part of the greater Sydney metro area. |

## 19th century
### 1800s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1801 | Newcastle | New South Wales | Original settlement abandoned in 1802. Resettled in 1804. |
| 1803 | Hobart | Tasmania | Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city. Largest city and capital of Tasmania. Originally settled at Risdon Cove, the settlement was moved to Sullivans Cove in 1804. |
| 1803 | George Town | Tasmania | |
| 1806 | Launceston | Tasmania | |
| 1807 | New Norfolk | Tasmania | |
| 1808 | Sorell | Tasmania | |

### 1810s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1812 | Ross | Tasmania | |
| 1813 | Longford | Tasmania | |
| 1814 | Bathurst | New South Wales | Oldest inland settlement in Australia |
| 1815 | Blackheath | New South Wales | |
| 1817 | Shellharbour | New South Wales | |
| 1818 | Penrith | New South Wales | |

### 1820s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1820s | Singleton | New South Wales | |
| 1820 | Campbelltown | New South Wales | Now part of the greater Sydney metro area. |
| 1820 | Maitland | New South Wales | |
| 1821 | Morpeth | New South Wales | |
| 1821 | Port Macquarie | New South Wales | |
| 1821 | Mudgee | New South Wales | |
| 1821 | Perth | Tasmania | |
| 1823 | Gosford | New South Wales | One of the two mergers of the Central Coast with Wyong |
| 1823 | Richmond | Tasmania | |
| 1823 | Wellington | New South Wales | |
| 1824 | Redcliffe | Queensland | First European settlement in Queensland |
| 1825 | Brisbane | Queensland | Largest city and capital of Queensland. |
| 1826 | King George's Sound (Albany) | Western Australia | Oldest settlement in the western half of Australia |
| 1826 | Burrangong Station (Young) | New South Wales | Settled as Burrangong Station, in Lambing Flat. Gazetted as Young in the 1860s. |
| 1827 | Burnie | Tasmania | Settled as Emu Bay, renamed in the early 1840s to Burnie after William Burnie. |
| 1827 | Oceania House, Home Island | Cocos-Keeling Islands | The islands were uninhabited prior to 1827. They became a territory of Australia in 1955. |
| 1827 | Tarago | New South Wales | |
| 1829 | Clarence | Western Australia | Abandoned in the early 1830s. |
| 1829 | Fremantle | Western Australia | |
| 1829 | Perth | Western Australia | Established as Swan River Colony. Largest city and capital of Western Australia. |
| 1829 | Guildford | Western Australia | |

### 1830s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1830 | Augusta | Western Australia | |
| 1830 | Berrima | New South Wales | |
| 1830 | Port Arthur | Tasmania | |
| 1831 | Mandurah | Western Australia | |
| 1831 | Taree | New South Wales | |
| 1832 | Busselton | Western Australia | |
| 1833 | Northam | Western Australia | |
| 1833 | Goulburn | New South Wales | First Inland city |
| 1833 | Muswellbrook | New South Wales | |
| 1834 | Portland | Victoria | Oldest European settlement in Victoria. |
| 1834 | Wollongong | New South Wales | |
| 1834 | Pinjarra | Western Australia |
| 1835 | York | Western Australia | |
| 1835 | Melbourne | Victoria | Second-largest city in Australia and capital of Victoria. |
| 1836 | Adelaide | South Australia | Largest city and capital of South Australia. |
| 1836 | Bunbury | Western Australia | |
| 1836 | Gawler | South Australia | |
| 1836 | Holbrook | New South Wales | |
| 1836 | Kempsey | New South Wales | |
| 1836 | Kingscote | South Australia | Oldest European settlement in South Australia |
| 1836 | Littlehampton | South Australia | |
| 1836 | Sunbury | Victoria | |
| 1836 | Wauchope | New South Wales | |
| 1837 | Bungendore | New South Wales | |
| 1837 | Colo Vale | New South Wales | |
| 1837 | Dandenong | Victoria | Now part of the greater Melbourne metro area. |
| 1837 | Southport | Tasmania | Most southern township in Australia. |
| 1837 | Yass | New South Wales | |
| 1838 | Buninyong | Victoria | |
| 1838 | Geelong | Victoria | |
| 1838 | Gundagai | New South Wales | |
| 1838 | Queanbeyan | New South Wales | |
| 1839 | Albury | New South Wales | |
| 1839 | Braidwood | New South Wales | |
| 1839 | Echunga | South Australia | |
| 1839 | Gumeracha | South Australia | |
| 1839 | Hahndorf | South Australia | |
| 1839 | Mount Barker | South Australia | |
| 1839 | Port Lincoln | South Australia | |
| 1839 | Seymour | Victoria | |
| 1839 | Thebarton | South Australia | |

### 1840s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1840s | Benalla | Victoria | |
| 1840s | Dalby | Queensland | |
| 1840s | Traralgon | Victoria | |
| 1840s | Toowoomba | Queensland | |
| 1840s | Ulladulla | New South Wales | |
| 1840s | Wee Waa | New South Wales | |
| 1840 | Macclesfield | South Australia | |
| 1840 | Melrose | South Australia | Oldest town in the Flinders Ranges. |
| 1840 | Oakbank | South Australia | |
| 1842 | Ballina | New South Wales | |
| 1842 | Caboolture | Queensland | |
| 1842 | Horsham | Victoria | |
| 1842 | Kapunda | South Australia | |
| 1842 | Lobethal | South Australia | |
| 1843 | Boydtown | New South Wales | |
| 1843 | Eden | New South Wales | |
| 1843 | Wangaratta | Victoria | |
| 1844 | Bacchus Marsh | Victoria | |
| 1844 | Tweed Heads | New South Wales | |
| 1844 | Wingham | New South Wales | |
| 1845 | Jimboomba | Queensland | |
| 1845 | Port Pirie | South Australia | |
| 1846 | Cowra | New South Wales | |
| 1846 | Grafton | New South Wales | |
| 1846 | Ipswich | Queensland | |
| 1846 | Orange | New South Wales | |
| 1846 | Swan Hill | Victoria | |
| 1847 | Temora | New South Wales | |
| 1847 | Maryborough | Queensland | |
| 1847 | Rockingham | Western Australia | |
| 1847 | Wagga Wagga | New South Wales | |
| 1848 | Birdwood | South Australia | Originally named Blumberg. |
| 1848 | Nanango | Queensland | |
| 1849 | Armidale | New South Wales | |
| 1849 | Cooma | New South Wales | |
| 1849 | Dubbo | New South Wales | |
| 1849 | Gayndah | Queensland | |
| 1849 | Surat | Queensland | |

### 1850s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1850s | Boggabri | New South Wales | |
| 1850s | Casino | New South Wales | |
| 1850s | Woodside | South Australia | |
| 1850 | Cessnock | New South Wales | |
| 1850 | Deniliquin | New South Wales | |
| 1850 | Geraldton | Western Australia | |
| 1850 | Meadows | South Australia | |
| 1850 | Warwick | Queensland | |
| 1850 | Tamworth | New South Wales | |
| 1851 | Bega | New South Wales | |
| 1851 | Bendigo | Victoria | |
| 1851 | Ballarat | Victoria | |
| 1851 | Castlemaine | Victoria | |
| 1851 | Hamilton | Victoria | |
| 1851 | Horsham | Victoria | |
| 1851 | Moama | New South Wales | |
| 1851 | Sale | Victoria | |
| 1851 | Tenterfield | New South Wales | |
| 1852 | Bordertown | South Australia | |
| 1852 | Daylesford | Victoria | |
| 1852 | Glen Innes | New South Wales | |
| 1852 | Lismore | New South Wales | |
| 1852 | Mount Gambier | South Australia | |
| 1852 | Nowra | New South Wales | |
| 1852 | Port Augusta | South Australia | |
| 1852 | Port Elliot | South Australia | |
| 1852 | Walcha | New South Wales | |
| 1852 | Wodonga | Victoria | |
| 1853 | Beechworth | Victoria | |
| 1853 | Goolwa | South Australia | |
| 1853 | Currajong (Parkes) | New South Wales | Originally founded as Currajong, but known as "Bushman's". Renamed to Parkes in 1873. |
| 1853 | Port Gregory | Western Australia | |
| 1854 | Colac | Victoria | |
| 1854 | Camperdown | Victoria | |
| 1854 | Devonport | Tasmania | |
| 1854 | Echuca | Victoria | |
| 1854 | Gladstone | Queensland | |
| 1854 | Stirling | South Australia | |
| 1854 | Tinonee | New South Wales | |
| 1854 | Yamba | New South Wales | |
| 1855 | Gatton | Queensland | |
| 1855 | Samford | Queensland | |
| 1855 | Warrnambool | Victoria | |
| 1856 | Gunnedah | New South Wales | |
| 1856 | Inverell | New South Wales | |
| 1856 | Quirindi | New South Wales | |
| 1857 | Ararat | Victoria | |
| 1857 | Ulverstone | Tasmania | |
| 1858 | Chiltern | Victoria | |
| 1858 | Laidley | Queensland | |
| 1858 | Rockhampton | Queensland | |
| 1858 | Corowa | New South Wales | |
| 1859 | Allora | Queensland | |
| 1859 | Barmera | South Australia | |
| 1859 | Hay | New South Wales | |
| 1859 | Scottsdale | Tasmania | |
| 1859 | Walgett | New South Wales | |

### 1860s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1860s | Glenrowan | Victoria | |
| 1860s | Mangalore | Victoria | |
| 1860 | Bairnsdale | Victoria | |
| 1860 | Barnawartha | Victoria | |
| 1860 | Shepparton | Victoria | |
| 1860 | Narrabri | New South Wales | |
| 1861 | Cootamundra | New South Wales | Officially settled in 1847 as a stock run, incorporated in 1861. |
| 1861 | Bowen | Queensland | |
| 1861 | Bowral | New South Wales | |
| 1861 | Forbes | New South Wales | |
| 1861 | Moss Vale | New South Wales | |
| 1862 | Inglewood | Queensland | |
| 1862 | Moree | New South Wales | |
| 1862 | St George | Queensland | |
| 1862 | Tharwa | Australian Capital Territory | Oldest official settlement in the Australian Capital Territory |
| 1863 | Cossack | Western Australia | First town in northwest Australia |
| 1863 | Springsure | Queensland | |
| 1863 | Tambo | Queensland | Oldest town in western Queensland |
| 1863 | Victor Harbor | South Australia | |
| 1863 | Walhalla | Victoria | |
| 1864 | Clermont | Queensland | |
| 1864 | Northampton | Western Australia | |
| 1864 | Ingham | Queensland | |
| 1864 | Mitchell | Queensland | |
| 1864 | Somerset | Queensland | No longer inhabited. |
| 1865 | Burketown | Queensland | |
| 1865 | Charleville | Queensland | |
| 1865 | Roebourne | Western Australia | |
| 1865 | Townsville | Queensland | |
| 1866 | Beenleigh | Queensland | |
| 1866 | Mount Victoria | New South Wales | |
| 1867 | Cloncurry | Queensland | |
| 1867 | Nambucca Heads | New South Wales | |
| 1867 | Normanton | Queensland | |
| 1867 | Roma | Queensland | |
| 1868 | Bridgetown | Western Australia | |
| 1868 | Cunnamulla | Queensland | |
| 1868 | Gympie | Queensland | |
| 1868 | Yeppoon | Queensland | |
| 1869 | Bourke | New South Wales | |
| 1869 | Darwin | Northern Territory | Largest city and capital of the Northern Territory. |
| 1869 | Walla Walla | New South Wales | |

### 1870s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1870s | Beaudesert | Queensland | |
| 1870s | Coffs Harbour | New South Wales | |
| 1870s | Eucla | Western Australia | |
| 1870 | Gulgong | New South Wales | |
| 1870s | Lithgow | New South Wales | |
| 1870s | Mackay | Queensland | |
| 1870s | Morwell | Victoria | |
| 1870 | Bellingen | New South Wales | |
| 1870 | Bundaberg | Queensland | |
| 1870 | Cobar | New South Wales | Name derives from the Ngiyambaa language of the Wangaibon and Weilwan peoples. |
| 1870 | Hughenden | Queensland | |
| 1870 | Medlow Bath | New South Wales | |
| 1870 | Nagambie | Victoria | |
| 1870 | Nambour | Queensland | |
| 1870 | Oakey | Queensland | |
| 1870 | Yandina | Queensland | |
| 1871 | Charters Towers | Queensland | |
| 1871 | Cossack | Western Australia | |
| 1871 | Forsayth | Queensland | |
| 1871 | Landsborough | Queensland | |
| 1871 | Tewantin | Queensland | |
| 1872 | Adelaide River | Northern Territory | |
| 1872 | Alice Springs | Northern Territory | Second-largest city in the Northern Territory |
| 1872 | Condon | Western Australia | Abandoned 1927, in favour of Port Hedland |
| 1872 | Esk | Queensland | |
| 1872 | Forster | New South Wales | |
| 1872 | Lowood | Queensland | |
| 1872 | Stanthorpe | Queensland | |
| 1873 | Cooktown | Queensland | |
| 1874 | Southport | Queensland | |
| 1876 | Cairns | Queensland | |
| 1876 | Crows Nest | Queensland | |
| 1876 | Kyabram | Victoria | |
| 1876 | Pittsworth | Queensland | |
| 1876 | Winton | Queensland | |
| 1877 | Chinchilla | Queensland | |
| 1877 | Mareeba | Queensland | |
| 1877 | Warragul | Victoria | |
| 1878 | Farina | South Australia | |
| 1878 | Killarney | Queensland | |
| 1878 | Miles | Queensland | |
| 1879 | Boulia | Queensland | |
| 1879 | Dunsborough | Western Australia | |
| 1879 | Emerald | Queensland | |
| 1879 | Innisfail | Queensland | |
| 1879 | Katoomba | New South Wales | |
| 1879 | Moe | Victoria | |

### 1880s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1880s | Canungra | Queensland | |
| 1880s | Gordonvale | Queensland | |
| 1880 | Milparinka | New South Wales | |
| 1882 | Ayr | Queensland | |
| 1882 | Boonah | Queensland | |
| 1882 | Hall | Australian Capital Territory | |
| 1882 | Mount Morgan | Queensland | |
| 1883 | Broken Hill | New South Wales | |
| 1883 | Broome | Western Australia | |
| 1883 | Caloundra | Queensland | |
| 1883 | Captains Flat | New South Wales | |
| 1883 | Carnarvon | Western Australia | |
| 1883 | Coolangatta | Queensland | |
| 1883 | Derby | Western Australia | |
| 1883 | Edmonton | Queensland | |
| 1883 | Narromine | New South Wales | |
| 1884 | Alpha | Queensland | |
| 1884 | Camooweal | Queensland | |
| 1884 | Karridale | Western Australia | |
| 1884 | Wyalong | New South Wales | |
| 1885 | Barcaldine | Queensland | |
| 1885 | Batemans Bay | New South Wales | |
| 1885 | Childers | Queensland | |
| 1885 | Cooroy | Queensland | |
| 1885 | Guyra | New South Wales | |
| 1885 | Old Onslow | Western Australia | Abandoned in 1925. |
| 1885 | Wallangarra | Queensland | |
| 1886 | Wyndham | Western Australia | |
| 1887 | Birdsville | Queensland | |
| 1887 | Blackbutt | Queensland | |
| 1887 | Eidsvold | Queensland | |
| 1887 | Mildura | Victoria | |
| 1887 | Mittagong | New South Wales | |
| 1887 | Southern Cross | Western Australia | |
| 1888 | Flying Fish Cove | Christmas Island | Island was uninhabited prior to 1888. Became a territory of Australia in 1958. |
| 1888 | Goondiwindi | Queensland | |
| 1888 | Kilcoy | Queensland | |
| 1888 | Kuranda | Queensland | |
| 1888 | Longreach | Queensland | |
| 1888 | North Star | New South Wales | |
| 1888 | Uranquinty | New South Wales | |
| 1888 | Woolgoolga | New South Wales | |
| 1889 | Nannup | Western Australia | |

### 1890s

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1890s | Kingaroy | Queensland | |
| 1890s | Margaret River | Western Australia | |
| 1890s | Mount Hope | New South Wales | |
| 1890 | Eumundi | Queensland | |
| 1890 | Innamincka | South Australia | |
| 1890 | Oodnadatta | South Australia | |
| 1890 | Tarcutta | New South Wales | |
| 1891 | Maleny | Queensland | |
| 1892 | Bomaderry | New South Wales | |
| 1892 | Coolgardie | Western Australia | |
| 1893 | Kalgoorlie | Western Australia | |
| 1893 | Tuncurry | New South Wales | |
| 1895 | Norseman | Western Australia | |
| 1895 | Waroona | Western Australia | |
| 1896 | Esperance | Western Australia | |
| 1896 | Port Hedland | Western Australia | |
| 1897 | Gwalia | Western Australia | Abandoned. |
| 1898 | Katanning | Western Australia | |
| 1898 | Waverley | Western Australia | |
| 1899 | Quindalup | Western Australia | |

## 20th century

| Year | Town/City | State/Territory | Notes |
| 1900s | Fitzroy Crossing | Western Australia | |
| 1901 | Tarcoola | South Australia | |
| 1904 | Kyogle | New South Wales | |
| 1904 | Renmark | South Australia | |
| 1908 | Maroochydore | Queensland | |
| 1910 | Dwellingup | Western Australia | |
| 1910 | Koojan | Western Australia | |
| 1910 | Wonthaggi | Victoria | |
| 1911 | Berri | South Australia | |
| 1911 | Batchelor | Northern Territory | |
| 1913 | Canberra | Australian Capital Territory | Largest inland city, capital of the Australian Capital Territory and of Australia. |
| 1913 | Leeton | New South Wales | |
| 1915 | Coober Pedy | South Australia | |
| 1916 | Griffith | New South Wales | |
| 1917 | Quilpie | Queensland | |
| 1919 | Yerrinbool | New South Wales | |
| 1920 | Port Augusta | South Australia | |
| 1920 | Whyalla | South Australia | |
| 1921 | Monash | South Australia | |
| 1922 | Tin Can Bay | Queensland | Originally known as Wallu. |
| 1923 | Mount Isa | Queensland | |
| 1924 | Onslow | Western Australia | Moved from Old Onslow. |
| 1924 | Biloela | Queensland | |
| 1924 | Monto | Queensland | |
| 1924 | Murray Bridge | South Australia | |
| 1925 | Cowaramup | Western Australia | |
| 1926 | Katherine | Northern Territory | |
| 1926 | Carbunup River | Carbunup River | |
| 1934 | Tarraleah | Tasmania | |
| 1936 | Seventeen Seventy | Queensland | |
| 1940 | Loveday | South Australia | |
| 1946 | Wittenoom | Western Australia | Closed in 2007 due to asbestos contamination. |
| 1947 | Bronte Park | Tasmania | |
| 1947 | Woomera | South Australia | |
| 1953 | Bindoon | Western Australia | |
| 1956 | Jurien Bay | Western Australia | |
| 1960s | Tom Price | Western Australia | |
| 1961 | Kununurra | Western Australia | |
| 1961 | Weipa | Queensland | |
| 1963 | Gracetown | Western Australia | |
| 1965 | Churchill | Victoria | |
| 1965 | Dampier | Western Australia | |
| 1965 | Goldsworthy | Western Australia | Former mining town. Abandoned in 1992. |
| 1966 | Newman | Western Australia | Originally named Mount Newman until 1981. |
| 1967 | Exmouth | Western Australia | |
| 1968 | Karratha | Western Australia | |
| 1969 | Moranbah | Queensland | |
| 1970 | Ravenswood | Western Australia | |
| 1971 | Nhulunbuy | Northern Territory | |
| 1972 | Shay Gap | Western Australia | Former mining town. Closed in 1994. |
| 1973 | Dysart | Queensland | |
| 1980s | Joondalup | Western Australia | |
| 1981 | Palmerston | Northern Territory | |
| 1982 | Jabiru | Northern Territory | |
| 1987 | Roxby Downs | South Australia | |