Kurnell, historic site on the southern side of the entrance to Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Kurnell was the first landing place in Australia of Capt. James Cook on April 29, 1770. Drawing on Cook’s favourable account, the First Fleet—the first group of British settlers in Australia—landed in Botany Bay in 1788 but found it unsuitable for settlement and moved on to Port Jackson. The area is now a public reserve, with several monuments and a museum.