If Antoine de Bougainville had had the courage to sail around the Great Barrier Reef, he would no doubt have found the Southern land and named it under the control of the French Monarchy - Louis XV. What do you think? I suppose Australia would have then been colonised by the French.

When La Perouse came to Botony Bay in 1788, France was in no position to colonise anything as France was in disaray and led to the French Revolution the following year.