Why did Britain establish a settlement at King George Sound in 1826?

In 1826, the British government established a settlement at King George Sound primarily to secure a formal claim to the region. Governor Ralph Darling of New South Wales, concerned by reports of potential French interest in the area and the presence of American whaling activities, dispatched Major Edmund Lockyer with a party of soldiers and convicts to garrison the site. This strategic move was intended to prevent other powers from claiming the territory and to solidify British authority on the south coast of what is now Western Australia.12