Kingsland was first settled in 1793 after exploration by the Dutch and French, both of whom had already established outposts in Australia. The initial Kingsland colony, named for King James II of England, consisted only of certain northern sectors of what is now called the Cape York peninsula. Over time, settlement spread further south. A series of border confrontations with France, escalated during the Napoleonic era, resulted in the current borders in about 1850; the borders have remained constant since that date. Kingsland was heavily involved in the Pacific Rebellion of 1956-1960, during which it was subjected to invasion by Indonesian and Filipino forces. The invasion captured Palmerston and territory down Cape York as far south as Toowoomba but was later repelled with French, Dutch a