In 1788 did the Australian people speak English?

It's a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no. Here's a breakdown:

* The Indigenous Australians: They were the original inhabitants of the land and spoke a wide variety of languages, not English.

* The First Fleet Arriving in 1788: This fleet brought British convicts and their guards to Australia. They spoke English, but it was a particular dialect of British English that had its own unique vocabulary and pronunciation.

* No "Australian People" Yet: The term "Australian people" wasn't really in common use in 1788. The colony was a mix of British convicts, soldiers, and officials. There was no unified national identity yet.

So, while the British people who came to Australia in 1788 spoke English, the indigenous people did not. It took time for a distinct Australian English to develop as a result of mixing with other languages and evolving independently from British English.