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First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch (Netherlands) in 1606
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1770: Captain James Cook sailed around Australia
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British prisoners settled in Australia
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British transported prisoners to Australia until 1868
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1861: government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today
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January 1, 1901: the Commonwealth of Australia was established.
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Canberra was completed in 1927
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1967: federal government began to pass legislation to help the Aborigines
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1986: Australia Act -- all legal ties with the British Empire were severed
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1999: 55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic.
