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Luis Váez de Torres (Spanish) lands on the Islands and Strait that still bear his name
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Dirk Hartog (Dutch) lands on the west coast of Australia and leaves an engraved pewter plat
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VOC ship Mauritius under command of Supercargo Willem Janszoon, landed near North West Cape, near the modern town of Exmouth, and named Willem's River, later renamed Ashburton River.
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The English ship Tryall sighted Point Cloates on the west coast of Australia.
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The Tryall was wrecked on Tryal Rocks, northwest of the Montebello Islands, crew spent seven days ashore before sailing a longboat to Bantam in Java – this was the first recorded shipwreck in Australian waters and first extended stay in Australia by Europeans.[5]
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Dutch captain Jan Carstensz navigated the Gulf of Carpentaria aboard the Pera and Arnhem. The Arnhem crossed the Gulf to reach and name Groote Eylandt.
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VOC ship Batavia wrecked on Houtman Abrolhos, off Geraldton. Mutiny ensued and at least 110 men, women and children were murdered. First European structure in Australia – Wiebbe Hayes Stone Fort on West Wallabi Island.
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Abel Tasman (Dutch) names Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), claiming it as part of Nieuw Holland (New Holland
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In 1656 the Vergulde Draeck struck a submerged coral reef midway between what are now the coastal towns of Seabird and Ledge Point, Western Australia
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English navigator John Daniel on the New London charted the west coast of Australia, including Rottnest Island and the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos.
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English explorer William Dampier explored the west coast of Australia (camps at Karrakatta Bay near Broome)
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Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh charted the southwestern coast of Australia, making a landfall at Rottnest Island and the site of the present-day city of Perth.
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William Dampier (British) lands where Hartog did, renaming it Shark Bay
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James Cook (British) lands at Botany Bay. Cook incorrectly declares Australia as terra nullius
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The First Fleet of 11 ships, led by Governor Arthur Phillip, departed from Great Britain for Australia to begin European colonisation
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Captain Arthur Phillip of the (First Fleet), having decided to sail ahead of the rest of the fleet to prepare for the new settlement, sighted the coast of Van Diemen's Land
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5 of 6 ships of the beleaguered Second Fleet arrived. The colony was gripped by a food crisis.
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The first ship of the Third Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove.
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Sydney Cove was wrecked and some survivors travelled from Bass Strait to Port Jackson, enabling the rescue of others. This also furthered knowledge of the geography of Australia.
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Gold is discovered in New South Wales
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Victoria becomes a separate colony to New South Wales.
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Battle of the Eureka Stockade, Ballarat
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All people in South Australia, including the first nations people, have the right to vote
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Six colonies federated into the commonwealth of Australia
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Most women in Australia can vote