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First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch
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Captain James Cook sailed around Australia
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British ships took convicts to establish a prison
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New South Wales was officially a penal (prison) colony consisting mainly of marine guards and convicts.
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The convicts who have were secondary offenders re-offended their arivals in Australia
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In 1868 British transported prisoners to Australia
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The commonwealth was established in Australia
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Melbourne served as the national capital until Canberra was complete.
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Federal governments began to pass laws to help the Aborigines
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All legal ties with the British Empire were served
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In 1999 55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic
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Today, Australia is a parliamentary democracy with Queen Elizabeth II
