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Dutch Exploration
First Europeans to sail to go to Australia were Dutch. They got there in 1606, but they didn’t stay. They left after they were attacked by Aborigines. Then the Dutch stopped exploring. -
British Exploration
Captain James Cook sailed around Australia and named the area New South Wales. He ignored the Aborigines living there and claimed the land for England. -
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The “First Fleet”
The British sent prisoners to Australia because of the American revolution. British ships called the “First Fleet” left England with criminals to make a prison colony. British prisoners settled in Australia. -
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New South Wales
New South Wales was officially a prison colony holding mostly of convicts, guards, and the people's families.Only one fifth of the first prisoners were women.British sent prisoners to Australia until 1868. By this time, many free people were settling there. -
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Port Arthur, Tasmania
Port Arthur, Tasmania was the destination for the worst of British and Irish criminals, secondary offenders after their arrival in Australia. Plus, Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system. They sent all who died inside the prison camps to Island of the Dead. -
Commonwealth of Australia
In 1861 government officials created boundaries for the 7 independent colonies that are still in place today and in 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. -
“White Australia”
Originally, Australia had a policy called “White Australia”. They would not allow people of color to live in Australia. Immigration Restriction Act of 1901: restricted migration to white people. This this stopped after WW2. -
Aborigines
federal government began to pass legislation to help the Aborigines people wanted to see its government take action to rise the living conditions of Aborigines•In March, Aboriginal farmers demanded for equal wages to a declaration of their rights of ownership of traditional lands.This became one of Australia’s first successful land claims by its indigenous people.