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The first Europeans to sail in Australia were Dutch in 1606, but they never settled there. They however made a landing but abandoned the exploration due to being attacked by Aborigines.
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In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed around Australia, claimed the land for England, ignored the Aborigines, and named the area New South Wales. Sailors mapped the coast eastern Australia Tasmania.
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With the American Revolution forcing the British to conclude shipping prisoners to the Penal Colony (Georgia), Great Britain started shipping them instead to Australia. Since it was a good choice of Alternative (no chance of escape, no colonies, and few indigenous peoples).
- happened around 1787 - 1788
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In 1787, the British ships called the "First Fleet" left England with convicts to establish a prison colony.
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In 1788, the British prisoners settles in Australia. From 1788 to 1832, New South Wales was officially a penal/prison colony consisting mainly of convicts, marines (guards), and the families of the marines.
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From 1833 to the 1860s, it was (Port Arthur, Tasmania) a destination for the hardest convicted British and Irish criminals, those who were secondary offenders having reoffended after their arrival in Australia.
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In 1861, government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today.
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The British transported prisoners until 1868. By that time, many immigrants were settled there.
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On January 1, 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was established. Melbourne served as a capital until Canberra was completed in 1927.
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Originally, Australia promoted a policy called "White Australia" where they would not allow Non-Caucasians to immigrate to Australia. "Immigration Restriction Act of 1901" restricted migration to people primarily of European descent. Though this was dismantled in WW2/
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In 1986, in the Australia Act, all legal ties with the British Empire were severed. Though, today, Australia is a parliamentary democracy (constitutional monarchy) with Elizabeth ll as Queen.
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(Today, I wrote 1991 from searches online) Today, Australia has a global non-discriminatory policy and is home to people from more than 200 countries.
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In 1999 55% of voters rejected the ides of becoming an independent republic.
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