History australia

Australian Timeline

  • European Exploration

    European Exploration

    At this time, the first Europeans who finally sailed to Australia were Dutch. They did not settle but they had explored new lands.
  • James Cook

    James Cook

    In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed around Australia and called the area, "New South Wales." He ignored the land where the natives lived, so he could claim the area for England.
  • Prison Settlement

    Prison Settlement

    In 1787, "First Fleet" was the name of British ships that left England with prisoners sent to Australia. In 1788, the British prisoners had settled in Australia.
  • New South Wales

    New South Wales

    Through the period of 1788 - 1832, New South Wales was a prison colony that mainly consisted of convicts, guards, and the family members of the guards. The transportation of British Prisoners ended in 1868.
  • Aborigines

    Aborigines

    During the 1830s through the 1900s, Aborigines were treated poorly and often were killed and separated from their families. It is very common today that Aborigines (natives) do not know their origins. It's now known as a 'Lost Generation.'
  • Port Arthur, Tasmania

    Port Arthur, Tasmania

    Many of the worst British and Irish criminals were sent to Port Arthur. The strict security made it difficult to escape. The Island of the Dead was a place for anyone who'd died in Port Arthur.
  • Boundaries Between Colonies

    Boundaries Between Colonies

    In 1861, the government decided to build boundaries in between colonies that are still standing.
  • Commonwealth of Australia

    Commonwealth of Australia

    On January 1st, 1901, the Commonwealth (countries independence) of Australia was established.
  • "White Australia"

    "White Australia"

    This was a time period when Australia did not accept non-caucasian races to immigrate here until 1901.
  • Immigration Restriction Act

    Immigration Restriction Act

    This act restricted people of European descent to migrate to Australia. Unfortunately, this became dismantled after World War II.
  • Aborigine Rights

    Aborigine Rights

    In 1967, the federal government passed legislation to help the Aborigines. In March, Aboriginal farmers demanded equal wages of ownership rights of their traditional lands. This was the first Australian land claim from the indigenous people.

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