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First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch (Netherlands) in 1606, but they didn’t settle there -
1770: Captain James Cook sailed around Australia -
1787 – British ships called the “First Fleet” left England with convicts to establish a prison colony -
1788 - British prisoners settled in Australia -
1788 to 1832: New South Wales was officially a penal (prison) colony consisting mainly of convicts, marines (guards), and the marines’ families
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1830s: remnants of the tribes in the settled areas were moved onto Reserves -
From 1833, until the 1850s, it was the destination for the hardest of convicted British and Irish criminals, those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia.
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1861: government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today -
British transported prisoners to Australia until 1868 -
During the 1900s, separation was an official government policy which lasted for many decades -
January 1, 1901: the Commonwealth of Australia was established. -
Immigration Restriction Act of 1901: restricted migration to people primarily of European descent -
Melbourne served as the national capital until Canberra was completed in 1927 -
1967: federal government began to pass legislation to help the Aborigines -
1986: Australia Act -- all legal ties with the British Empire were severed
1999: 55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic.
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