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European Exploration: Dutch
First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch (Netherlands) in 1606, but they didn’t settle there
The Dutch made one landing, were attacked by Aborigines, and then abandoned further exploration -
Captain James Cook
Cook sailed around Australia
Cook named the area New South Wales
Ignored the Aborigines living there & claimed the land for England
Sailors also mapped the coast eastern Australia & Tasmania -
Prisoners as Colonists
American Revolution forced the British to stop sending prisoners to Georgia (used as a penal colony at the time)
Great Britain had to start looking for another place to send its prisoners…
Australia seemed like a good choice: no chance of escape, no colonies around it, and very few indigenous people lived there
In 1787 British ships called the “First Fleet” left England with convicts to establish a prison colony.
In 1788 British prisoners settled in Australia. -
New South Wales
1788 to 1832: New South Wales was officially a penal (prison) colony consisting mainly of convicts, marines (guards), and the marines’ families
British transported prisoners to Australia until 1868
By this time, many free immigrants were settling there -
Aborigines
Aborigines went through stages of being conquered through an 'invasion' and taking of their lands.
European settlers often separated Aborigines from society 1830s: remnants of the tribes in the settled areas were moved onto Reserves During the 1900s, separation was an official government policy which lasted for many decades
Today, many Aboriginal people do not know their origins: which tribe they are descended from or the names of their parents and or grandparents. They are a lost generation. -
Port Arthur, Tasmania
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. Some tales suggest that prisoners committed murder (an offence punishable by death) just to escape the desolation of life at the camp. -
Commonwealth of Australia
Nonprisoner colonization continued…
Major coastal settlements became 7 independent colonies January 1, 1901: the Commonwealth of Australia was established -
White Austailia
Originally, Australia promoted a policy called “White Australia” Immigration Restriction Act of 1901: restricted migration to people primarily of European descent Today, Australia has a global, non-discriminatory policy and is home to people from more than 200 countries! -
Aborigines continued..
1967: federal government began to pass legislation to help the Aborigines In March, striking Aboriginal farmers changed political history by extending a demand for equal wages to a declaration of their rights of ownership of traditional lands. -
Australia Today
1986: Australia Act -- all legal ties with the British Empire were severed
Today, Australia is a parliamentary democracy (constitutional monarchy) with Elizabeth II as queen
1999: 55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic.
