-
-
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 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 of eastern Australia & Tasmania -
British ships called the “First Fleet” left England with convicts to establish a prison colony
-
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
Only 20% of the first convicts were women -
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.
In addition, Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.
Some tales suggest that prisoners committed murder (an offence punishable by death) just to escape the desolation of life at the camp.
The Island of the Dead was the destination for all who died inside th -
Great Britain saw that Australia was a good location to base its navy in the South Pacific Ocean
Its location would make it possible for British ships to make repairs & get supplies
Had many opportunities for trade with Asia and the Americas -
Nonprisoner colonization continued…
Major coastal settlements became 7 independent colonies
1861: government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today -
British transported prisoners to Australia until 1868
By this time, many free immigrants were settling there
They built businesses, trading posts, farms, etc. -
January 1, 1901: the Commonwealth of Australia was established.
-
Originally, Australia promoted a policy called “White Australia”They would not allow non-Caucasians to immigrate to Australia.That has since changed…Immigration Restriction Act of 1901: restricted migration to people primarily of European descentThis was dismantled after the Second World War. Today, Australia has a global, non-discriminatory policy and is home to people from more than 200 countries!
-
Melbourne served as the national capital until Canberra was completed in 1927
-
1967: federal government began to pass legislation to help the AboriginesIt was widely seen as affirmation of the Australian people’s wish to see its government take direct action to improve the living conditions of 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.
This became one of Australia’s first successful land claims by its indigenous people. -
Australia Act -- all legal ties with the British Empire were severed
Today, Australia is a parliamentary democracy (constitutional monarchy) with Elizabeth II as queen -
55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic.
