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Captain James Cook charts the east coast in his ship HM Endeavour. Cook claims it as a British possession and names eastern Australia "New South Wales".
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South Australia established, with Adelaide as its capital.
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Gold is found at several locations leading to gold rushes throughout the decade.
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Canberra is founded and designated as the capital.
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The Great Depression following the Wall Street Crash hits Australia hard. Recovery is uneven, and the Labor government is defeated in the election in 1931.
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Olympic Games held in Melbourne.
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Bob Hawke becomes prime minister after his Labor Party secures a landslide victory.
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Australia hosts the Olympic Games in Sydney, the most popular ever.
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Australia mourns as 88 of its citizens are killed in a night club bombing in Bali, Indonesia, which some call Australia's September 11. The attacks - which killed 202 people in total - are blamed on al-Qaeda-linked Islamists.
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John Howard wins fourth term as prime minister; his party extends its grip on parliament.
