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Captain James Cook sailed around Australia, naming the area New South Wales. Ignoring the indigenous people living there, Cook claimed Australia for England. -
Because of the American Revolution, England lost Georgia as a penal colony. IN search of a new place to send their prisoners, they turned to Australia. Australia seemed the perfect place for prisoners because there was no chance to escape it. -
The indigenous people of Australia, Aborigines, were usually killed after their land was invaded and taken, or they would be separated from their families. In the 1830's, the few people left from the tribes were moved onto Reserves. They were not allowed to pass on their language and customs to their children. -
Starting in 1833, Port Arthur became the place were the worst convicted British and Irish criminals were sent. It had the strictest security and some tales suggest that prisoners commit murder just to escape the camp because murder was punishable by death. This continued until the 1850's.The Island of the Dead was a place for those who died at Port Arthur. -
By this time, free immigrants who were not prisoners began settling into Australia. Due to this, government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today. -
Australia was officially established as the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. Melbourne served as the national capital until 1927. -
In 1901, the policy, ‘White Australia' was established, allowing only Caucasians to migrate to Australia. But after the second world war, this act was dismantled. -
In 1967, federal governments began passing laws to help the Aborigines. In March, farming Aborigines began extending a demand for equal payment as a declaration of their rights and claim to their lands. This became one of Australia first successful land claims by it's indigenous peoples. -
In 1986, Australia broke all legal ties with the British Empire and is now a parliamentary democracy. -
55% percent of voters rejected becoming independent republic.
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