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Captain James Cook charted the east coast in his ship. Cook claimed it as a British Possession and named eastern Australia "New South Wales".
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British Navy Captain found a penal settlement at Sydney, Australia. He had arrived with 11 vessels and 800 convicts.
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South Australia established with Adelaide as its capital.
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Australia becomes the first country to introduce the secret ballot.
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The Commonwealth of Australia comes into being 1st January.
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Canberra is founded and designated as the Capital
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Outbreak of World War I. Australia commits thousands of troops to the British war effort.
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The Great Depression following the Wall Street Crash hit Australia hard. The Labor government was defeated in the election in 1931.
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Australia follows Britain's lead and declares war on Nazi Germany.
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Australia begins a scheme for immigration from Europe. More than two million people arrive, one-third of them from Britain, and many more from Italy, Greece, and Germany.
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Australia commits troops in the UN forces in the Korean war.
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Australia commits troops in the US effort in Vietnam.
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Australia introduces new immigration laws, restricting the number of unskilled workers allowed into the country.