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Dutch Exploration~
- The First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch (Netherlands) in 1606, but they didn’t settle there.
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British Exploration~
- Captain James Cook sailed around Australia
- Cook named the area New South Wales
- Ignored the Aborigines living there & claimed the land for England
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England seeks land for penal colonies~
- 1787 – British ships called the “First Fleet” left England with convicts to establish a prison colony
- 1788—British prisoners settled in Australia
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New South Wales becomes a prison!
- 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
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The Famous Aborigines~
- Aborigines went through stages of being conquered through an 'invasion' and taking of their lands.
- European settlers often separated Aborigines from society
- 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.
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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.
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Australia is perfect!
- 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
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Commonwealth of Australia~
- Nonprisoner colonization continued…
- Major coastal settlements became 7 independent colonies
- 1861: government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today
- January 1, 1901: the Commonwealth of Australia was established.
- Melbourne served as the national capital until Canberra was completed in 1927
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"White Australia"
- 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 descent
- This 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!
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Austalia Today~
Australia's Day~
* 1986: Australia Act -- all legal ties with the British Empire were severed
* Australia is a parliamentary democracy (constitutional monarchy) with Elizabeth II as queen
* 1999: 55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic.
