-
First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch (Netherlands) in 1606
The Dutch made one landing, were attacked by Aborigines, and then abandoned further exploration -
1770: 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 eastern Australia -
1787 – British ships
“First Fleet” left England with convicts to establish a prison colony -
1788
British prisoners settled in Australia -
From 1833, until the 1850s
the destination for the hardest of convicted British and Irish criminals, those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia. -
During the 1900s
separation was an official government policy which lasted for many decades -
Immigration Restriction Act of 1901
restricted migration to people primarily of European descent
This was dismantled after the Second World War. -
1967: federal government
began to pass legislation to help the Aborigines
It 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 -
1986: Australia Act
all legal ties with the British Empire were severed -
1999: Voters
55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic.
