The Time Line of Australia

By XenMaster11
  • First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch (Netherlands) in 1606

    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

    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

    1787 – British ships

    “First Fleet” left England with convicts to establish a prison colony
  • 1788

    1788

    British prisoners settled in Australia
  • From 1833, until the 1850s

    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

    During the 1900s

    separation was an official government policy which lasted for many decades
  • Immigration Restriction Act of 1901

    Immigration Restriction Act of 1901

    restricted migration to people primarily of European descent
    This was dismantled after the Second World War.
  • 1967: federal government

    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

    1986: Australia Act

    all legal ties with the British Empire were severed
  • 1999: Voters

    1999: Voters

    55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic.