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On his ship, HM Endeavour, Captain James Cook explores the east coast. Cook claims it as British territory and renames the eastern part of Australia "New South Wales." -
Captain Arthur Phillip of the British Navy established a convict colony in Sydney. He'd come with a squadron of 11 ships carrying approximately 800 prisoners. At the time, the Aboriginal population was estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. -
Captain James Stirling founded the Colony of Western Australia in Perth.
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Adelaide was designated as the capital of South Australia.
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Gold was discovered in various places, resulting in gold rushes throughout the decade. In ten years, the population tripled, crossing a million milestones. Entry restrictions are imposed as a result of an influx of Chinese.
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Australia became the first country to introduce the secret ballot, or "Australian ballot", for elections.
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When the British Parliament approved laws allowing the six Australian colonies to rule collectively in their own right as the Commonwealth of Australia, Australia became a nation. -
Women in South Australia and certain parts of Western Australia had gained the right to vote. The Commonwealth Franchise Act was established as a result of campaigning by suffragists and certain progressive legislators. Women above the age of 21 in Australia can now vote in national elections and run for the Australian Parliament.
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Canberra was established as the capital and designated as such.
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Since the start of World War I, hundreds of thousands of Australian troops have been committed to the British war effort. Their involvement in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey in 1915, with New Zealanders, resulted in devastating deaths. The Gallipoli landings contributed to the nascent nation's feeling of identity.