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Jan 1, 1492
European Discovery: New World
When Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492 it was seen that a new world was born. Throughout the world nothing new had been discovered or inhabited until Christopher Columbus. North and South America and Australia are often referred to as the First Nations. It is surprising to believe that Christopher Columbus’ journey was considered a failure at the time but is now thought of as one of the most important expeditions. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a period that started during the 17th century that carried on until the 18th century. This was a time where people began to see the world with reason and intelligence instead of religious and sacred beliefs. The Enlightenment began the thinking that every human being had the right to create the best possible world for themselves. -
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain around 1750. The Industrial Revolution brought with it machines and steam power. This made manufacturing goods faster and a lot cheaper than before. The Industrialisation made the goods cheap enough for large consumption, though the demand for raw materials, such as sugar and cotton, was increased. -
Industrial Revolution: Cont.
The Industrialisation and the increase of global trade created a new, larger need for transportation.The Industrial Revolution increased the need for labour as many of the colonies were short. There were no machines available then, all the work had to be done by hand, and because of this no one wanted to do the hard work. The demand for labour led to slavery and more that 11 million Africans were bought to the Americas to work as slaves on plantations for crops like sugar, coffee and cotton. -
The Enlightenment Cont.
The most important idea the Enlightenment brought on was that people should not have to have faith in what the priests and teachers of the church would preach. There was another important thought and it was that all of society should be seen as equals regardless of social status, therefore meaning that all the privileges of nobility should be eradicated. During this era, a lot of philosophers and scientists who challeneged the ideas were imprisoned. -
Indigenous Life and People
The Indigenous people were mostly affected in 1788 when the First Fleet arrived in Australia. At first, Indigenous people were willing to help the English. But soon the English began to put up houses, fences and started to take the lands. The Indigenous believed that land could not be owned, and began to start fighting back. The Indigenous were put into slavery by and for the English, this caused many Indigenous to die from diseases. -
Convict Life
Convicts were people that had been sentenced for a crime to prison. Due to England’s overpopulation, there were no jobs and people began to resort to stealing small things. Prisons were very crowded, so convicts began to be transported to Australia. The first convicts arrived in Australia on the First Fleet on 1788. Once the convicts arrived in Australia they began to work as bricklayers, farm labourers, and shepherds. -
The First Fleet
When Christopher Columbus discovered the new world, consisting of America and Australia, these countries soon began to create their own history, culture identity and even their own unique language. Columbus was to sail in search of Asia as that was where all the riches were. The entire expedition had taken longer than everyone thought, and before long they discovered North America. Soon he discovered Australia and the thought of voluntary and involuntary migration to Australia began. -
The First Fleet Cont.
The First Fleet was the coming of 11 ships that sailed from Great Britain on the 13 of May 1787 to bring the first European colony in N.S.W. The First Fleet arrived at Port Jackson o the 26 of January 1788. On this eight month journey an estimated twenty three convicts died. -
Free Settler Life
People who voluntarily moved to Australia were called Free Settlers. These people were drawn to Australia due to push and pull factors. The people began to move from England to Australia because they heard Australia was warm and abundant with food. Many people moved to Australia on the boats with convicts, and many people died along the way. The free settlers lucky enough to have emigrated to Australia then began to start farms and hire convicts as farm labourers. -
Free Settler Life: Cont.
But even with all their land, the life of a free settler was quite harsh. They had to endure droughts, and many floods. In the beginning their homes were very basic and food was hardly available, but all that chunged when the crops could be harvested. -
Battle of Pinjarra: Cont.
On 25 October 1834, twenty five soldiers rode off with Captain James Stirling and came across a camp of around 70 Indigenous people holding weapons, even women and children. After several hours of fighting, two European soldiers had been injured, and thirty Bindjareb people, some of those being women and children as well, had been killed. -
Battle of Pinjarra
Once the Swan River colony (Western Australia) was established, settlers began to explore around the region in search for fertile lands. Soon a small group of settlers came across Pinjarra, a small isolated land 80 km away from the Swan River Colony. The Bindjareb people did not take well to the European settlement on their land. In response they speared cattle, stole flour and sometimes attacked settlers. This soon turned into a fight fire with fire, with both sides committing murders. -
Voluntary Migration
By 1901 it was estimated that over 15 million free settlers left England and moved to Australia in search for a better life in the New World. Free settlers populated Australia greatly around the beginning. Voluntary migration is caused by what they call a pull factor. Pull factors are caused by people seeing another area as more attractive than their own home country. People moved to Australia for many reasons, some of which were to start a new life here and make a profit from all the free land. -
Making a Nation
Before Australia had become a federal nation, all the states of Australia were colonies of Britain. By 1900 the wish for federation finally became an important issue as federation would define all the people as one nation, giving all the public a chance be known as Australian, it would be seen as a symbol of unity. Finally referendums were held in all six colonies to which all nations voted ‘yes’ to. From that day Australia’s nationhood was achieved in a peaceful manner. -
Making a Nation: Cont.
Eventually on the 1 of January 1901 the six colonies – New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia – became the new states of Australian federation. This date marked the independent nationhood for the Commonwealth of Australia. -
The Assassination of Archduke Frans Ferdinand and his Wife
On the 28 of June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The first attempt of the Archduke’s life by a group of Serbian Nationalists was failed, not long after a Serbian Nationalist Gavrilo Princip succeeded in their assassination. This caused the start of WWI with the Austro-Hungarian Empire to declare war of Serbia. Not long after many other countries entered the war to honour alliances -
Great Britain Declares War on Germany
Germany invaded Belgium on 4 of August 1914. This was seen to the world as Germany trampling on the rights of a small neutral country. Germany was seen as a dishonest attacker in the War by America and other countries involved. Britain had guaranteed Belgium independence in the Treaty of London, because of this Britain became involved. -
Britain Declares War on Germany Cont.
Eventually an ultimatum was sent to Germany that day asking that Belgium remained neutral and that a reply was required by midnight. At 11 o’clock at night a reply was sent from Germany rejecting the British demand. Therefore war was declared on Germany. -
Australia in The Western Front
The Western Front was the name the Germans gave to a series of trenches that ran 700 kilometres from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border. The “western front” was the frontline area of the battle on the edge of the German lines and the French lines.This place would come to be known as the place where Australian’s mainly fought after the end of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915. -
Australia in The Western Front: Cont. 1
After the Gallipoli Campaign the veterans rested and regenerated in Egypt and had strengthened their forces, not long after they were sent to France to fight Germany. In March 1916 the Australian Imperial Force arrived at France and by July and August, the Australians were heavily involved in series’ of battles. The Western Front was not one continuous battle along the hundreds of kilometres of trenches. One of the great offensives of the WWI was the notorious battle of the Somme. -
Australia in The Western Front: Cont. 2 : The Somme
It was notorious because of the large loss of life that occurred on the first day of battle; the British army suffered the heaviest losses of its history; 20, 000 dead and 40, 000 wounded. The Somme lasted 5 months with over 1, 000, 000 casualties on both sides. No Australian soldiers were involved on the first day at the Somme. -
Australia in The Western Front: Cont. 3
Three weeks later, in Australia’s first major engagement on the Western Front an Australian division (including the ANZACS) suffered over 5, 000 casualties in 24 hours on the 19th of July 1916 in an attack near Fromelles, this offensive later became the battle of Fromelle. In 1916 the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) suffered over 42, 000 casualties. Australians were engaged on the Western Front until 1918.
