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Australian History
Early History | 17th Century | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | 21st Century
| EARLY HISTORY |
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50,000 BC
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The first settlers are thought
to have arrived around 50,000 years ago. This
would have most likely been at a time when the
sea levels were low, the land was more humid and
animals larger.
Although much of Australia became
populated, the central dry areas didn't attract
settlers until around 25,000 years ago. The population
grew proportionately quicker around 10,000 years
ago as the climate improved. |
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How to Play the Didgeridoo
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At the time of British settlement at Sydney
Cove it is estimated that 300,000 aboriginal people,
speaking around 250 languages inhabited Australia.
On arrival, finding no obvious political
structure, the Europeans took the land as their own.
The Indigenous people were driven out of their homes
and many killed. Various new European diseases spread
rapidly amongst the indigenous people, killing many.
The introduction of feral and domestic animals contributed
to the destruction of natural habitats.
Fighting wiped out the Aboriginal population
in Tasmania and greatly reduced the numbers in the rest
of Australia.
During the early part of the 20th century
legislation's were passed to segregate and protect Aboriginals.
This involved restrictions on where they could live
and work and families being broken up.
After World War II, assimilation became
the governments aim. All rights were taken away from
the Aboriginals and attempts made to 'Europeanise' them.
During the 1960's the legislation was
reviewed and the Federal Government passed legislation
for all Aboriginals to be given citizen status. However,
it wasn't until 1972 that the indigenous people were
given back limited rights to their own land. The situation
has been steadily improving for Australia's Indigenous
people, although many feel more needs to be done.
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| 17th
CENTURY |
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1606
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The first European sightings of Australia
were made by a Dutchman called Willem Janszoon on the
Duyfken (Little Dove). Janszoon sailed into the Australian waters charting 300 km of the coast on the journey. Janszoon also met with the Aboriginal people on the journey. Janszoon was the first recorded European to achieve such feats. Later that year Louis Vaez de Torres sailed through the Torres Strait, named after himself. Both Captains have been recorded as having sighted the Cape York Peninsula.
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1642
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Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman's, first journey to Australia. It was in 1644 that Abel Tasman established that Australia was made up of four coasts North, West, East and South. The Australian state of Tasmania was named after this famous explorer.
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| 18th
CENTURY |
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1770
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Captain
Cook lands in Botany Bay on the Eastern side
of Australia in the ship named HM Bark Endeavour. and claims New South Wales for Britain.
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1788
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The First Fleet arrives at Sydney Cove
under Captain Arthur Phillip to establish the first
settlement in Australia. This was to be a penal colony
- Sydney was founded. The date of his arrival, 26 January, went on to mark Australia Day. |
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| 19th
CENTURY |
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1801 - 1899
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The great age of exploration: coastal
surveys (Bass, Flinders), interior (Sturt, Eyre, Leichhardt,
Burke and Willis, McDouall Stuart, Forrest). Also the
era of the bushrangers, overlanders, and squatters,
and individuals such as William Buckley and Ned Kelly.
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1803
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Mathew Flinders completes the first
voyage around Australia in the 'Investigator'.
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1804
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1813
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1825
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1829
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1836
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1840 - 1868
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Convict transportation ended.
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1851 - 1861
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1851
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1855
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1856
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1859
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1890
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1891
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Depression gave rise to the Australian
Labor Party.
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1899 - 1900
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South African War - forces offered by
the individual colonies.
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| 20th
CENTURY |
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1901
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1911
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1914 - 1918
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World War I - Anzac troops in Europe
including Gallipoli. Australia experiences her first
major losses in a war during in 1915 on the Gallipoli
peninsula in Turkey.
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1939 - 1945
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World War II - Anzac troops in Greece,
Crete, and N Africa (El Alamein) and the Pacific. The
Japanese bomb Darwin in 1942. |
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1941
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Curtin's appeal to USA for help in
the World War marked the end of the special relationship
with Britain.
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1944
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Liberal party founded by Menzies.
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1948 - 1975
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Two million new immigrants, the majority
from continental Europe
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1950 - 1953
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Korean War - Australian troops part
of the United Nations forces.
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1964 - 1972
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Vietnam War - Comonwealth troops
in alliance with US forces.
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1966 - 1974
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Mineral boom typified by the Posiedon
nickel mine.
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1967
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The ASEAN was established
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1973
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Britain entered the Common Market,
and in the 1970's Japan became Australia's chief trading
partner.
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1974
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Whitlam abolishes 'white Australia'
policy.
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1975
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Constitutional crisis; Prime Minister
Whitlam dismissed by the governor general.
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1975
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United Nations trust territory of
Papua New Guinea became independent.
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1975
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The Liberal Party under Malcolm Fraser
comes to power.
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1978
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1979
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1983
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Hawke convened first national economic
summit - The Fraser Government is defeated in the election
and the Australian Labour Party under Bob Hawke forms
a government.
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1988
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Australia celebrates its Bicentennial
- 200 years since the first European settlement.
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1991
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Paul Keating replaced Hawke as Labour
Party leader and Prime Minister.
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1994
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The ASEAN Regional Forum
(ARF) was established |
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1996
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Labour Party ousted in general election
by Liberal-National coalition.
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1901 - 1999
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| 21st
CENTURY |
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2000
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Australia hosts the 2000 Olympic Games.
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2001
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Australia celebrates the Centenary of
the Federation of Australia.
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