Australian History

Australian History
Early History | 17th Century | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | 21st Century
EARLY HISTORY
50,000 BC 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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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.

17th CENTURY
1606 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.
1642 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.

18th CENTURY
1770 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.

1788 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.

19th CENTURY
1801 - 1899 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.
1803 Mathew Flinders completes the first voyage around Australia in the 'Investigator'.
1804 Castle Hill Rising by Irish convicts in New South Wales.

1813 Barrier of the Blue Mountains Crossed.

1825 Tasmania seceded from New South Wales.

1829 Western Australia formed.

1836 South Australia formed.

1840 - 1868 Convict transportation ended.
1851 - 1861 Gold rushes (Ballarat, Bendigo).

1851 Victoria seceded from New South Wales.

1855 Victoria achieved government.

1856 New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania achieved government.

1859 Queensland formed from New South Wales and achieved government.

1890 Western Australia achieved government.

1891 Depression gave rise to the Australian Labor Party.
1899 - 1900 South African War - forces offered by the individual colonies.

20th CENTURY
1901 Creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. This was a federation of the States of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.

1911 Site for capital at Canberra acquired.

1914 - 1918 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.
1939 - 1945 World War II - Anzac troops in Greece, Crete, and N Africa (El Alamein) and the Pacific. The Japanese bomb Darwin in 1942.

1941 Curtin's appeal to USA for help in the World War marked the end of the special relationship with Britain.
1944 Liberal party founded by Menzies.
1948 - 1975 Two million new immigrants, the majority from continental Europe
1950 - 1953 Korean War - Australian troops part of the United Nations forces.
1964 - 1972 Vietnam War - Comonwealth troops in alliance with US forces.
1966 - 1974 Mineral boom typified by the Posiedon nickel mine.
1967 The ASEAN was established
1973 Britain entered the Common Market, and in the 1970's Japan became Australia's chief trading partner.
1974 Whitlam abolishes 'white Australia' policy.
1975 Constitutional crisis; Prime Minister Whitlam dismissed by the governor general.
1975 United Nations trust territory of Papua New Guinea became independent.
1975 The Liberal Party under Malcolm Fraser comes to power.
1978 Northern Territory achieved self-government.

1979 Opening of uranium mines in Northern Territory.

1983 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.
1988 Australia celebrates its Bicentennial - 200 years since the first European settlement.
1991 Paul Keating replaced Bob Hawke as Labour Party leader and Prime Minister.
1994 The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was established
1996 Labour Party ousted in general election by Liberal-National Coalition.
1996 John Howard replaced Paul Keating as Prime Minister.
1901 - 1999 Australian Prime Ministers of the 20th Century


21st CENTURY
2000 Australia hosts the 2000 Olympic Games.
2001 Australia celebrates the Centenary of the Federation of Australia.
2007 Liberal-National Coalition lost in the general election to the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
2007 Kevin Rudd replaced John Howard as Prime Minister.