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Early history
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The Aboriginal people were the first to settle in Australia. They came to Australia about 50 000 years ago. Traditionally they were hunters and gathers moving with the seasons. A short presentation of the Aboriginal history. The Europeans discovered Australia in the early 17th century. The Spanish navigator Luis Vaez de Torres sailed through the Torres Strait, the strait which separates Australia from Papua New Guinea, in 1606.
Later, Dutch navigators reached parts of the northern and western coasts of Australia. The first British explorer was William Dampier, who came to the northwest coast in 1688. More famous is Captain James Cook who sailed the entire length of the eastern coast in 1770. |
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European Settlers
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The first European to settle down in Australia were British prisoners. The prisons in England were overcrowded and the vast uninhabited continent "down under" was an attractive solution to the problem.
The first fleet of convicts came to Australia in 1782. This settlement is now Sydney. Later more settlements were established at other places in Australia.
The deportation of prisoners continued until 1868. Then more than 100 000 convicts had arrived in Australia.
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The Gold Rush
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In the 1850's gold was discovered in Australia. This led to a large growth in number of immigrants from all over the world. The Aborigines were moved away from their land because the new settlers took up land for farming or mining.
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Federation
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The different states in Australia were separate colonies under Britain. In the end of the 19th century the colonies wanted to unite. In 1901 January 1st, the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. The Queen of England was still their Queen and they kept the British National Anthem.
Australia still has a close connection to the UK, but has now got its own National Anthem, its own flag and the real power is in the Australian Government.
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