Australian History               The Original Inhabitants  travelled here from far southeast Asia, and from the Torres Strait islands. From their initial settlements in the north some 70,000 years ago, their individual lifestyles and cultural traditions spread across this vast uncharted land European exposure to Australia occurred in 1606, when the Dutch explorer, Willem Janszoon, sighted and then landed on the Cape York Peninsula. He found the area inhospitable and moved on. Regardless, adventurers and traders aggressively searching for riches in the southern hemisphere, and continued to sail through the northern coastal areas bordering a land which the Dutch named New Holland. In 1688, during one of his three circumnavigations of the globe, William Dampier became the first British explorer to set foot on the Australian land, coming ashore in Shark Bay  .  POPULATING In the mid 18th century, Britain had an overcrowded prison population, and they required a new penal colony. In 1770 the legendary British explorer, James Cook, arrived in Australia and found the eastern coastline a most desirable location. He subsequently named this land New South Wales, and claimed it for Britain Eighteen years later one of the world's greatest sea voyages, a grueling 15,000 mile journey brought eleven ships carrying about 1400 people mostly convicts from England to Australia They anchored at Port Jackson which is now called Sydney Harbor. On January 26, 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip in his capacity as the colony's first Governor established the British Crown Colony of New South Wales. This day is now called Australia Day and is an official public holiday celebrated in all states and territories of Australia For the next 80 years, in a somewhat provocative move, over 150,000 additional men and women who were convicted criminals, were shipped to Australia. They usually endured difficult and deplorable conditions during their lengthy ocean journeys As a result the Australian Gold Rush of the 1850's brought thousands of free immigrants to Australia in search of riches. The settler population was dominated by convicts and their descendants. In this land of incredible opportunity, the indigenous Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were suffering. Their population base decreased dramatically in the 19th century as the imported diseases killed thousands, and forced displacement with blatant land grabs disrupted their traditional lifestyles During the 19th century, separate and independent colonies were formed from parts of New South Wales, which loosely occupied the eastern half of the country. They included Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria . FEDERATION On January 1, 1901 a federation of colonies took shape after years of discussions and planning. The Commonwealth of Australia was created as a Dominion of the British Empire, and a new nation was born. Western Australia, granted self government in 1889 and was the most reluctant participant in the new Commonwealth Immediately after, the Australian Capital Territory was formed from a part of New South Wales to provide a location for the new federal capital of Canberra The Northern Territory joined the Commonwealth the same year, and at that time, the population of Australia was nearly 4 million, which included approximately 95,000 indigenous people The founders of this new nation promoted their belief in civil, economic, political and social equality. Successfully introduced was free education, trade unions, women's suffrage, maternity allowances, sick leave and old-age pensions . DEFENCE / WAR April 25 is called ANZAC Day and is when Australians commemorate the anniversary of the landing of troops and the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at  Gallipoli Turkey. The decision to fight alongside Britain partially decimated the male population of Australia, as over 60,000 of its bravest were killed and many thousands were severely wounded During World War Two, Australian forces played a significant role in the Allied victory in Europe as in the South Pacific. They engaged the Japanese in many difficult battles within remote areas of New Guinea and the Aussies stood tall, and helped win the war. It literally sparked the country's economy, as unparalleled growth swept across the country. Workers were needed and countless thousands of migrants from Europe arrived to fill the positions. Many were the wide eyed young, all hopeful for a bright and profitable future, and were not disappointed Almost two million immigrants came to Australia between 1948 and 1975, as the countries major construction projects paid solid wages and home ownership rose dramatically The 1960's were a transition period for Australia being at the forefront of change. The far sighted citizens of Australia voted overwhelmingly for full citizenship and a government mandated quality education for the estimated 350,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Soon after, immigration restrictions were finally lifted. Australia now claims to be a beacon of democratic procedures and non discriminatory policies In September 1999, Australia led the international peacekeeping force sent to restore order in East Timor. Australia's voters also rejected a referendum that would have ended Australia's formal allegiance to the British Crown. However there now continues to be a strong movement to become a Republic . GOVERNMENT Australia remains a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen of Australia and head of state. She is represented by the Governor General at the federal level, and by the Governors at the state level. Although the Governor General maintains certain powers, the leader of the political party with the majority of support in the House of Representative becomes the country's  Prime Minister  Australia has a strong economy with a per capita GDP exceeding that of the European countries. Robust business and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products are fueling that economy, particularly in the mining states like WA. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, a housing market boom and growing ties with China have been key factors behind the economy's solid years of expansion At the close of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the Australian rock group Men at Work sang their popular and patriotic signature song, Down Under. It asks Do you come from a land down under? Well, millions of travelers each year answer, No, but I've been there and I loved it!  . Eureka Stockade Over the past century and a half, many have tried to read much into the 1854 rebellion at the Eureka Stockade on the Victorian goldfields. Some see it as the start of Australian democracy. The less romantic paint it as nothing more than an anti-tax protest turned violent riot. But whatever its legacy, the Victorian miners' fought for their rights under the flag of the Southern Cross marked a dramatic moment in our history . Whitlam Dismissal  Dismissal of the Whitlam Labor Government on November 11, 1975 by the Fraser Liberal Government was the most dramatic political event in the history of Australia’s Federation. It raised a number of important constitutional, parliamentary and political issues, most of which remain unresolved to this day. Should the Senate have the right to block money bills? How should a government respond when this happens? Should the Governor-General intervene in conflicts between the houses? When should the Governor-General intervene?   Benson Whitlam dismissal A newly released biography of Gough Whitlam suggests it was the Queen who gave Sir John Kerr the confidence to sack the prime minister.The second volume of Jenny Hocking's biography of Gough Whitlam has revelations of the extent to which Sir John Kerr, in deciding to dismiss the prime minister in 1975, relied on the counsel and support of Sir Anthony Mason then a High Court judge . Fraser delivers  Whitlam Oration  Former Australian Liberal PM Malcolm Fraser pays tribute to his former adversary. He reflects on their joint contribution to Australian society, most notably in their support for multiculturalism. He speaks about Politics, Independence and the National Interest: the legacy of power and how to achieve a peaceful Western Pacific. He also laments that bi-partisanship, in the national interest, is no longer present in Australian politics He says that our treatment of refugees, and the poisonous debate engaged in by our major political parties has done Australia much harm throughout our region. There is another issue of complexity and difficulty that we need to address, the nature of our relationship with America. In the past twenty years, we seem more and more than ever to be locked into the United States’ purposes and objectives There are too many who believe if we support the US and go to war when they want us to, they will in turn support us on issues that we regard as fundamental to our own security. History strongly suggests that the real determinant of the actions of great powers is their own interests. We should not expect anything else and the point remains however, that too much reliance on great powers for one’s security is not wise He said that once it became clear that Britain could not help us, we transferred our sense of dependence, which had dogged Australia since Federation, from Britain to the United States. That sense of dependence remains. Today  he believes that we should be old enough and mature enough to grow out of it. Australia does need to play a part. If we have independence of mind, if we have confidence in ourselves, as indeed we should as an independent nation, we cannot just keep doing as we have in recent times, just doing what America wants. Marines in Darwin, military activities on the Cocos Island, our following America into Iraq, staying in Afghanistan, all indicate an unthinking compliance with American policy. He cautions against Australia automatically aligning itself with the US, arguing for a more sophisticated and independent foreign policy, especially when dealing with countries within our region. He is particularly concerned that Australia not support any moves by the US to contain China'. He said that Australia needs to be confident as well as independent when we seek to advance values that are important to us. See US Bases . Whish-Wilson informs the Senate Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the Franklin River blockade and the 30th anniversary of the World Heritage listing. Without the blockade, the World Heritage listing and a change in Australia's federal government one of the world's most spectacular river basins would have been destroyed forever. This week in the Senate she thanked the 6,000 peaceful protesters who came from across the globe to protect the Franklin River. Although they were breaking the law of the day, it is interesting to reflect that in 2008 for the 25th anniversary, many of the campaigners came together for a big party in Tasmania and were joined in merriment by some of the police and dignitaries who had not only opposed but arrested them. Many laughs were had about old times that night and no one  was in doubt that the outcome had been a good one for Tasmania and Australia. See Greens . . .Australia should focus on Indonesia Former PM Paul Keating said that Australia needs to dramatically improve its relationship with Indonesia and stop being subservient to the US. Indonesia should be Australia's most important strategic relationship. The Australian Greens, former PM Fraser and former premier of NSW Bob Carr also said the same before he became the Australian Foreign Minister. . . Frequently unanswered questions Scott questioning those claiming "Australian Government" status as to whether they really are Government. Follow the process of importing a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette as the Department of Transport blocks import, to the Department of Environment getting in the way. Finally, see what happens when "Customs" demands GST and Luxury Car Tax. See Truth Now .   Government maps plan for Asian Century Australian Government has released its Asian Century white paper and outlined ways to take advantage of the region's boom in the areas of economy, education and skills, commerce, regional security and culture, but how has the road map been greeted? The Government has a good story to tell, but it would be more convincing if some of the key indicators like language studies and diplomatic representation hadn't been going backwards on its watch. And it again needs to find the dollars to match its desires. That will be hard, but at least the nation is on side. Robert Menzies had a much tougher job. He had to try and convince Australians that they should extend the hand of friendship to a recent bitter enemy . Keneally historian   His first novel saved his life but fiction is no longer king Australian history   Independent Australia You can share your stories please contact us             For lots more excellent information, we highly recommend you see  Australian Government    . ALL STATES New South Wales Northern Territory Australian Capital Territory Queensland Tasmania South Australia Victoria. . . .                 . Leave your comments in Guestbook . Facebook and Censorship .     View My Stats     FOLLOW and LIKE us   Designed by Fleurcom Home Site Map About Us Contact Us