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The Aborigines
The native inhabitants of Australia are the Aborigines, who are thought to have originated in South East Asia and migrated here more than 40,000 years ago. There are thought to have walked to Australia as the water level had gone down.
Today approximately 350,000 Aborigines still remain.
Their numbers have been greatly reduced over time, since European settlement due to the introduction of European diseases as well as through conflict with settlers, resulting in many deaths. The settlers put the Aborigines in camps and redistributed their lands, which are at the heart of the aboriginal culture and traditions.
Moreover, the effects of the Stolen generation, that is those fair Aboriginal children, or half caste children, which were taken from their families to be assimilated into white society between roughly 1869 and 1969, has had major effects on both politics and society, and most importantly these Aborgines themseleves who have lost a part of who they were.
Settlement of the Australian colony
- The discovery of Australia – Captain James Cook. Australia was visited by foreigners before the arrival of the British. During the early 17th century, the Dutch landed at the Gulf of Carpentaria but they were soon discouraged by the hostile climate. Asian ships are also believed to have seen Australia.
However, Captain James Cook, a famous British explorer in his time, is the one who really explored New Zealand and the East Coast of Australia in 1770 before returning home in 1771. He called the territory he had visited “New South Wales”. - A British colony – the convicts.The independence of the United States of America urged the British to turn to Australia. The British settlement was originally used as a colony for convicts banished from England, and between 1788 and 1839, approximately 160,000 convicts were sent to Australia and became a workforce to establish this new country.
- The Gold Rush. The Gold Rush lasted approximately from 1851 to the end of the 1860s, and led to a dramatic increase of population. Back then, Victoria was the first gold producer land in the world, and Melbourne was a real boom town. Many immigrants came from Europe and China to settle in goldfields, mainly in Victoria and New South Wales (Ballarat is the most famous example and was the scene of the Eureka Stockade in 1854, the only armed rebellion ever in Australia).
The « Birth » of the Australian nation
The Gold Rush had a major effect on Australia and shaped the country. The new migrants and the previous populations became the first Australians. The impact on the 19th century Australian economy was phenomenal, and mining of other minerals and agriculture- particularly livestock such as sheep farming became the major economic ventures practiced during this time.
In 1901, Australia became a federation of states, with a constitution based on aspects of the British and United States systems. To find out more about the Australian political system, read our page on politics.
The 20th century
- White Australia Policy. In terms of politics, a major policy known as the ‘White Australia Policy’, which was in place during the 1950s, created major outrage. It was introduced in order to decrease Asian and other ethnic migration, while encouraging European migration to Australia. Following the removal of discriminatory laws such as the WAP, immigration to Australia increased, particularly from Asia.
- The ANZACs. Australia also participated in both world wars, under the banner of the Anzacs (the Australia New Zealand Army Corps). Created during World War I, the ANZACs first major war campaign took place at Gallipoli in Turkey; the plan being to secure the city of Istanbul, and find a safe sea route to be used by the Allied Forces. This attack began on the 25th of April, 1915, and continued until 9th January 1916 and resulted in thousands of casualties, on both sides. Considered a day of national significance for both Australia and New Zealand, each year the 25th of April is as ANZAC Day- a day to remember- ‘Lest We Forget’.
- To be continued… In recent years, immigration policy has been toughened with the arrival of many boat people, that is immigrants attempting to gain illegal entry into Australia via sea. The majority of these people have been quartered in detention camps while their situation is investigated. However, this stance has received much criticism.
Thus, the Australian history is not yet over. To find out more about what Australia is today, read our articles about the Australian economy and politics.