23-1 By Skywalker25 1500 BCE New Guinea had to develope a large canoe that could travel long distances 1 CE 40000 years ago, the earth was undergoing the ice age Dec 24, 950 950-1150, the Maori people left Polynesia Dec 24, 1768 Britain's captain James Cook explores Pacific region Dec 24, 1788 Australia becomes a convict colony Dec 24, 1788 1788-1668 about 160000 convicts were taken to Australia to serve their sentences Dec 24, 1840 British and Maori sign Treaty of Waitangi Dec 24, 1861 European population had passed 1 million Dec 24, 1893 New Zealand gives women the right to vote Dec 24, 1900 the British colonies of Australia and New Zealand became independent countries Dec 24, 1900 Oceania was still under control by foreign Dec 24, 1907 New Zealand gained independence in 1907 Dec 24, 1941 1941-1945, allies fight Japan in the Pacific region during WW2 Dec 24, 1941 Japan attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbor Dec 24, 1959 Countries agree to share Antarctica for scientific research