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Discovery of Australia
The Dutch East India Company ship, Duyfken, led by Willem Janszoon, made the first documented European landing in Australia in 1606. -
First fleet of British ships
The First Fleet of 11 ships, each one no larger than a Manly ferry, left Portsmouth in 1787 with more than 1480 men, women and children onboard. Although most were British, there were also African, American and French convicts. After a voyage of three months the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay on 24 January 1788. -
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The Black War
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The Gold Rush
During the Australian gold rushes, significant numbers of workers relocated to areas in which gold had been discovered. A number of gold finds occurred in Australia prior to 1851, but only the gold found from 1851 onwards created gold rushes. This is mainly because, prior to 1851, the colonial government of New South Wales had suppressed news of gold finds which it believed would reduce the workforce and destabilise the economy. -
The Eureka Stockade
In 1854, on the edge of the civilised world in southern Australia, a force of a few dozen soldiers drawn from the 12th and 40th Regiments of Foot. Accompanied by some colonial policemen, attacked and defeated about 150 gold diggers who had taken up arms against the authorities in the new colony of Victoria. The fight lasted 15 minutes. Thirty men lost their lives. Six of them were soldiers and the rest were diggers from Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada, Prussia and Württemberg -
The commonwealth of Australia
The history of Australia from 1901–1945 begins with the federation of the six colonies to create the Commonwealth of Australia. The young nation joined Britain in the First World War, suffered through the Great Depression in Australia as part of the global Great Depression and again joined Britain in the Second World War against Nazi Germany in 1939. Imperial Japan launched air raids and submarine raids against Australian cities during the Pacific War. -
The Stolen Genertion
The Aborigines Act 1905 was reserved for Royal assent on 23 December 1905 and commenced in April 1906. It was 'An Act to make provision for the better protection and care of the Aboriginal inhabitants of Western Australia. The Act created the position of Chief Protector of Aborigines who became the legal guardian of every Aboriginal child to the age of 16 years, and permitted authorities to 'send and detain' Aboriginal children in institutions. -
WW1 - Invasion of Turkey
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Air Raids on Australia
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The Opera House
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Complete independence from Britain
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Official apology to the Stolen Generations