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First Settlement
The First Settlement took place in Sydney on the 26th of January, 1788, and marked the beginning of European colonization in Australia. Recently having lost their American colonies in 1783, which led to the jails in England becoming full, the British decided to transport convicts to Australia, which Lieutenant James Cook had recently claimed for the British Crown. -
Founding of Brisbane
Brisbane was founded by Captain Henry Miller after being selected as a penal settlement for the more difficult convicts. The penal settlement however officially closed in 1849, and the land was prepared for sale for permanent settlement. The founding of Brisbane brought Australia one step closer towards becoming a united nation by discovering and claiming new land and therefore expanding territory. -
Founding of Perth
Perth was founded on the 12th of August, 1829, by Captain James Sterling. It was founded as the Capital of Swan River Colony, and was the first ever convict-free settler colony in Australia established by a private capital. The founding of Brisbane helped to bring Australia one step closer to becoming a nation by helping establish a colony that wasn't for convict transport, but rather living and permanent settlement. -
Gold Rush
The Gold Rush helped to greatly expand Australia's population, increasing it from 430,000 to 1.7M between 1851 and 1871. The Gold Rush significantly boosted the country's economy, helped to create a wealthy society, and led to the emergence of a new national identity when the immigrant, non-white population of Australia started to skyrocket. Edward Hammond is credited as the first person to find payable gold in Australia. -
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Stockade was a rebellion involving gold miners in the midst of the Gold Rush who protested against laws they believed were unjust and sought various reforms, especially the abolition of mining licenses. The Eureka Stockade is considered by many to be the birthplace of Australia Democracy, and is believed to have been an event that made significant contribution towards achieving true representative democracy in Australia. -
Women's Suffrage
The South Australian Parliament passes the Constitutional Amendment (Adult Suffrage) Act, which granted women the right to vote and stand in parliament. This made SA the first electorate in the world to give women these dual rights. Some significant figures/groups in this event include the Women's Suffrage League (est. by Mary Lee and Mary Colton then later joined by Catherine Helen Spence), the Christian Women's Temperance Union, and the Labor Party, who presented the bill to the Government. -
Creation of Australian Flag
After Australia Federation occurred, a competition to design the Australian national flag was held, with over 30,000 entries submitting designs. The flag was first flown on the 3rd of September 1901, and quickly became an expression of Australian identity and pride, and gave Australia a strong sense of identity and union after becoming a united nation. -
First Australian Prime Minister
Sir Edmund Barton, who had been a significant figure in the Federation of Australia, is elected as the first Prime Minister of the Australian Government as a united nation. This helped to shape a national identity by creating a national government and appointing a national prime minister for the first time after becoming the Commonwealth of Australia. -
Australian Federation
The Australian Federation united six separate British self-governing colonies, QLD, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and NT (which was being governed by SA at the time) to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Federation resolved intercolonial issues such as customs duties and defense. Significant figures include Sir Henry Parkes, who is often called the "Father of Federation", and Edmund Barton, who worked tirelessly to promote federation, and would later become the first PM of Australia. -
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World War 1
WWI introduced Australia as a united nation to the world for the first time, as it had only been 13 years since federation at the start of WWI. The war played a major role in shaping the national identity of Australia, but also had a severely negative impact on its economy by closing markets and disruption of shipping and cutting off vital imports. The war helped to strengthen the nation's newly united defense force and create connections and alliances with other countries (i.e. Britain, USA).