Australia Timeline

By CiCi Burton

  • Dutch

    Dutch
    The Dutch made one landing, were attacked by Aborigines, and then abandoned further exploration

  • British

    British
    Captain James Cook sailed around Australia
    Cook named the area New South Wales.

  • First Fleet Left

    First Fleet Left
    England with convicts to establish a prison colony

  • British prisoners

    British prisoners
    Settled in Australia

  • Aborigines

    Aborigines
    Aborigines went through stages of being conquered through an 'invasion' and taking of their lands.

  • New South Wales

    New South Wales
    Officially a penal (prison) colony consisting mainly of convicts, marines (guards), and the marines’ families

  • Port Arthur, Tasmania

    Port Arthur, Tasmania
    It was the destination for the hardest of convicted British and Irish criminals, those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia.

  • Commonwealth of Australia

    Commonwealth of Australia
    Government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today

  • British Transported

    British Transported
    By this time, many free immigrants were settling there
    They built businesses, trading posts, farms, etc.

  • White Australia

    White Australia
    Originally, Australia promoted a policy called “White Australia”
    They would not allow non-Caucasians to immigrate to Australia.
    That has since changed