Australian

  • European Exploration Dutch

    First Europeans to sail to Australia were the
    Dutch (Netherlands) in 1606, but they didn’t
    settle there
  • The Perfect Colony…

    Great Britain saw that Australia was a good
    location to base its navy in the South Pacific
    Ocean Its location would make it possible for British
    ships to make repairs & get supplies Had many opportunities for trade with Asia
    and the Americas
  • Prisoners as Colonists

    American Revolution forced the British to
    stop sending prisoners to Georgia (used as a
    penal colony at the time) Great Britain had to start looking for another
    place to send its prisoners… Australia seemed like a good choice: no
    chance of escape, no colonies around it, and
    very few indigenous people lived there
  • New South Wales

    1788 to 1832: New South Wales was officially a
    penal (prison) colony consisting mainly of
    convicts, marines (guards), and the marines’
    families
  • Aborigines

    Aborigines went through stages of being conquered
    through an 'invasion' and taking of their lands. European settlers often separated Aborigines from society Some were removed from their families and placed into institutions Others were killed because they were seen as a “nuisance” 1830s: remnants of the tribes in the settled areas were
    moved onto Reserves They were forbidden from teaching their children their language and
    customs.
  • Port Arthur, Tasmania

    From 1833, until the 1850s, 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. In addition, Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures
    of the British penal system.
  • Commonwealth of Australia

    1861: government officials created boundaries
    for the colonies that are still in place today January 1, 1901: the Commonwealth of
    Australia was established. Melbourne served as the national capital until
    Canberra was completed in 1927
  • “White Australia”

    Immigration Restriction Act of 1901: restricted migration
    to people primarily of European descent This was dismantled after the Second World War. Today, Australia has a global,
    non-discriminatory policy and is home to people
    from more than 200 countries!
  • Australia Today…

    1986: Australia Act -- all legal ties with the
    British Empire were severed Today, Australia is a parliamentary
    democracy (constitutional monarchy) with
    Elizabeth II as queen (They do have a Prime
    Minister) 1999: 55% of voters rejected the idea of
    becoming an independent