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First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch
The Dutch made one landing, were attacked by Aborigines, and then abandoned further exploration -
Captain James Cook sailed around Australia
Cook named the area New South Wales
Ignored the Aborigines living there & claimed the land for England -
British prisoners settledin Australia
New South Wales was officially a penal (prison) colony consisting mainly of convicts, marines (guards), and the marines’ families -
government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today
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British transported prisoners to Australia
By this time, many free immigrants were settling there -
the Commonwealth of Australia was established
This was dismantled after the Second World War. -
Melbourne served as the national capital until Canberra was completed
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Australia's federal government began to pass legislation to help the Aborigines
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The Australia Act severed all legal ties with the British Empire
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55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming an independent republic