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Dutch discovery of Australia
The Dutch man Willem Jansz explores the west coast of Australia with his ship the Duyfken. There are reports that the aboriginals a few fights with the Dutch. This was said to be the first European contact with Aborigines and was the first Europeans to explore the west coast of Australia -
Captain Cook claims the whole of the East Coast of Australia for the British Crown
Captain James Cook believes that the Great Southern land is terra nullius meaning empty land and claims the land for the British empire. -
Governor Arthur Phillip starts a penal colony at Sydney Cove
Captain Arthur Phillip raises the English flag to establish a new colony in a place which is named Sydney Cove and becomes the first governor of Australia. Just after a few days after the settlers move in there is aboriginal resistance. Phillip estimates that around 1,500 aborigines are living in the area but today historians believe that the number is closer to 750,000-1,000,000. -
Small pox kills of most of the aborigines living around the Sydney area
Small pox epidemic spreads through the Eora people that live around the Port Jackson area killing most of them which ultimately assist the settlers because it meant the aboriginals could not resist them. Historians debate whether the disease was brought to Australia by the settlers or by fishermen. -
Bennelong is taken by the colonists
Bennelong is placed in Government House for 5 months and acts as a bridge between the colonists and aborigines and he develops a good relationship with Governor Arthur Phillip. Bennelong later becomes the first aborigine to travel to England along with one of his friends -
Pemulwoy spears Governor Phillips gamekeeper
Pemulwoy spears John McEntire as revenge for killing many Aborigines. Phillip then orders the first punitive expedition to capture Pemulwoy but they do not find him. Pemulwoy then leads the aboriginal resistance for a few years before he is eventually killed and his head is shipped to England. -
Aborigines begin to be moved into mission stations
Aboriginal people are moved into mission stations so they could be taught European beliefs and cheap labour. Settlers also use his to control the aboriginal population with a policy of absorption. -
Colonists cross the blue mountains
Colonists begin to run out of land and decide to cross the blue mountains with the help of local aborigines. The colonists made many new enemies along the way. The path they took was actually a path that aborigines had been using for thousands of years. -
John Batman attempts to make a treaty with the Aborigines
This event was the only time that European colonists have tried to make a treaty with aborigines. John Batman tries to buy 243,000 hectares of land around Port Philkip Bay near present day Melbourne with 20 pairs of blankets, 30 tomahawks, various other items and a yearly tribute. However Governor Burke did not recognise he treaty and no payment was given to the Aborigines. -
The Aboriginal protection and restriction of the sale of Opium is created in Queensland
This Act allowed the 'Chief Protector' of the aborigines to remove aborigines from places and place aboriginal children in dormitories whether or not their parents were still alive. This Act was then copied by South Australia and Northern Territory.
