History of Australia

  • Exploration

    Exploration
    British explorer James Cook claimed Australia and New Zealand for Great Britain.
  • Colonization

    Colonization
    British settlement of Australia began
  • Aborigines under British rule

    Aborigines under British rule
    The British settlement of Australia in creased rapidly.
  • Colonization (continued)

    Colonization (continued)
    Colonists discovered gold, and the British population soared.
  • Independence

    Independence
    Australia and New Zealandgained their independence peacefully.
  • The Pacific Islands

    The Pacific Islands
    The United States, France, Great Britain, and Japan controlled most of the Pacific islands.
  • Independence (continued)

    Independence (continued)
    Inwestern Samoa, the nonviolent Mau movement worked for independence, which Samoa won.
  • Austalia and New Zealand

    Austalia and New Zealand
    The New Zealand government has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to Maori groups to compensate them for having taken Maori land in the past.
  • Independence (continued)

    Independence (continued)
    Most Pacific islands won their independence peacefully in the second half.
  • Austalia and New Zealand

    Austalia and New Zealand
    Growing numbers of Asians and Pacific islandershave moved to these two countries.