History of Australia

  • European Exploration: Dutch

    European Exploration: Dutch
    First Europeans to sail to Australia were the Dutch (Netherlands) in 1606, but they didn’t settle there
  • European Exploration : British

    European Exploration : British
    Captain James Cook sailed around Australia in 1770
  • First Fleet

    First Fleet
    British ships called the “First Fleet” left England with convicts to establish a prison colony in 1787
  • Prisoners Settle

    Prisoners Settle
    British prisoners settled in Australia in 1788
  • Commonwealth of Australia

    Commonwealth of Australia
    Government officials created boundaries for the colonies that are still in place today in 1861
  • No Transportation of Prisoners to Australia

    No Transportation of Prisoners to Australia
    British transported prisoners to Australia until 1868
  • Commonwealth of Australia

    Commonwealth of Australia
    The commonwealth of Australia was established.
  • Immigration Restriction Act

    Immigration Restriction Act
    Restricted migration to people primarily of European descent
    This was dismantled after the Second World War.
  • Aborigines

    Aborigines
    The federal government began to pass legislation to help the Aborigines
  • Australia Act

    Australia Act
    All legal ties with the British Empire were severed