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Discovery
Captain James Cook discover the east coast in his ship HM Endeavour. Cook claims it as a British possession -
First colony
Colony of Western Australia established at Perth by Captain James Stirling. -
Capital
South Australia established, Adelaide as its capital. -
Secret ballot
Australia becomes the first country to introduce the secret ballot - or 'Australian ballot' - for elections. -
Unification
The country is unified. The Commonwealth of Australia comes into being on 1st January. -
Immigration
The Immigration Restriction Act puts a brake on non-white immigration. -
A new capital
Canberra is founded and designated as the capital. -
Australia in world war I
Outbreak of World War I. Australia commits hundreds of thousands of troops to the British war effort. -
New constituiton
A national referendum on changes a constitution Section which excluded Aboriginal people from official census and removed it. Another change enables federal government to pass laws on Aboriginal issues. -
Indipendence from Britain
The Australia Act makes Australian law fully independent of the British parliament and legal system.