-
The Endeavour, commanded by Lieutenant James Cook, set sail from Greenwich in August 1768, with Joseph Banks and Dr Daniel Solander. This was the first scientific exploring expedition, and set the pattern for many later voyages by Europeans over the next century.
-
-
The first fleet arrives and builds a settlement at Port Jackson in Sydney, New South Wales.
-
Emma Constance Stone (4 December 1856 — 1902) was the first woman to practice medicine in Australia and played an important role in founding the Queen Victoria Hospital in Melbourne.
-
Before 1901, Australia was not a nation. At that time, the continent consisted of six British colonies which were partly self-governing, but subject to the law-making power of the British Parliament. Each colony had its own government and laws, including its own railway system, postage stamps and taxes. This caused a lot of problems and people began to think about the benefits of uniting as one nation, under a federal system of governance.
-
However, despite granting the vote to all women in 1903, progress was slow in other areas, and it was not until 1926 that women were able to both vote and stand for all Houses of Parliament in all parts of the Commonwealth.
-
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia formed one nation.
-
Vida Goldstein because the first women in the British Empire to stand for election to a national parliament when she nominated for the Australian Senate elections. She stood five times over 14 years with her last attempt to stand for the House of Representatives. She was never elected to office.
-
-
Australia grew rapidly until the onset of World War One. Between 1905 and the outbreak of World War One, approximately 390,000 new settlers arrived, principally from our traditional source, the British Isles, and the continent’s population rose from 4 to almost 5 million.
-
The Maternity Allowance Act provided for a grant of £5 on the birth of a child.
-
Many women were actively involved as nurses and in other active service duties, and contributed more actively to war efforts through military service. Other Australian women were also closely connected with war through male relatives and friends away on military service.
-
World War One meant a virtual cessation of immigration. 65,000 Australian men died in the fighting.
-
A minimum wage for women’s work was set by Mr Justice Higgins as part of the 1919 Clothing’s Trades Case – the first Commonwealth Arbitration case to set the minimum wage for women. The minimum wage for women then commonly became 54 per cent of the male rate until 1950.
-
South Australia and NSW appointed the first female police officers. In South Australia the officers appointed were Kate Cocks and Annie Ross.
-
-
More than 300,000 immigrants arrived, two thirds of whom were ‘Assisted’3. The majority came from Britain but there was growing interest from Italians and Greeks.
-
WA Edith Cowan elected to Legislative Assembly as member for West Perth, the first woman elected to any Australian Parliament.
-
Passed by the Australian Parliament in 1921, this Act established immigration schemes between the British and Australian Governments to assist ‘suitable persons’ to immigrate to Australia. People were helped with fares, living allowances, training, employment and grants of farmland. The schemes did not attract the anticipated numbers and, of those who did come, many returned home disappointed.
-
The Country Women’s Association was first formed in New South Wales and Queensland in 1922. Subsequently each State and the Northern Territory formed an Association, a process which took a period of 14 years.
-
Australia suffered badly during the period of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. As in other nations, Australia suffered years of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement.
-
World War II (WWII or WW2), also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, though related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people, from more than 30 different countries. In a state of "total war", the major participants
-
Widows' pensions were introduced in 1942. As in the case of age and invalid pensions they were flat-rate means-tested payments financed from general revenue. Those eligible included deserted wives, divorced women, and women whose husbands were in prison or a mental hospital. A residence qualification of five years applied. The new scheme superseded the New South Wales widows' pension.
-
Australia was the first country to allow women to stand in elections, women were not successful at a federal election until 1943. In general, women have been slow to enter all levels of politics in Australia.
-
World War Two marked a change in the pace of Australia’s immigration history. The Australian Government planned an ambitious post-war reconstruction and expansion program. Australia showed an enormous potential for growth and could offer people who wished to leave war-torn Europe an optimistic future. The perception that Australia needed a larger population was emphasised by threats to Australia in World War Two. There was a feeling that such a small population in charge of a vast land could not
-
-
-
ustralian nationality law determines who is and who is not an Australian citizen. The status of Australian nationality was created by the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 (later renamed the Australian Citizenship Act 1948) which received Royal Assent on 21 December 1948 and came into force on 26 January 1949. The 1948 legislation has been amended many times, notably in 1973, 1984, 1986 and 2002.
-
The Commonwealth Citzenship and Nationality Act gives the category of 'Australian Citzenship' to all Australians, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for the first time. However, at a state goverment level Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still suffer legal discrimination.
-
The Snowy Mountains scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia. The Scheme consists of sixteen major dams; seven power stations; a pumping station; and 225 kilometres (140 mi) of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts that were constructed between 1949 and 1974. The Scheme was completed under the supervision of Chief Engineer, Sir William Hudson and is the largest engineering project undertaken in Australia.
-
New assisted passage schemes were agreed with the Netherlands and Italy.
-
The Government allowed Japanese wives of Australian servicemen to be admitted, under permits valid initially for five years. It also allowed entry for 800 non-European refugees. These were the first elements of immigration policy not focused on Europe.For the first time since 1946 there was significant unemployment in Australia, resulting from a severe fall in prices of some Australian exports.
The Displaced Persons Scheme was terminated. -
-
Australia's Millionth post-war Immagrant arrived.
-
‘Operation Reunion’, a scheme negotiated with the USSR and other East European countries, was designed to reunite settlers in Australia with relatives. The operation resulted in around 30,000 arrivals from the countries and regions of Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, USSR, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria.Australia modified conditions for easier entry and stay for migrants of non-European descent.
-
To encourage more British migration, the ‘Bring out a Briton’ campaign was launched. The community was encouraged to take responsibility for sponsoring particular British families and assist them to settle.Non-Europeans with fifteen years residence in Australia were allowed to become Australian citizens.
-
The Revised Migration Act 1958 introduced a simpler system of entry permits and abolished the controversial Dictation Test.
-
Australian citizens could now sponsor non-European spouses and unmarried minor children for migration.The first migrants arrived under the ‘Nest Egg’ scheme. This scheme offered assisted passage to Britons who had more than 500 pounds sterling and were prepared to make their own accommodation arrangements.
-
The acquisition of voting rights by Indigenous Australians began in the late-19th century but was not completed in every jurisdiction until the mid-20th century. Under Australia's federal system, restrictions on Aborigines voting in state and federal elections varied until the 1960s, during which decade all remaining restrictions were eradicated.
-
-
On May 27, more than 90% of people vote 'yes' in a referendum to give the Australian Goverment the power to make laws for the Aboriginal and torres Strait Islander people.
-
An Australian author, Germaine Greer, wrote a best selling book that helped define women's rights around the world. It was called female Eunuch. Women started to reject their traditional roles at home.
-
-
The Australian parliment passes the Racial Discrimination Act to help ensure that Austyralians of all backgrounds are treated equally and receive the same opportunities
-
The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) (the RDA) makes it against the law to treat you unfairly because of your race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status.
-
-
When Patricia O’Shane was appointed permanent head of the New South Wales Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs in 1981, she became not only the first Aboriginal person but also the first woman to become a permanent head of ministry in Australia. Pat O’Shane was also the first Aboriginal Australian barrister (1976) and the first woman to be appointed to the New South Wales Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board (1979).
-
-
The return of Uluru to its traditional owners, Anangu, in 1985 was a controversial event.At the time, many people took strong views – both opposing and supporting the return – often in the context of their opinion of the broader land rights movement and legislation.
-
At the 1990 Commonwealth Games held in Auckland, New Zealand, Cathy Freeman won a gold medal as part of the 4 x 100 metres relay team. With this medal win, she became the first female Australian Aboriginal to win a gold medal at an international athletics event.
-
The Council for Aboriginal Reconcillation holds it's first meeting in Canberra.
-
The high court hands down the Mabo Decision , recognising the special relationship that the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people have with the land. The court rules that Australia was never Terra Nullius.
-
Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is a former Australian politician who served as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia, and the Australian Labor Party leader from 2010 to 2013. She was the first woman to hold either position.
-
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologises to the stolen generations on behalf of the Australian Parliment.
-
Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce was the 25th Governor-General of Australia, holding office from September 2008 until March 2014. She was the first woman to hold the position, and was previously the Governor of Queensland from 2003 to 2008