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Captain Cook discovered Australia
Captain James Cook was from Yorkshire, England. He was a navel captain, Royal navigator and explorer. He discovered NZ 220 years ago and Australia on his way back on his HMB Endeavour. In 1770 he set off on his first Pacific voyage from Plymouth to Tahiti (French Polynesia) NZ and then to Australia. -
The First Fleet
Jails were full.They had no more space for prisoners so they took the unwanted prisoners on a ship to be transported to Australia. There were 11 ships. 6 convict ships: Alexander, the Friendship, Charlotte,Lady Penbryn,Prince of Wales & the Scarborough. Also 2 navy ships and 3 ships for supplies & food. More than 700 people were on the ships usually around 15-20 didn't make it to Botany Bay. The ships left Portsmouth to go to Rio then Africa. They arrived at Botany Bay on the 19th of January. -
Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders was an English explorer, naval officer and navigator who sailed around Australia and mapped its coastline. He changed the name from New Holland to Australia. Matthew Flinders and George Bass were the first Europeans to realise that Tasmania was actually an island. They discovered that while they were sailing around Australia through the waters now known as Bass Strait. -
Western Australia
Western Australia was established in 1827 by Mayor Edmund Lockyer. He was the first European to explore the western coast of Australia. The town of Albany was the first European settlement in Western Australia. It was settled three years before the Swan River Colony. -
The Gold Rush
Edward Hargraves saw similar environment between California and NSW. The search for gold started in 1851 with the first discovery in Bathurst, then in Bendigo, Victoria and other places. In 1851-1860 people found over 20 million ounces of gold (56,700 kg) worth 87,000,000 pounds. The population grew from 405,000 in 1850 to 695,000 in 1854. Victoria's population grew by 210,000. Most were British people and Chinese. There were also Americans, French, Italians, Germans, Polish and Hungarians. -
Eureka Stockade
People wanting to mine in Australia had to have a license. The Australian governments had a system where you had to pay 8 pounds for the license. If you did not have it or had renewed it, you would be told to find money to pay. Diggers couldn't vote for a better system unless they've paid and been in the colony for at least 6 months. Diggers were tired of going by the Governments laws and started to rebel against them by raising a flag & starting a war to defend their rights. -
Federation Speech
There were originally 6 colonies (the states of Australia). They had different Laws and their own armies. Some wanted a change.In 1889 Henry Parker made a speech to unite all 6 colonies into one country. Alfred Deakin thought the colonies should become states. Some were worried about money and laws. Most colonies let their people vote on what should happen. All colonies except for WA voted yes but it happened anyway. But not everyone was included; Aboriginals and most immigrants were left out. -
Federation
British Colonies were all different. Each had their own railways, laws etc. If you were traveling to a different colony you needed a pass and bag search, like today. In 1890 Colony leaders met, instead of becoming one they could have given up and became different countries. But after voting and the agreement of Great Britain we became the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1911 ACT and NT were counted as different states. Women couldn't vote until 1902, most indigenous couldn't until 1962.
