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Apr 16, 1000
40,000BC the First Aborigines Arrive
There is evidence of Aborigines arriving from South East Asia at this time. By 20,000BC, Indigenous Australians have begun living down through the Mainland and Tasmania. -
Captain Cook
Captain Cook charts the East Coast in his ship the HM Endeavour. Cook claims the land as a British Possession and names Eastern Australia 'New South Wales.' -
The First Fleet
After 3 months voyage from Portsmouth, the First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay. The Indigenous Australians who had lived in isolation for nearly 40,00 first came in contact with the men, women and children were on board. Most on board of the First Fleet were British, however there were some people that were Africian, American and French convicts. -
Federation
Australia becomes unified and Australia becomes a Commonwealth. -
Canberra
Canberra is founded and designated as the Capital of the country. -
Outbreak of World War 1
When Australia hears that Britan and Germany have gone to war, Australia commits hundreds of thousands of troops. At the time the Prime Minister was Joseph Cook and he pledged full support for Britain. -
Migrants
After the Great Depression just less than 20 years ago, Australia then begings a scheme for immigration for people from Europe. After the scheme, over the next 30 years, more than two million people arrive to Australia. Approximately one-third of them are from Britain, and hundreds of thousands from Italy, Greece and Germany. Most of these migrants arrived by ship and disembarked in Sydney and Melbourne. -
Olympics
The Olympic Games are held in Melbourne and went from the 22 Nov to the 8th December 1956. They are the first Olympic Games to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. -
Referendum
A National referendum on changes to a section of the constitution is passed. Australians voted overwhelmingly to amend the constitution to include Aboriginal people in the offical cencus and allow the Commonwealth Government to create laws regarding the Aboriginal People. -
John Howard
John Howard became the 25th Prime Minister of Australia and served from 1996 to 2007. He was the second longest serving Prime Minister, after Sir Robert Menzies. -
Olympic Games
The Olympics Games are hosted in Sydey. It was the second time Australia had hosted the games. -
Commonwealth Games
Melbourne successfully hosted the Commonwealth Games and for the first time in history, the Queen's baton visited every Commonwealth nation and territory taking part in the games. -
Apology to stolen generations
The Prime Minister at the time, Kevin Rudd, apologises to the stolen generations and says sorry. The moving message was broadcasted and posted all over the media. -
Sydney Seige
A lone gunman held 10 people hostage inside the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. Two hostages were killed and the incident left Australia in mourning.
