the First Fleet landed at Port Jackson and the following month, on 7 February, Australia's first European colony was established.
In 1842, a small group of male residents were enfranchised; however, they were only eligible to elect a proportion of the Colony's Legislative Council.
During the 1850s, people from around the world flocked to the Australian goldfields. They had to purchase licences in order to earn money from prospecting for gold in these fields.
In 1854, a miners' protest about the licence fee and their political rights resulted in a rebellion in which both soldiers and miners died.