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Australia
The history
of Australia began when people first migrated to the Australian continent
from the north, at least 40,000-45,000 years ago. The written history
of Australia began when Dutch explorers first sighted the country in the
17th century. The interpretation of the history of Australia is currently
the matter of contention, particularly regarding British colonisation
and the treatment of Indigenous Australians. · 1825 – New
South Wales western border is extended to 129° E. In the same year
Van Diemen’s Land proclaimed.
· 1829 - Swan River Colony is declared by Charles Fremantle for
Britain.· 1832 – Swan River Colony has its name changed to
Western Australia.
· 1836 – South Australia is proclaimed with its western border at 132° E.
· 1840 - New Zealand is proclaimed.
Colonial self-government and the discovery of gold
A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion in 1854 was an early expression of nationalist sentiment; the flag that was used to represent it has been seriously considered by some as an alternative to the Australian flag. The gold rushes brought many immigrants from Great Britain, Ireland, Europe, North America and China
Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. They make up 2.4% of Australia's population. The combination of disease, loss of land and direct violence reduced the Aboriginal population by an estimated 90% between 1788 and 1900. A wave of massacres and resistance followed the frontier of European settlement. In 1838, twenty eight indigenous people were killed at the Myall Creek massacre. The convict settlers responsible for the massacres were hanged.