History

Australia’s history extends far beyond the 200 years of British colonisation. In fact it stretches over 50,000 years, through the continuous occupation and rich folklore of the Aboriginal peoples.

Australia’s Aborigines actually consisted of several hundred tribal groups, who spoke hundreds of completely different languages – so they did not identify themselves as ‘one people’. However, since Europeans settled their shores, these groups have been collectively known as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, the latter inhabiting the Torres Strait Islands off northern Queensland.

Find out more about Australia’s Aboriginal people here.

Discovery & colonisation

Australia, in western terms,  is only a relatively young country, first glimpsed by the outside world in 1606 when Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon sighted the coast of the Cape York Peninsula. A handful of Dutch, French and English ships between them mapped the western Australian coastline and much of the northern and southern coasts over the next 150 years.

The east coast, however, wasn’t mapped until 1770 when Captain James Cook completed the outline, and claimed the east coast for Great Britain, calling it New South Wales. The east coast remains by far the most densely populated, even 230 years later.

The first penal colony was established on 26 January 1788, when Captain Arthur Phillip landed the First Fleet at what is now Sydney. This day later became known as Australia Day and is celebrated annually.

Tasmania wasn’t settled until 1803 and Western Australia in 1829, with the separate colonies of South Australia (1836), Victoria (1851) and Queensland (1859) all carved out of the original New South Wales territory. The Northern Territory was founded in 1911. It wasn’t until 1848 that penal colonies ceased to be established.

The 1850s ushered in the great Australian Gold Rush, and between 1855 and 1890 the six individual colonies each established responsible government, running their own affairs although still remaining part of the British Empire.

Modern Australia

Finally, on 1 January 1901, the federation of the colonies was created and the Commonwealth of Australia was born. In 1911 a new Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was planned to house the new federal capital of Canberra was established, midway between rival primary cities Sydney and Melbourne.

Mining, along with sheep farming and grain, fuelled Australia’s economy, attracting more settlers from Great Britain and around the world, who wanted to benefit from Australia’s lucrative offerings.

Australia fought with the Allies in both the First and Second World Wars, and in 1942 adopted the Statute of Westminster, which Britain had instigated in 1931, which formally ended most of the constitutional links between the two countries.

More moves have been made since the 1931 statute to move away from British control, and in 1986 the final constitutional ties ended with the passing of the Australia Act.

However, Australia remains a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II remaining Queen of Australia. In 1999 there was a referendum to establish an Australian republic, although this was marginally rejected.

While the political bonds between Australia and its former motherland grow increasingly tenuous, they retain strong emotional and cultural links.

See our guide for information on Australian facts, including geography, climate and geology.

For more information on Australia’s history, see:

• Wikipedia: History of Australia
• European discovery and the colonisation of Australia – Australia’s Culture Portal
• Wikipedia: Timeline of Australian History