The History of Australia

The first humans are believed to have arrived indramaticly from a high of 350,000 due to the
Australia over 40,000 years ago. These peopleinfectious diseases, forced resettlements, and
arrived via land-bridges and/or sea crossings fromother factors. Indeed, although the issues remain
Southeast Asia, and became the indigenous peoplehighly controversial and disputed, some historians
known as "aborigines". An additional and distincthave characterized the events of the period as
group of early settlers, ethnically Melanesian,genocide.
settled in the Torres Strait Islands (the StraitIn 1850s, the European population increased
between Australia and Papua New Guinea) andfurther thanks to a gold rush, and between 1855
the far North of Queensland.and 1890, each of the six British colonies was
Europeans first began to reach the area at theseparately granted responsible government - while
beginning of the 17th century. The first undisputedthe the colonies were autonomous in their internal
sighting of the Australian mainland was by theaffairs, they Britain retained control of foreign
Dutch sea captain, William Janszoon in 1606. Theaffairs and defense. In 1901, the six colonies were
Dutch are known to have chartered the westernunited in a federation known as the
and northern shorelines of the continent during theCommonwealth of Australia.
17th century, but made no attempt at settlementAustralia participated in both World War I and
of what they called at the time "New Holland". InWorld War II as part of the British Empire. To
1770, British navigator, James Cook mapped partsmany Australians the events of the world wars,
of the East coast of Australia: the region todayespecially the Gallipoli campaign in World War I,
known as New South Wales. Cook claimed theand the Kokoda Track Campaign in World War II,
area for Great Britain.were important milestones in Australia's path to
The first British colony was established in Newindependent nationhood.
South Wales on January 26th, a day that is nowLegally, Australia first moved towards
remembered as "Australia Day". The Britishindependence from Britain with the Statue of
formerly claimed the western portions of AustraliaWestminister in 1931 (although Australia did not
in 1859, and during the 19th century a wholeratify it until 1942, but then back dated its effect
series of separate British colonies wereto 1939), which granted effective independence in
established around the continent. Much of thismost matters. Australia however did retain some
British colonization was based upon theconstitutional ties with Britain for another 40
transportation of convicts to penal colonies, and ityears, these only finally be severed with the
was only in 1848 that the transportation ofpassing of the Australia Act in 1986. It should be
convicts to New South Wales stopped.noted that the British Queen Elizabeth II is also
The arrival of Europeans had a drastic effect onQueen of Australia, and a 1999 national
the indigenous aboriginal population. This fellreferendum rejected becoming a republic.