Australia History

Australia history originated more than 40,000-45,000 years ago when the earliest populace of Australia, the primitive “Aboriginals” resided on the island. The first man to explore the island was a Dutch named Williem Janszoon in the year 1606. The same year saw the arrival of another explorer named Louis Vaez de Torres who named the Torres Strait. It is recorded that both of them met the “Aboriginals”. In the year 1642, Abel Tasman, after whom Tasmania is named, sailed to the island. Captain James Cooklanded at the Botany Bay in the year 1770 and without any opposition proclaimed the New South Walesas the land of Britain. European colonization started with the landing of the Arther Philip on 26th of January 1788. The day is still observed as the Australia day. Britain, however, was interested in sending off the convicts unable to fit in the British prisons.

In the Australia history, with the start of the European settlement and with the arrival of more and more people, demand for expansion grew. The period from 1855-90 saw the surfacing of independent colonies like Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Northern Territory. Besides, the other noteworthy events of this were the Gold Rush of 1850s and the Depression of 1890.

History of Australia saw on the 1st January 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was born as a federation of six states, each having its own parliament and government. The 19th century witnessed the great surge of immigrants from different parts of Europe, Asia and America. Today, the population of Australia consists of the 72% of Europeans and only 27% of Asians. The coming of the Europeans reduced the number of the “aboriginals” in the country as they were deprived of their rights. Lands, which belonged to them, were snatched away by the Europeans and they also died of many diseases spread by the Europeans.

The present population of Australia consists of only 72% of the Europeans, 27%Asians and remaining 1% of the Aboriginals.