What is Australia's historical background?

Answer 1

Australia was first inhabited by Aborigines. The Aborigines adapted and thrived in Australia's harsh environment.

In the 1600s, the Dutch became the first known Europeans to explore the western coast, piquing the interest of the English, who later sent William Dampier in the late 1600s to investigate further. His negative reports delayed colonisation until Captain Cook charted the fertile eastern coast in 1770.

In 1788, the First Fleet arrived on the eastern coast, consisting of 11 ships filled with British prisoners and Officers to guard them. The early convict colony struggled to survive as they were ill-prepared for the differences and harshness of the country. Captain Arthur Phillip, first Governor of New South Wales, skilfully turned the fortunes of the ailing colony so it began to thrive. Free settlers began arriving before the turn of the century, and post-1800, many immigrants came to Australia to seek new life and, in the 1840s, freedom from persecution (the Germans were among these) and other troubles (the Irish came after so much was lost in the potato famine) in their own countries.

As the Australian explorers branched out further and further, fertile lands were discovered throughout the interior, and the official discovery of gold in 1854 sealed the fortunes of the young country. The Eureka Stockade, in which miners stood up for their rights and won fair representation in government, saw the birth of democracy in Australia.

People of other nationalities came to farm, to settle in the gold towns, to pan gold and to mine various metals as the rich resources were uncovered. As Australia gained more and more of an individual identity, patriotism and a sense of national pride began to develop, fuelled by the writings of men such as Henry Lawson and A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson.

Federation of the six colonies occurred in 1901, and although Australia supported the British Empire in both World Wars, it gradually grew into the completely autonomous, multi-cultural and rich country it is today, with one of the highest standards of living in the world.