What is a defining moment in Australian history?

Answer 1

Some defining moments in Australian history are:

• 1606 Dutch explorer Willem Jansz became the first recorded European to set foot on Australia's shores, doing so on the western shore of Cape York Peninsula.
• 1770 Cook's "Endeavour" sailed up Australia's east coast, with Cook charting the coastline and botanist Sir Joseph Banks noting the extensive, unusual new flora. Cook claimed the eastern half of the continent for Britain, under the name of New South Wales.
• 1788 Australia's first groups of white settlers, mostly convicts, arrived from England, along with officers, marines and free settlers.
• 1813 Crossing of the Blue mountains by Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth: they were the first Europeans to succeed in crossing Australia's impenetrable Blue Mountains, and allowing vital expansion of the settlement to the west.
• 1829-30 Charles Sturt followed and charted the major rivers of New South Wales, opening up the waterways along the Murray and Darling Rivers, and generating interest in a southern colony (later South Australia).
• 1851 in April, gold prospector Edward Hargraves and his partners reported finding gold at Ophir NSW, beginning the Australian goldrush.
• 1854 The Eureka rebellion, when gold diggers were forced to pay a licence fee whether they found gold or not, which began the rebellion. The birthplace of Australian democracy.
• 1872 The Overland Telegraph Line was completed, allowing the southern states of Australia to communicate directly by telegraph with the rest of the world. It followed the path Stuart had taken.
• 1872-3 The goldrush continued in Australia as the goldrushes began in Western Australia.
• 1901 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.
• 1891 - 1894 - The harsh conditions of Australia's economic depression led to the Shearers' strikes, the formation of labour unions and, eventually, the formation of the Australian Labor Party.
• 1915 The battle of Gallipoli took place during the first world war, and to this day ANZAC day is commemorated in Australia and New Zealand.
• 1932 Opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• 1942 Japanese bombed Darwin and numerous other centres in Australia's north. Within ten weeks, Japan controlled Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and the Australian territory of New Britain (Rabaul).
• 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin on Christmas Day, killing over 60.
• 1975 The dismissal of the Whitlam government, ending years of controversy and change.
• 2008 Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen generations for the wrongs done to them in the twentieth century.
• 2010 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd became the first Australian Prime Minister removed from office before completing a full term. Julia Gillard became Australia's first female Prime Minister.