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History of Australia
Questions about the prehistory and recent history of the continent of Australia.
4,795 Questions
What were the supply ships from the first fleet?
navy,supply,store ship,covict transport,armed tender,sixth rate war ship.
Who is the prime minister of Western Australia?
Western Australia is a state of Australia, and it does not have a Prime Minister, but a Premier. The 2013 premier of Western Australia is Colin Barnett.
The position of Prime Minister is the one held by the leader of the entire nation.
How did conflict in East Timor affect Australia?
During WW2 the Timorese risked life and limb to protect Australian soldier engaged in fighting against the Japanese. When Timor was invaded by the Indonesians with the knowledge and clandestine approval of the Australian Government ( they were about to divy up oil revenues that were going to be made in the Timor sea) This became plain and eventualy the Australian Govt was shamed into coming to the aid of theyr old ally, the Timorise, with the UN to throw out the Indonesians. this done Australia maintains a military presence in east Timor to help rebuild and keep the peace.
The decade of the 1890s were very important in Australian history. The decade saw a major depression in the colonies. Beginning in 1891 was the Great Australian Shearers Strike which finally ended in 1893 with minimal consequences.
However in 1896, another major strike occurred and Queensland was on the brink of civil war between the unions who armed themselves against government forces. This was characterised by severe skirmishes, attacks on wool and storage sheds, and naval battles against government ferrys.
Late in this decade saw many prominent figures emerge to call for a unification of the colonies which eventually ended with the Federation of Australia in 1901.
How were convicts treated on ships?
The convicts were treated better on the First Fleet's ships than on the second and third fleets. Captain Arthur Phillip was fair and just, and he had a genuine desire to reform the convicts. Although he was compelled to treat the convicts as the prisoners they were, he tried (with very limited resources) to keep them as healthy as possible.
Thanks to Captain Arthur Phillip, the convicts on the First Fleet were treated surprisingly well. Phillip was, in fact, harsher in his discipline with the marines and sailors than he was with the convicts. He was concerned at all times for their health, trying to give them sufficient rations of food and water, and allowing them above decks for some exercise and fresh air as often as was possible. He avoided them coming above decks when the ships hit the rainstorms and wild weather once they crossed the equator, because he knew they had no linens or blankets to dry themselves, and he wanted to limit illness among the convicts.
Rations were not too limited, but sickness was rife, particularly cholera, fever, scurvy and dysentery. The convicts had a bucket of fresh water for drinking and washing and a bucket for their waste, and the convicts themselves had to empty the waste.
Convicts were not punished unnecessarily, but only if they did something that threatened the other passengers or the marines. Unfortunately, Phillip (who had quite high morals) could not be on all the ships at the same time, and the marines had a tendency to use the convict women for their own purposes. The women were subject to be used promiscuously by the sailors, but in many cases they were quite willing to sell themselves for a bit of extra food.
However, the Second Fleet was not under British authority: it was contracted out to a private company, one which was involved in the transportation of slaves to America. Many convicts died on the Second Fleet due to illness, malnourishment and mistreatment. The convicts who lived arrived in an appalling condition, unfit for any work. It was not until the government resumed direct authority for transportation that convicts were treated better.
What were the effects of the British Empire in Australia?
They drive on the left side of the road. They speak English. The British brought rabbits to Australia, now the rabbits are everywhere, because in Australia the rabbits do not have a predator. Australia has a very British culture. Australia is still a British territory unlike USA. They also caused the stolen generation and brought many pests that we still have problems example: cane toads. They caused a massive deforestation they cut down nearly half of New South Wales's trees and final drove the Tasmanian tiger to extinction
How did the convicts try to escape the colony on the first fleet?
Once the convicts of the First Fleet arrived in Australia, they were not manacled or shackled unless they were being punished. There was opportunity for them to escape into the bush, and many believed (incorrectly, of course) that beyond the bushland lay China. While most were scared of the unfamiliar terrain, sounds and scenery, and did not attempt to leave, those that did invarioably either perished in the bush or returned to face their punishment.
How did Mary Reibey contribute to her colony and future lifestyle of Australia?
Mary Reibey was transported to the colony of New South Wales for horse-stealing. Horses were a very valuable commodity, so the crime was considered serious, even though it is likely that she just borrowed the horse to run away. She was thirteen when she was convicted, and her parents had both died, so her circumstances were poor and uncertain.
Who was the first Aboriginal person in the Australian Parliament?
The first Aborigine in parliament was Neville Bonner.
Born on 28 March 1922 at Ukerabagh, near Tweed Heads in northern New South Wales, Bonner became a member of the Liberal Party in 1967 and held local office in the party. After Liberal Senator Annabelle Rankin resigned in 1971, Bonner was chosen to fill the vacancy. Thus he became the first indigenous Australian to sit in the Australian Parliament.
He was elected in his own right in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1980.
Did Captain Cook plant a flag on Australian soil?
James Cook did not raise the British flag on the mainland of Australia. He planted the flag on Possession Island in Torres Strait on 22 August 1770, claiming the eastern coastline of Australia for Great Britain.
How did Ludwig Leichhardt die?
The exact date of Ludwig Leichhardt's death is not known, but he died sometime after he departed on his third expedition. His third and final expedition began in March 1848. The last sighting of Leichhardt, six other men, fifty bullocks, twenty mules and seven horses was made as they departed Roma, Queensland, on 4 April 1848. Somewhere in Australia's vast outback, the entire party vanished, and no-one in the party was ever seen again.
Many theories have abounded as to what happened, and many claim to have found evidence of the remains of the expedition, but what really happened remains one of Australia's enduring mysteries.
Several expeditions were mounted in an attempt to determine Leichhardt's fate. In 1852, Hovenden Hely and a party of seven white men set out north, then west from Leichhardt's starting point. Hely located trees that had been marked, as well as camp sites, and encountered natives who had seen Leichhardt. These aboriginal men told stories of white people being killed in the night, as reprisal for ill-treating some native women. Hely developed the theory that Leichhardt was killed in a massacre.
In 1861, the expedition of Dempster, Clarkson and Harmer from Northam met a native called "Boodgin" who reported that 3 white men had come to a large lake of salt and were killed by the Jimbras. At Lake Grace nearby natives claimed 3 white men were killed by Jimbras near the inland sea. Jimbra was described as a large monkey and very fierce and would attack men. Ginka was the native name for devil which was never seen. The Jimbra was seen and felt claimed the natives. John Forrest's expedition later followed up these claims. Whether this was Leichhardt's party or another is unknown.
In 1871, JM Gilmour headed up an expedition to follow up on claims that Leichhardt's party was murdered. At Cooper Creek, they met an Aborigine who claimed a party of white men were killed at Wantata waterhole. When Gilmour found the location, he noted unburied skeletons, indicating high likelihood that they were the remains of white men. He also found other evidence of the party that confirmed the finding.
When did Dirk Hartog land in Australia?
In 1616, Dutch sea-captain Dirk Hartog sailed too far whilst trying out Henderik Brouwer's recently discovered route from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia, via the Roaring Forties. Reaching the western coast of Australia, he landed at Cape Inscription on 25 October 1616.
Why does Ned Kelly wear a mask?
Ned Kelly wore armour, complete with a helmet.
The armour consisted of a helmet, a frontpiece and a backpiece. There was another separate plate, hung on straps, to protect the groin area. The plates were held together with straps and wire, one with shoulder tips and the other with side plates that joined the front and back plates. Ned Kelly was believed to wear a skullcap, possibly knitted, underneath the helmet. The helmets had holes and were thought to have been lined.
Ben Chifley died on 13th June 1951 in Canberra Community Hospital of a massive coronary occlusion and is buried in Bathurst Cemetery
How many stars are on the Austalian flag?
There are 6 stars on the Australian flag. Five form the constellation of the Southern Cross, whilst the sixth is the Federation star, a seven-pointed star with each point representing an Australian state, and one of the points representing the many territories (mainland and offshore) of Australia.
What was the impact to the world when captain Cook Found Australia?
Contrary to popular opinion, Cook did NOT discover Australia, nor New Zealand, but his journeys had implications for several reasons:
On his first journey, departing in 1768, he commanded the 'Endeavour' on an expedition to chart the transit of Venus. Cook went on to search for Terra Australis Incognita, the great continent which some believed to extend round the pole. He first came across New Zealand, which had already been discovered by Abel Tasman in 1642. He spent some months there, charting the coastline. Nearly a year later, he set sail east, becoming the first known European to sight the Eastern coast of Australia, in April 1770. He continued north, charting the coast in some detail, before returning a favourable report to England. It was this report which convinced the authorities to colonise the Australian continent with convicts.
On Cook's second journey which lasted from 1772-1775, he commanded the 'Resolution' and the 'Adventure' on an expedition to the South Pacific, disproving the rumour of a great southern continent, exploring the Antarctic Ocean, New Hebrides and New Caledonia.
On his third journey, commencing in 1776, Cook visited and named the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii, and unsuccessfully sought a northwest passage along the coast of North America.
What was the first fleet ships made of?
Long on keel and narrow of beam, the first US Navy ships such as "Old Ironsides" had their hulls and frames constructed of pine and oak, including the wood of Southern White Oak trees - and that's no bilgewater, sailor!
Just access the related link(s) listed belowdecks to avoid further scuttlebutt:
There was never an Anzac War. The Anzacs took part in what was known as the Gallipoli Campaign, a collection of battles that took place on the Gallipoli Peninsula from April 25th of 1915 to late December 1915/early January 1916. The campaign ended when the Allied troops (including the Anzacs) were withdrawn. In other words, they retreated.
What would have happened if the first fleet did not arrive here?
Their would not be and white people in Australia and their would be many more aboriginals
Actually, it is more conceivable that the French would have carried through with their claims to Australian territory, and most people would now be speaking French here.
When was waltzing Matilda first performed in Australia?
A.B. "Banjo" Paterson's poem "Waltzing Matilda" is arguably his most famous. The lyrics were written in 1895, and based on a true story. The poem was set to a catchy tune which a friend of Paterson's had heard at the Warrnambool races. It was first performed on 6 April 1895 at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, Queensland. The occasion was a banquet for the Premier of Queensland.
What other cultures are present in Australia?
There is Australian culture and Australian Indigenous culture.
Due to the fact that Australia is such a popular place for migrants, virtually every culture in the world is represented to some degree in Australia. Asian, African, European, American and Pacific island nations are all present.
Where did the First Fleet stop on the way to Australia?
The First Fleet made three stops.
- From Portsmouth, Britain to Tenerife in the Canary Islands , off the north western coast of Africa.
- From the Canary Islands, the Fleet passed the Cape Verde Islands, off the west coast of Africa, but strong winds prevented the Fleet from stopping there. From the Cape Verde islands the Fleet moved on to Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, where it reprovisioned.
- The next stop was the Cape Town, on the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), from where it continued on to New South Wales.
How does Australian Parliament meet?
People can lodge a formal petition to the parliament, which gets recorded in Hansard, which is the official proceedings of the parliament. People can also make submission to parliamentary committees.
In certain circumstances people can directly address the parliament, like if they have been named by a MP in the parliament they can havea right of reply.
When did Frank Gardiner become a bushranger?
Frank Gardiner became a bushranger after serving time for horse stealing in 1850. After he was sentenced to five years in Pentridge Gaol, he escaped and took up bushranging in the district around Goulburn, New South Wales.
Where did the First Fleet go after Botany Bay?
The First Fleet made its first stop at Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.
