NationMaster - Encyclopedia: History of Australia

The written history of Australia began when Dutch explorers first sighted the country in the 17th century. The interpretation of the history of Australia is currently a matter of some contention, particularly regarding the British settlement and early treatment of Indigenous Australians. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The prehistory of Australia is the period between the first human habitation of the Australian continent and the first definitive sighting of Australia by Europeans in 1606, which may be taken as the beginning of the recent history of Australia. ... The first definite sighting of Australia by European explorers was in 1606. ... // Following the loss of the American Colonies, Britain needed to find alternative destinations that could take the population of its overcrowded prisons. ... The history of Australia from 1851 - 1900 continues Australias colonial history, the discovery of gold in 1851 which led to increased economic and political independence from Britain and a great debate about federation. ... The history of Australia from 1901 - 1945 begins with the federation of the colonies to create the Commonwealth of Australia. ... The history of Australia since 1945 has seen a move away from Britain in political, social and cultural terms to engagement with the United States and Asia. ... This is a timeline of Australian history. ... The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers. ... The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed a federation. ... This article is a brief timeline of the economic history of Australia. ... Australian immigration has a chequered history. ... The diplomatic history of Australia covers the events of Australian foreign relations. ... // Foundation and growth Governor Lachlan Macquarie In 1770 Captain James Cook sailed along the east coast of Australia, the first European to do so. ... History of Sydney stretches back to prehistoric times. ... This article describes the history of Victoria. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The history of Queensland spans thousands of years, encompassing both a lengthy indigenous presence in the state, as well as the eventful times of post-European settlement. ... Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is named for Sir Thomas Brisbane (1773â€“1860), British soldier and colonial administrator born in Ayrshire, Scotland. ... The human history of Western Australia spans between the first inhabitants arriving on the northwest coast about 55,000 years ago to events in the twentieth century. ... This article details the History of Perth from the first human activity in the region to the 20th century. ... The history of South Australia details from the first human activity in the region, estimated at about 20 000 years ago to the current events of the 21st century. ... Adelaide is the capital city of the Australian state of South Australia. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The first settlement in Hobart was started in 1803 as a penal colony at Risdon Cove on the eastern shores of the Derwent River, amid British concerns over the presence of French explorers. ... The History of the Australian Capital Territory details the Australian Capital Territorys development from before white settlement to Canberras planning by the Chicago architect Walter Burley Griffin and subsequent development to the present day. ... The History of Canberra details the development of the city of Canberra from the time before white settlement to Canberras planning by the Chicago architect Walter Burley Griffin and subsequent development to the present day. ... The history of the Northern Territory began over 40,000 years ago when Indigenous Australians settled the region. ... The history of Darwin has been a colourful and often tragic one; the Australian citys location has meant that it has been a victim of man-made disasters, such as World War Two and also natural ones, such as Cyclone Tracy. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Language(s) Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religion(s) Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group...

Asian contact

For at least a number of centuries, Macassar had traded with Indigenous Australians on Australia's north coast, particularly the Yolngu of north-east Arnhem Land. A Macassan wooden sailing vessel or prau. ... Makassar, (Macassar, Mangkasar) is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, in Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. ... Language(s) Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religion(s) Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... For Yolngu language see Yolngu Matha. ... Arnhem Land is an area of 97,000 kmÂ² in the north-eastern corner of the Northern Territory, Australia. ...

An early map of the known world, made in 1603 by Father Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit who spent a long time in China, noted in a blank space where Australia lies: No one has ever been to this land in the south, hence we know nothing about it. In smaller characters he brushed the Chinese characters Fire Land and Land of Parrots^[1] suggesting the Chinese were aware of and had perhaps sighted Australia - the reference to parrots may mean that someone had in fact made a landing on the continent after all Matteo Ricci. ... Languages Italian, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Corsican, Sardinian, Emiliano-Romagnolo, Ligurian, Lombard, Piedmontese, Venetian, Ladin, Friulian Religions predominantly Roman Catholic The Italians are a Southern European ethnic group found primarily in Italy and in a wide-ranging diaspora throughout Western Europe, the Americas and Australia. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... For the runtime engine for Perl 6, see Parrot virtual machine. ...

European exploration

Records of the discovery of the Australian continent by European expeditions date back to the early 17th century.^[2] The first known sighting was in 1606 by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon, who in his ship Duyfken navigated the Gulf of Carpentaria, sighting and making landfall on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula. In 1616, another Dutchman Dirk Hartog left a pewter plate commemorating his landfall at Shark Bay in Western Australia. Some writers have argued that Portuguese navigators discovered Australia in the 16th century (see Theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia), but there is no firm evidence to support this theory. Other 17th century European voyagers (predominantly Dutch, but also French and English) were to follow suit, and by the start of the 18th century all but the eastern coastlines of what had become known as "New Holland" had been charted. No attempts to establish settlements were made, however. The first definite sighting of Australia by European explorers was in 1606. ... The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers. ... The Australian continental shelf (light blue) is contiguous with New Guinea, but not with other Pacific islands like New Zealand. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Willem Janszoon (c. ... Duyfken Duyfken (little dove in English) was a small Dutch ship that sailed from the Indonesian island of Banda in 1606 in search of gold and trade opportunities on Nova Guinea (now Papua New Guinea). ... The Gulf of Carpentaria from a 1859 Dutch map The Gulf of Carpentaria The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and Indonesia). ... This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, or Cape York, Greenland. ... Dirk Hartog (1580â€”1621) was a 17th century Dutch sea captain and explorer, whose expedition was the second European group to land on Australian soil. ... Dirk Hartogs plate in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Hartog Plate or Dirk Hartogs Plate is either of two plates, although primarily the first, which were left on Dirk Hartog Island during a period of European exploration of the western coast of Australia prior to European settlement there. ... Shark Bay is a world heritage site and a locality in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. ... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 15 - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2005-06) - Product ($m) $107,910 (4th) - Product per capita $53,134/person... Jave La Grandes east coast: from Nicholas Vallards atlas, 1547. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Map of a part of New Holland made by William Dampier in 1699 New Holland is a historic name for the island continent of Australia. ...

The expedition of the Endeavour under command of British Royal Navy Lieutenant James Cook navigated and charted the east coast of Australia, making first landfall at Botany Bay on April 29, 1770. Cook continued northwards, and before leaving put ashore on Possession Island in the Torres Strait off Cape York on August 22, 1770. Here he formally claimed the eastern coastline he had discovered for the Crown, naming it New South Wales. Given that Cook was a British explorer and his discoveries would lead to the British settlement of Australia, he is often popularly considered its European discoverer, although he had been preceded by many and by Janszoon in particular more than 160 years prior. Route of the first voyage of James Cook The First voyage of James Cook was the initial voyage of James Cook. ... HMB Endeavour was a small 18th century British sailing ship, famous for being the vessel commanded by Lt. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the British explorer. ... For other Botany Bays see Botany Bay (disambiguation) Bicentennial Monument at Botany Bay Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, a few kilometers south of the central business district. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the village in Queensland, see 1770, Queensland. ... Torres Strait and islands The Torres Strait - Cape York Peninsula is at the bottom; several of the Torres Strait Islands can be seen strung out towards Papua New Guinea to the north. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the village in Queensland, see 1770, Queensland. ... NSW redirects here. ...

The favourable reports of these lands relayed by Cook's expedition upon their return to England generated interest in its offered solution to the problem of penal overcrowding in Britain, which had been exacerbated by the loss of its American colonies.^[3] Accordingly, on May 13, 1787 the 11 ships of the First Fleet set sail from Portsmouth, England, bound for Botany Bay. John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 ships which sailed from Great Britain on May 13, 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. ... This article is about the English city of Portsmouth. ...

British settlement and colonization

The British Crown Colony of New South Wales started with the establishment of a settlement at Sydney Cove by Captain Arthur Phillip on 26 January 1788. This date was later to become Australia's national day, Australia Day. Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania, was settled in 1803 and became a separate colony in 1825. Britain formally claimed the western part of Australia in 1829. Separate colonies were created from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, New Zealand in 1840, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. The Northern Territory was founded in 1863 as part of the Province of South Australia. Western Australia was also founded as a free colony, but later accepted transported convicts due to an acute labour shortage. The transportation of convicts to Australia was phased out between 1840 and 1868. // Following the loss of the American Colonies, Britain needed to find alternative destinations that could take the population of its overcrowded prisons. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (almost exclusively Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... Sydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson (commonly but incorrectly called Sydney Harbour), on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... Admiral Arthur Phillip RN (11 October 1738 â€“ 31 August 1814) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Anniversary Day redirects here. ... 1663 map of Van Diemens Land, showing the parts discovered by Tasman, including Storm Bay, Maria Island and Schouten Island. ... Slogan or Nickname: Island of Inspiration; The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 5 - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05) - Product... For the song, see South Australia (song). ... VIC redirects here. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 28 - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05) - Product ($m) $158,506 (3rd... For similar terms, see Northern Territories (disambiguation) Slogan or Nickname: The Territory, The NT, The Top End Motto(s): none Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 2 - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2004...

is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1663 map of Van Diemens Land, showing the parts discovered by Tasman, including Storm Bay, Maria Island and Schouten Island. ... New Holland could refer to several things: Several former Dutch colonies were known as New Holland: northeast coast Brazil, capital Mauritsstad (now Recife), see Dutch West India Company. ... Edmund Lockyer (21 January 1784 â€“ 10 June 1860) was a British major in the 57th regiment. ... Albany, (IPA: }, is the largest regional city in WA situated on the south coast of Western Australia south-southeast of Perth. ... Swan River Colony was a British settlement established at the Swan River on the west coast of Australia in 1829. ... Admiral Sir Charles Howe Fremantle (June 1, 1800 _ May 25, 1869) was a Captain of the British Royal Navy. ... // North Australia was a short-lived territory of Australia. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Colonial self-government and the discovery of gold

A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion in 1854 was an early expression of nationalist sentiment; the flag that was used to represent it has been seriously considered by some as an alternative to the Australian flag. The gold rushes brought many immigrants from Great Britain, Ireland, Europe, North America and China. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1200x992, 226 KB) Summary Tradesmen exchanging goods such as these gold washing cradles, were common on Australian gold fields. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1200x992, 226 KB) Summary Tradesmen exchanging goods such as these gold washing cradles, were common on Australian gold fields. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... The history of Australia from 1851 - 1900 continues Australias colonial history, the discovery of gold in 1851 which led to increased economic and political independence from Britain and a great debate about federation. ... For other meanings, see Gold rush (disambiguation) A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. ... // Production of steel revolutionized by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Railroads begin to supplant canals in the United States as a primary means of transporting goods. ... The Eureka Flag The Eureka Stockade was a gold miners revolt in 1854 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, against the officials supervising the mining of gold in the region of Ballarat. ... Australia is blue with the flag of the United Kingdom (the Union Flag) in the canton (the upper hoist-side quadrant), and a large seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star (six points representing the six original states and one point for the territories and any future states of... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... North American redirects here. ...

Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained responsible government, managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire. The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs, defence and international shipping. Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. ... For a comprehensive list of the territories that formed the British Empire, see Evolution of the British Empire. ...

The gold led to a period of great prosperity, but eventually, the economic expansion came to an end, and the 1890s were a period of economic depression. The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no...

Federation and the World Wars

On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and voting, and the Commonwealth of Australia was born, as a Dominion of the British Empire. The history of Australia from 1901 - 1945 begins with the federation of the colonies to create the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2500x1571, 1206 KB) The Big Picture, the opening of the w:en:Parliament of Australia on 9 May 1901, painted by w:en:Tom Roberts. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2500x1571, 1206 KB) The Big Picture, the opening of the w:en:Parliament of Australia on 9 May 1901, painted by w:en:Tom Roberts. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Representatives Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives David Hawker, Liberal Party since 16 November 2004 President of the Senate Alan Ferguson, Liberal Party since 14 August 2007 Members 226 (150 Representatives, 76 Senators) Political groups Liberal Party ALP National Party Country Liberal Party Greens... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed a federation. ... This article is about Dominions of the British Empire and of the Commonwealth of Nations. ...

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was formed from New South Wales in 1911 to provide a location for the proposed new federal capital of Canberra (Melbourne was the capital from 1901 to 1927). The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the Commonwealth in 1911. Australian troops took part in both world wars. Capital Canberra Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator none Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 2 - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2006) - Product ($m) $19,167 (6th) - Product per capita $57,303/person (1st) Population (End of November 2006) - Population 333,667 (7th) - Density 137. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ...

The Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and Britain, but Australia did not adopt the Statute until 1942. The shock of Britain's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the United States as a new ally and protector. This article is about the Statute of Westminster relating to the British Empire and its dominions. ... The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 was an Act of the Parliament of Australia which formally accepted the Statute of Westminster 1931, an Act of the British Imperial Parliament which established the legislative independence of the various self-governing Dominions of the British Empire, allowing their parliaments and governments... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956â€“present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic - President George W. Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

From 1 February 1927 until 12 June 1931 the Northern Territory was divided up as North Australia and Central Australia at latitude 20° S. New South Wales has had one further territory surrendered, namely Jervis Bay Territory comprising 6,677 hectares, in 1915. The external Territories were added - 1914 - Norfolk Island; 1933 - Territory of Ashmore Island and Cartier Islands – transferred from Britain; 1933 - Australian Antarctic Territory transferred from Britain; 1947 - Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Macquarie Island transferred to Australia from Britain. For similar terms, see Northern Territories (disambiguation) Slogan or Nickname: The Territory, The NT, The Top End Motto(s): none Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 2 - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2004... For other uses, see Australia (disambiguation). ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // North Australia was a short-lived territory of Australia. ... Central Australia is a term used to describe the area of land surrounding and including Alice Springs in Australia. ... The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... A hectare (symbol ha) is a metric unit of surface area, equal to 100 ares (the name is a contraction of the SI prefix hecto + are). ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Ashmore and Cartier Islands The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands are two groups of small low-lying uninhabited tropical islands in the Indian Ocean situated on the edge of the continental shelf north-west of Australia and south of the Indonesian island of Roti at . ... Cartier Island is a small uninhabited islet in the Indian Ocean north of Australia and south of Indonesia. ... The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia. ... Heard Island, from NASA World Wind Heard Island and the McDonald Islands are uninhabited, barren islands located in the Southern Ocean at 53°6S, 72°31E, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. ... Heard Island, from NASA World Wind Heard Island and the McDonald Islands are uninhabited, barren islands located in the Southern Ocean at 53°6S, 72°31E, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. ... Macquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between Australia and Antarctica. ...

Post-war prosperity

Following World War II the Australian government instigated a massive program of European immigration. After narrowly preventing a Japanese invasion, and suffering attacks on Australian soil for the first time, it was seen that the country must "populate or perish". Immigration brought traditional migrants from the United Kingdom along with, for the first time, large numbers of Southern and Central Europeans. A booming Australian economy stood in sharp contrast to war-ravaged Europe and newly-arrived migrants found employment in government assisted programs such as the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Two million were to arrive between 1948 and 1975. Robert Menzies' newly-founded Liberal Party of Australia dominated much of the immediate post war era, defeating the Australian Labor Party government of Ben Chifley in 1949. Menzies oversaw the post-war expansion and was to become the country's longest-serving leader. Manufacturing industry, previously playing a minor part in an economy dominated by primary production, greatly expanded. Since the 1970s and the abolition of the White Australia policy from Asia and other parts of the world, Australia's demography, culture and image of itself has been radically transformed. However, despite the abolition of the policy, instances of racism continue.^[6] The history of Australia since 1945 has seen a move away from Britain in political, social and cultural terms to engagement with the United States and Asia. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Talbingo Dam The Snowy Mountains Scheme is a hydro-electricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia. ... Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, FRS, QC (20 December 1894 â€“ 15 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, serving eighteen and a half years. ... This article is about the modern Australian political party. ... ALP redirects here. ... Joseph Benedict Chifley (22 September 1885 â€“ 13 June 1951), Australian politician and 16th Prime Minister of Australia, was one of Australias most influential Prime Ministers. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... This badge from 1906 shows the use of the expression White Australia at that time While there was never any specific official policy called the White Australia policy, this is the term used for a collection of historical legislation and policies which either intentionally or unintentionally restricted non-white immigration...

The ANZUS defence treaty was signed in 1951 with the United States and New Zealand, and Australia committed troops to the Korean War and the Malayan Emergency. Melbourne hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics and joint British-Australia nuclear tests and rocket launches began near Woomera, South Australia. The population reached 10 million in 1959. The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is the military alliance which binds Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States to cooperate on defence matters in the Pacific Ocean area, though today the treaty is understood to relate to attacks in... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... Combatants United Kingdom Australia New Zealand British colonies Federation of Malaya Rhodesia Fiji various British East African colonies Malayan Communist Party Malayan Races Liberation Army Commanders Harold Briggs Henry Gurney â€ Gerald Templer Henry Wells Chin Peng Strength 250,000 Malayan Home Guard troops 40,000 regular Commonwealth personnel 37,000... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, although the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. ... The British nuclear tests at Maralinga were performed at the Maralinga site, part of the Woomera Prohibited Area, on the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia. ... Woomera () is a town in South Australia, 488 km/305 mi. ...

Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US under the auspices of the ANZUS treaty. The final constitutional ties between Australia and Britain ended in 1986 with the passing of the Australia Act 1986, ending any British role in the Australian States, and ending judicial appeals to the UK Privy Council. Australia remains a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II the Queen of Australia; the 1999 referendum to establish a republic was marginally rejected. Australia's formal links to its British past are increasingly tenuous, although people-to-people and cultural connections between Australia and Britain remain significant. Since the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972, there has been an increasing focus on the nation's future as a part of the so-called "Asia-Pacific" region. Australia Act 1986 (United Kingdom) document, located in Parliament House, Canberra The Australia Act 1986 is an act of the Parliament of Australia (No. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: A constitutional monarchy or limited monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges an elected or hereditary monarch as head of state, as opposed to an absolute monarchy, where the monarch is not... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in 1952 and 2002 The title Queen of Australia has existed since 1973, when the Parliament of Australia passed the Royal Style and Titles Act (1973). ... The 1999 Australian Referendum was held on 6 November 1999. ... Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), is an Australian former politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... Map showing general definition of Asia-Pacific The term Asia-Pacific generally applies to littoral East Asia, Southeast Asia and Australasia near the Pacific Ocean, plus the states in the ocean itself (Oceania). ...

Territories transferred in this period were; 1958 - Christmas Island; 1955 - Cocos (Keeling) Islands; 1969 - The Coral Sea Islands Territory was established as a Territory of the Commonwealth under the Coral Sea Islands Act 1969. In 1989 when the Australian Capital Territory achieved self government, Jervis Bay became a separate territory administered by the Ministry of Territories. The Coral Sea Islands Territory includes a grouping of small tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, northeast of Queensland, around 18° S 152° E. There are about 30 separate reefs and atolls, 14 of them wholly submerged or drying only during low tide, and 16 others with a...

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. The combination of disease, loss of land and direct violence reduced the Aboriginal population by an estimated 90% between 1788 and 1900.^{[citation needed]} A wave of massacres and resistance followed the frontier of European settlement. In 1838, twenty eight Indigenous people were killed at the Myall Creek massacre. The convict settlers responsible for the massacres were hanged. The Kalkadoon of Queensland resisted the settlers, and there was a massacre of over 200 people on their land at Battle Mountain in 1884. There was a massacre at Coniston in the Northern Territory in 1928. Poisoning of food and water had been recorded as early as the 1830s. Language(s) Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religion(s) Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... The Aboriginal History of Western Australia is the history of the indigenous inhabitants of the western third of the Australian continent, from their own perspective. ... The Myall Creek Massacre was a massacre of twenty-eight Aboriginal Australian people by twelve white stockmen and squatters on 10 June 1838, at the Myall Creek sheep station near Inverell, in northern New South Wales. ... Kalkadoon, Australian Aboriginal tribe living in the Mount Isa region of Queensland. ... Coniston, Northern Territory, Australia is a sheep station in central Australia at latitude 22. ...

The removal of children, which the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission argue constituted attempted genocide,^[7] had a major impact on the Indigenous population.^[8] Such interpretations of Aboriginal history are disputed by Keith Windschuttle as being exaggerated or fabricated for political or ideological reasons.^[9] This debate is part of what is known within Australia as the History Wars. Portrayal of The taking of the children on the Great Australian Clock, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney The Stolen Generation (or Stolen Generations) is a term used to describe the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, usually of mixed descent who were removed from their families, under the rationale of... The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) is a national independent statutory body of the Australian Government. ... For other uses, see Genocide (disambiguation). ... Keith Windschuttle (born 1942) is an Australian writer who is the author of several books, including Unemployment (1979) which analyses the economic causes and social consequences of unemployment in Australia, The Media: a New Analysis of the Press, Television, Radio and Advertising in Australia (1984) on the political economy and... The History wars are an ongoing public debate over the interpretation of the history of the white colonisation of Australia and its influence on responses to the current situation of the original inhabitants of the land. ...

Indigenous Australians were given the right to vote in Commonwealth elections in Australia in November 1963, and in state elections shortly after, with the last state to do this being Queensland in 1965. The 1967 federal referendum, passed with a 90.2% majority, allowed the Commonwealth to make laws with respect to Aboriginal people, and for Aboriginal people to be included when the country does a count to determine electoral representation. This has been the largest affirmative vote in the history of Australia's referendums.

Another notable event occurred on the 13th of February 2008, when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologised to the Aborigines of the stolen generation.