This article is part of the series History of Australia

Prehistory

Before 1788

1788-1850

1851-1900

1901-1945

Since 1945

Timeline

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. Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... The history of Australia began when people first migrated to the Australian continent from the north, at least 40,000-45,000 years ago. ... The prehistory of Australia is a term which may be used to describe the period of approximately 40-45,000 years (or more, as is contended by some studies) between the first human habitation of the Australian continent and the first definitive sighting of Australia by Europeans in 1606, which... The first definite sighting of Australia by European explorers was in 1606. ... The history of Australia from 1788-1850 covers the early colonies period of Australias history, from the first English settlement and penal colony at Port Jackson in 1788 to the establishment of other colonies and the spread of settlers. ... 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 colnies to create the Commonwealth of Australia. ... This is a timeline of Australian history. ...

Postwar Australia

After World War II, Australia launched a massive immigration program, believing that having narrowly avoided a Japanese invasion, Australia must "populate or perish." Hundreds of thousands of displaced Europeans, including for the first time large numbers of Jews, migrated to Australia. More than two million people immigrated to Australia from Europe during the 20 years after the end of the war. Although post-war immigration to Australia remained largely British, other countries such as Greece, Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia and the Netherlands also became major sources of immigrants, later followed by Turkey and Lebanon. Australia actively sought these immigrants, with the government assisting many of them and they found work due to an expanding economy and major infrastructure projects like the Snowy Mountains Scheme. This wave of immigration greatly changed the character of Australian society, which before the war had been monocultural, inward-looking and conservative. Immigration was still restricted to Europeans in most circumstances, although the White Australia policy was gradually eased from the 1950s onwards. Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in Latin, Југославија in Cyrillic, English: Land of the South Slavs) describes four political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... The Snowy Mountains Scheme is a massive water diversion and storage scheme, taking water from the eastern slopes of the Australian Alps (part of the Great Dividing Range) in eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales through pipes, tunnels and aqueducts into a series of dams, for use in hydro...

In 1949 the wartime Labor government (led after Curtin's death in 1945 by Ben Chifley) was defeated by a Liberal government headed by Menzies, who became Australia's longest-serving prime minister and the dominant figure in Australian politics until the 1960s. Menzies exploited Cold War fears to retain office, and in 1951 he narrowly failed to win a referendum to allow him to ban the Communist Party. Menzies poured money into higher education and industrial development. Chicken nuggets are sold at McDonalds (September 22, 1885–June 13, 1951), Australian politician and 16th Prime Minister of Australia, was one of Australias most influential Prime Ministers. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... Rt Hon Robert Menzies Sir Robert Gordon Menzies (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia. ... The Cold War was the period of protracted conflict and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies from the late 1940s until the late 1980s. ... The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991. ...

Robert Menzies, Australia's longest serving Prime Minister (1939-41, 49-66)

Menzies also maintained the alliance with the United States, sending Australian troops to the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Australia's participation in Vietnam, and particularly the use of conscription, became politically contentious and saw massive protests, though they were for the most part peaceful. The Liberal Party maintained power through Menzies' successors, Harold Holt (who disappeared in 1967, while swimming in the sea), John Gorton and William McMahon, though each PM in succession was generally considered to be less able and less politically skilled than his predecessor. Robert Menzies 2 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Robert Menzies 2 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, FRS, QC (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, serving eighteen and a half years. ... Combatants United Nations: Republic of Korea  Australia  Belgium Canada  Colombia Ethiopia  France Greece  Netherlands  New Zealand  Philippines South Africa  Thailand  Turkey  United Kingdom United States Medical staff:  Denmark  India  Italy  Norway  Sweden Communist states: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea People’s Republic of China  Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Harold Edward Holt CH (5 August 1908–17 December 1967) was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia, now best remembered for the bizarre circumstances of his death and for his controversial role in maintaining and expanding Australias role in the Vietnam War. ... Sir John Grey Gorton GCMG AC CH (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002), Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia. ... Sir William McMahon GCMG CH PC (23 February 1908 – 31 March 1988), Australian politician and 20th Prime Minister of Australia, was born in Sydney, New South Wales, where his father was a lawyer. ...

The late 1960s and early 1970s are also often associated, at least in the mind of many Australians who were young adults at that time, with a flowering of Australian culture. Indigenous Australians achieved greater rights, immigration restrictions and censorship laws were swept aside, theatre and opera companies were established across the country, and Australian rock music began to mention explicitly Australian themes. The 1971 Springbok rugby tour was influential in raising awareness of Aboriginal injustice in Australia and also led Australia to become the first Western nation to cut sporting ties with South Africa. See also, List of Indigenous Australian group names Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. ... The earliest music of Australia was the folk music of the Australian Aborigines. ... The 1971 Springboks tour was a six-week rugby union tour by the South African national team to Australia. ...

Malcolm Fraser (left) became Prime Minister after Governor General Sir John Kerr(right) dismissed Gough Whitlam in 1975.

In 1972, Gough Whitlam became the first Labor PM in 23 years, and carried out sweeping reforms such as introduction of universal health insurance and reform of divorce and family law. Whitlam's radical and imperious style eventually alienated many voters, and — after a series of ministerial scandals in 1975 — the Senate for the first time used its constitutional powers to block the government's budget. When Whitlam refused to back down, the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, dismissed him on 11 November. Despite the condemnation of a large section of the Australian public (and legal opinion) that these actions caused, the conservative leader Malcolm Fraser won the subsequent elections and retained power until 1983, though the social reforms of Whitlam were retained and in some ways continued under Fraser. In 1983, Labor returned to power under the former trade union leader Bob Hawke, a much less confrontationist figure than Whitlam. Malcolm Fraser and John Kerr. ... Malcolm Fraser and John Kerr. ... This article is about the former Prime Minister of Australia; for the Western Australian public servant, see Malcolm Fraser (surveyor). ... Sir John Kerr Alternative meanings: John Kerr (disambiguation). ... Edward Gough Whitlam AC QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... Edward Gough Whitlam AC QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. ... Sir John Kerr Alternative meanings: John Kerr (disambiguation). ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... This article is about the former Prime Minister of Australia; for the Western Australian public servant, see Malcolm Fraser (surveyor). ... Robert James Lee Bob Hawke AC (born 9 December 1929) is a former Australian trade union leader turned politician who became the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia. ...

The 1980s saw severe concerns about Australia's future economic health take hold, with severe current account deficits and high unemployment at times. Hawke's government introduced many economic reforms, including tariff cuts, a floating exchange rate, the privatisation of many government services, and most prominently an agreement with trade unions to moderate wage demands and accept more flexible working condition arrangements by accepting tax cuts in return. Ultimately, many of the reforms, continued by successive governments, appear to have been successful in pushing the economy along.

The new Parliament House was finally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 9 May 1988. Parliament House Canberra: The main entrance and the flag Parliament House is the name given to two purpose-built buildings in Canberra, the capital of Australia, where the Parliament of Australia has met since 1927. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Partly because of divisions on the conservative side of politics, Hawke held office until 1991, when he was deposed by his former deputy, Paul Keating, who kept Labor in office until 1996. Economic growth continued through the 1990s at rates higher than most of Australia's trading partners, and even through to 2003 despite recessions elsewhere. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Paul John Keating (born January 18, 1944), was an Australian politician and the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Indigenous rights

From the 1950s onwards, Australians began to rethink their attitudes towards racial issues. An Aboriginal rights movement, supported by many liberal white Australians, was founded, and a campaign against the White Australia policy was also launched. The 1967 referendum was held and overwhelmingly approved to amend the Constitution, removing discriminatory references and giving the national parliament the power to legislate specifically for Indigenous Australians. Contrary to frequently repeated mythology, this referendum did not confer citizenship on Aboriginal people, nor did it give them the vote: they already had both. However, transferring this power away from the State parliaments did bring an end to the system of Indigenous Australian reserves which existed in each state, which allowed Indigenous people to move more freely, and exercise many of their citizenship rights for the first time. From the late 1960s a movement for Indigenous land rights also developed. In 1971 Neville Bonner became the first Aboriginal person elected to the Australian Parliament. The referendum of 27 May 1967 approved two amendments to the Australian constitution relating to Aboriginal people. ... See also, List of Indigenous Australian group names Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. ... Native title is a concept in the law of Australia that recognises the continued ownership of land by local Indigenous Australians. ... Neville Bonner (28 March 1922 - 5 February 1999), Australian politician, was the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to the Parliament of Australia. ...

During much of the twentieth century, Australian governments had removed many aboriginal children from their families. This practice, while beneficial to some individuals, did great damage to the Aboriginal people, culturally and emotionally, giving rise to the term stolen generation to describe these families. Since the publication in 1997 of a federal government report, Bringing Them Home all state governments have followed the recommendation of the report in issuing formal apologies for their past practices to the Aboriginal people, as have many local governments. The Howard government has refused to make such an apology, despite pleas from the Aboriginal people and from many sections of the wider community, on the basis that it would constitute a legal admission of guilt and give rise to widespread claims for compensation. The Stolen Generation is a term used to describe the half-caste Australian Aboriginal children who were removed from their families by Australian government agencies and church missions between approximately 1900 and (officially) 1969. ... Bringing Them Home cover Bringing Them Home is the title of the Australian Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. The enquiry was established by the federal Attorney-General, Michael Lavarch, on 11 May 1995, in response to efforts...

Republicanism

Australian republicanism which had been a feature of the 1890s faded away during the First World War. Monarchist sentiment in Australia peaked during the Menzies years with the wildly successful 1954 tour by Queen Elizabeth II. The issue of a republic did not arise again until the 1970s. In the 1990s it was bought to the forefront of national debate by Prime Minister Paul Keating, who promised in 1993 to introduce an "Australian federal republic" by the centenary of Federation in 2001. Polls have consistently shown a majority of Australian support an Australian republic, but a referendum on the issue failed on November 6, 1999. Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Paul John Keating (born January 18, 1944), was an Australian politician and the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996. ... Ballots of the Argentine plebiscite of 1984 on the border treaty with Chile A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 55 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Some republicans blamed the conservative and monarchist Prime Minister John Howard (elected in 1996), whose leadership certainly did not aid the republican cause. But there were other significant factors, including a split between "minimalist" republicans who wanted an Australian president to be chosen by the federal Parliament (as happens in, for example, Germany), and more "radical" republicans who wanted a directly elected President, as in the Irish Republic. Public opinion suggested that a republic would only be acceptable if a president was directly elected. Since the referendum proposal was for an indirectly elected president, many radicals opposed it. The debate since 1999 has died down, though it will probably become a topic of national importance again when Howard leaves office. John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), an Australian politician, is the Prime Minister of Australia. ...

Military engagements in the late twentieth century

After the Vietnam experience, Australian military forces were largely kept at home through the rest of the 1970s and 1980's, and were restricted to the low-risk and largely symbolic deployment of a frigate to the Gulf War in 1991. However, the last decade has seen a number of high-profile military deployments. The first occurred in East Timor in 1999, with the majority of forces in the INTERFET peacekeeping force made up by ADF personnel, particularly in its early stages. SAS troops formed the most high-profile part of Operation Slipper, Australia's contribution to the invading force in the 2001 United States war in Afghanistan. These military deployments had high public support; indeed, the East Timor operation was forced by public pressure onto a reluctant government, who feared provoking Indonesia into full-scale conflict. The Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and Australia's continued presence there, are highly controversial. There have been a number of other peacekeeping and stablization operations, notably in the Solomon Islands and, again, in East Timor in 2006. Remarkably, however, this extended participation in risky military operations has resulted in not a single death from enemy action, with only a few deaths in accidents. Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf Saddam Hussein Strength 660,000 360,000 Casualties 378 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 dead, 75,000 wounded The Gulf War ( 2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991 ) was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of approximately 30 nations... INTERFET (standing for INTERnational Force East Timor) was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999-2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers. ... Operation Slipper is the Australian Defence Force (ADF)contribution to the International Coalition against Terrorism. ... Combatants al-Qaeda, Taliban NATO, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, Northern Alliance Commanders Osama bin Laden, Mohammed Omar Tommy Franks, David Fraser, Mohammed Fahim Casualties al-Qaeda dead: unknown Taliban dead: unknown Civilian dead: unknown Coalition military dead: 402 Northern Alliance dead: unknown US... An Australian SAS patrol in western Iraq. ...

Late twentieth century politics

Since being elected in 1996, the Howard government has attempted to reduce Australia's government deficit and to reduce the influence of labour unions, placing more emphasis on workplace-based collective bargaining for wages. The government also has accelerated the pace of privatisation, beginning with the government-owned telecommunications corporation, Telstra. Howard's government has continued some elements of the foreign policy of its predecessors, based on relations with four key countries: the United States, Japan, China, and Indonesia. The Howard government strongly supports US engagement in the Asia-Pacific region. However some observers noted a greater push towards engagement with Western nations than the previous Keating government which emphasised that Australia was part of Asia. These observers point to various controversies such as the Tampa affair in which the MV Tampa, a Norwegian cargo ship was at the center of a diplomatic dispute between Australia, Norway and Indonesia off the coast of Christmas Island as indicating a shift back towards the more conservative policies of the mid-20th century. A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ... Telstra Corporation (ASX: TLS, NZX: TLS, NYSE: TLS) (formed from Telecom Australia) is an Australian telecommunications company under private ownership, holding a dominant position in landline telephone services, large share of mobile phone services, domestic consumer (including dial-up access and Broadband internet broadband cable modem, satellite and ADSL services... Paul John Keating (born January 18, 1944), was an Australian politician and the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996. ... The MV Tampa is a Norwegian cargo ship that was at the centre of a diplomatic dispute between Australia, Norway, and Indonesia which began off the coast of Christmas Island in August 2001. ... A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries goods and materials from one port to another. ...