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Australia's original inhabitants,
known as Australian Aborigines, have the longest continuous
cultural history in the world, with origins dating back to the
last Ice age. The first visitors to Australia were from Indonesia
about 70,000 years ago. They are called 'Robust' by
archaeologists. 20000 years later 'Gracile' people, the ancestors
of Australian Aborigines followed them.
Europeans began to trespass on Australia in the 16th century:
Dutch explorers followed Portuguese navigators and the
enterprising English pirate William Dampier. Captain James Cook
sailed the entire length of the eastern coast in 1770, stopping at
Botany Bay on the way. After rounding Cape York, he claimed the
continent for the British and named it New South Wales. European settlement of Australia began in 1788 when a British
penal colony was established on the east coast. Captain Arthur
Phillip, commanding eleven ships carrying 1,373 people,  including
732 convicts successfully landed a full fleet at Botany Bay on
January 18, 1788. Later they went to Sydney and settled there.
Australia Day is now celebrated on 26 January each year, to
commemorate this first fleet landing.
A number of reasons contributed to Britain's decision to colonize
Australia. The most important factor was Britain's need to relieve
its overcrowded prisons. Additionally, Australia was of strategic
importance to Britain, and it provided a base for the Royal Navy
in the eastern sea. Also, Australia could be used as an entry
point to the economic opportunities of the surrounding region. All
these points figured in the decision by Lord Sydney, secretary of
state of home affairs, to authorize the colonization.
It was the discovery of gold in the 1850s that changed the face of
the colony. Aborigines were ruthlessly pushed off their tribal
lands as new settlers took up land for farming or mining. The
Industrial Revolution in England required plenty of raw materials,
and Australia's agricultural and mineral resources expanded to
meet the demand.
Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901,maintaining a very
good relationship with U.K. Australian troops fought alongside the
British in the Boer War, WWI and WWII. USA protected Australia
from Japanese invasion during WWII. Thus a shift in loyalty had
taken birth. Australia subsequently followed the USA into both the
Korean and Vietnam wars in Asia.
Post WWII immigration brought a flood of European immigrants. In
the 1980s, Australia accepted large numbers of Asian refugees,
especially from Vietnam. Socially and economically, Australia is
still trying to come to terms with its place in Asia.
Even though Australia continues its development many Aborigines
still live in terrible conditions. |
