Invasion or settlement On the 26th of January 1788, Australia was settled by the British who came in the First Fleet. The First Fleet was made up of 11 ships, holding 1,350 convicts, soldiers and settlers. Australia became the new penal colony as prisons were overflowing in Britain due to America’s Independence and refusal to take more convicts.
Was Australia settled by the English or invaded?
This article was first drafted this time last year in response to a passionate debate around Australia Day on whether Australia was settled by the English, or invaded. The view has long been held, hardly without question, that the English indeed settled in Australia in 1788.
What do Australians think about the British Invasion of Australia?
While most Australians proudly commemorate the history of the Anzacs or Australia's contribution to the World Wars, they are very reluctant to acknowledge the British invasion of Australia. [3] But this view is slowly changing.
What's wrong with settlement in Australia?
Remember also that Australia's history is littered with reports of massacres on Aboriginal people, and that there were frontier wars which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Aboriginal people. These events seem to be incompatible with settlement, a term usually associated with peaceful undertaking.
When was the first white settlement in Australia?
The REAL story behind the white settlement on January 26th, 1788 - as the campaign continues to have the date changed The nation may seem divided over whether Friday is 'Australia Day' or 'Invasion Day' but historians and legal experts say some basic facts should not be ignored.
What is the invasion of Australia?
January 26 1788 is the day Sir Arthur Phillip raised the British flag at Warrane (Sydney Cove) to claim the land as a British Colony. This day marks the beginning of a long and brutal colonisation of people and land.
When did settlers invade Australia?
1788Initial invasion and colonisation (1788 to 1890) The arrival of Lieutenant James Cook, and then Arthur Phillip in 1788, marked the beginning of 'white settlement'. From 1788, Australia was treated by the British as a colony of settlement, not of conquest.
What was Australia called before invasion?
New South WalesAustralia, once known as New South Wales, was originally planned as a penal colony. In October 1786, the British government appointed Arthur Phillip captain of the HMS Sirius, and commissioned him to establish an agricultural work camp there for British convicts.
Was Australia invaded by British?
The reasons that led the British to invade Australia were simple. The prisons in Britain had become unbearably overcrowded, a situation worsened by the refusal of America to take any more convicts after the American War of Independence in 1783.
Was the colonisation of Australia an invasion or a peaceful occupation?
The colonisation of Australia was an invasion from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective.
Who invaded Australia first?
The first known landing in Australia by Europeans was in 1606 by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon. Later that year, Spanish explorer Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through, and navigated, what is now called Torres Strait and associated islands.
How many times has Australia been invaded?
Australia's history is different from that of many other nations in that since the first coming of the Europeans and their dispossession of the Aboriginals, Australia has not experienced a subsequent invasion; no war has since been fought on Australian soil. Yet Australians have fought in ten wars.
What was Australia originally called?
New HollandAfter Dutch navigators charted the northern, western and southern coasts of Australia during the 17th Century this newly found continent became known as 'New Holland'. It was the English explorer Matthew Flinders who made the suggestion of the name we use today.
What was Australia's original name?
Terra AustralisIn 1804, the British navigator Matthew Flinders proposed the names Terra Australis or Australia for the whole continent, reserving "New Holland" for the western part of the continent.
Why was Australia settled by the British?
Australia's mainland was thus settled because of its proximity to Norfolk Island, the island itself too small to be expected to produce enough grain and meat to feed a large population, its anchorage too cramped to produce a large supply of flax, and its coast too rocky and lacking a safe harbour.
Who actually discovered Australia?
James Cook was the first recorded explorer to land on the east coast in 1770. He had with him maps showing the north, west and south coasts based on the earlier Dutch exploration.
Why did Britain choose Australia as a colony?
What made Australia perfect for colonization was that it was an untouched, empty continent that the British could occupy without opposition. Although Dutch navigators had discovered parts of Australia long before Cook arrived, their countrymen made no attempt at settling there.
How many times has Australia been invaded?
Australia's history is different from that of many other nations in that since the first coming of the Europeans and their dispossession of the Aboriginals, Australia has not experienced a subsequent invasion; no war has since been fought on Australian soil. Yet Australians have fought in ten wars.
Who came to Australia in 1788?
THE FIRST FLEET, BOTANY BAY AND THE BRITISH PENAL COLONY Although most were British, there were also African, American and French convicts. After a voyage of three months the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay on 24 January 1788.
Which ethnic group first settled Australia?
Aboriginal Australians could be the oldest population of humans living outside of Africa, where one theory says they migrated from in boats 70,000 years ago. Australia's first people—known as Aboriginal Australians—have lived on the continent for over 50,000 years.
When did the first white settlements start?
Some Australians are debating whether Friday is 'Australia Day' or 'Invasion Day' . The First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove in New South Wales on January 26, 1788.
Where did Aboriginal people meet the fleet?
According to the NSW Migration Heritage Centre, the local Aboriginal people met the fleet in an 'uneasy stand-off' at what is now called Frenchmans Beach at La Perouse. No violence occurred.
What is the significance of Australia Day?
Should we really feel guilty about celebrating Australia Day? The REAL story behind the white settlement on January 26th, 1788 - as the campaign continues to have the date changed 1 Some Australians are debating whether Friday is 'Australia Day' or 'Invasion Day' 2 The First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove in New South Wales on January 26, 1788 3 A small ceremony was held in which a British flag was planted in the new colony 4 No shots were fired and no one - black or white - was injured in those first days 5 Governor Arthur Phillip was under instruction not to harm any Aboriginal people 6 Mabo native title legislation relies on the legal principle Australia was settled
What were Phillip's instructions regarding Aborigines?
Phillip's instructions regarding Aborigines were that he would 'conciliate their affections', to 'live in amity and kindness with them.'
What did the High Court reject in the Terra Nullius case?
In that decision the High Court reject the 'terra nullius' doctrine - that the Australian landmass belonged to no one - without overturning the view the continent had been settled, not invaded.
Why did Pete Buttigieg divorce his wife?
Manhattan spinal surgeon divorces his beauty queen wife because she 'led a secret life as a high-end hooker earning $700,000', court papers claim.
Was there a violent confrontation on Australia Day?
But there was no violent confrontation on that first Australia Day.
What did the erasure from history of the violent colonial encounters mean?
According to Stanner, the erasure from history of the violent colonial encounters –invasion, massacres, ethnic cleansing and resistance – between European settlers and the Indigenous population meant that there was “a cult forgetfulness practised on a national scale”.
Who was the British botanist who accompanied the Endeavour expedition?
The invasion of Aboriginal lands in 1770 – and Aboriginal resistance to it – is well recorded by both James Cook and Joseph Banks, the British botanist who accompanied the Endeavour expedition. In his journals, copies of which have been reproduced on the State Library of NSW website, Banks recorded how Aboriginal warriors attempted to prevent the expedition from landing in Botany Bay.
What did Macquarie order?
Writing in his journal the following day, Macquarie noted that he had “ordered three Separate Military Detachments to march into the Interior and remote parts of the Colony, for the purpose of Punishing the Hostile Natives, by clearing the Country of them entirely …”
Was Australia settled peacefully?
It states: “Australia was not settled peacefully, it was invaded, occupied and colonised. Describing the arrival of the Europeans as a ‘settlement’ attempts to view Australian history from the shores of England rather than the shores of Australia.”.
Is the University of NSW rewriting Australian history?
The paper claimed that the University of NSW is engaging in “a highly controversial rewriting of official Australian history”. A cursory glance at the UNSW diversity kit, however, shows that it accurately reflects the historical facts. It states: “Australia was not settled peacefully, it was invaded, occupied and colonised.
When did Sydney declare invasion?
In 2011 the City of Sydney officially declared the settlement of Australia an invasion. The word was to be included in the Aboriginal statement for the council's 10 year corporate plan. But a poll of more than 2,000 readers of the Daily Telegraph found that less than 15% agreed with the council's decision. More than 85% rejected it. [5]
What happened to the Aboriginal people in Australia?
Remember also that Australia's history is littered with reports of massacres on Aboriginal people, and that there were frontier wars which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Aboriginal people. These events seem to be incompatible with settlement, a term usually associated with peaceful undertaking.
What did the 1990s Australian government do to the curriculum?
Australian governments in the 1990s amended curriculum documents based on their preferred term. Labor described colonisation as a "European invasion" while conservative documents labelled it a "British settlement". [2] The National Museum of Australia and the Australian War Memorial have also fought over which term is appropriate.
Did Queensland schools tell the truth about the way Australia was settled?
But there was also powerful support. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk admitted that "for many years, Australian schools and Australian institutions have not told the truth about the way in which Australia was settled. A lot of Indigenous people lost their lives—there were massacres and the truth always must be told." [8]
Do Australians celebrate the Anzacs?
While most Australians proudly commemorate the history of the Anzacs or Australia's contribution to the World Wars, they are very reluctant to acknowledge the British invasion of Australia. [3]
Was the settlement of the British peaceful?
The settlement of the British was not peaceful, and is increasingly accepted as being a countrywide invasion.
Was Australia settled peacefully?
It goes on to say that "Australia was not settled peacefully, it was invaded, occupied and colonised. Describing the arrival of the Europeans as a 'settlement' attempts to view Australian history from the shores of England rather than the shores of Australia.". [6]
What is the significance of the term invasion?
The key significance of the term “invasion” is that it demonstrates force, a lack of negotiation and Indigenous experience and resistance. Captain Cook’s diaries are complex and dense texts that resist easy summary.
Who was the Torres Strait Islander who fought for the recognition of their rights as the traditional owners of?
However, one of the greatest blows to the idea of terra nullius came from the “Mabo” Native Title decision in 1992 in which Eddie Mabo, a Torres Strait Islander – Australia’s second Indigenous community, who live between Papua New Guinea and mainland Australia and in various diasporic communities across Australia – successfully fought for the recognition of their rights as the traditional owners of their land. One of the things that made Mabo’s case successful was that it was easier to create an analogy between Torres Strait property relations or agricultural practices and those in European and Australian law than on mainland Australia.
What did the University of New South Wales use to describe Captain Cook?
The University of New South Wales recently found itself in a firestorm for reportedly encouraging students to use the terms “invasion”, “occupation” or “colonisation” when discussing Captain Cook, who had hitherto often been described as “discovering” Australia in the 18th century, as part of the history of British “settlement”.
Is the recognition of Indigenous peoples today a causal link?
While not directly causal, there is a link between the language you use, the recognition of Indigenous peoples today and the redistribution of wealth, property and power to those peoples. It is not merely about being “politically correct” nor is it restricted to the past.
Is settlement more appropriate than invasion?
They merely suggest that “settlement” is “less appropriate” than “invasion” or the other suggested words – “colonisation” or “occupation” – all of which imply different historical and political positions and interpretations. Language matters, and emphasising a change of terminology – or, more importantly, emphasising that there is more ...
Was Australia empty?
Contrary to a common reading of terra nullius as “empty” or no-one’s land, Cook and his advisers were eminently aware that “Australia ” was not empty. The key point for them was whether property relations could be established between Indigenous people and the land via evident signs of occupation, architecture and/or agricultural cultivation. They could not or would not see such signs and so deemed the land amenable to possession.
What did the Australians do before the British invasion?
Instead they used fire-stick cultivation, burning back undergrowth to allow new growth; and had begun systems of canals, fishing-traps and winter settlement villages – and all this before the British invasion.
Who was the first person to encounter Aboriginal people?
Captain James Cook first encountered the Aboriginal people of Australia in April 1770 and was immediately struck by their vigorous good health, their cleanliness and their innocent lack of interest in material possessions of any kind. Cook was on a mission, ostensibly to record the transit of Venus, but in actuality as an eighteenth-century English explorer seeking to find and explore new lands and, perhaps more importantly, claim these new territories in the name of King George.
Why was Bennelong seized?
He had been seized in the hope that the British colony in what is now Sydney might communicate with the Aboriginal people, and that both sides could come to a greater understanding about their vastly different cultures. Bennelong was amazingly scarred. Most of these scars were from spears and he also had half a thumb missing, but he also carried the scars of smallpox; another gift from the European settlers who had also taken his lands and now his liberty.
How did the colonists lure the natives?
Using fish as bait, the colonists managed to lure two natives into the shallow waters close to a boat filled with soldiers. Upon taking the bait the natives were immediately seized and shackled, although one managed to escape relatively quickly. The other, Woolawarre Bennelong, would learn English, be taught to dress in thick cloth and leather, with buttons and buckles, and would even visit English spa resorts and London itself, including the House of Commons, before returning to Australia.
What was the end of the Aboriginal way of life?
Colonisation heralded the end of a way of life for the Aboriginal tribesmen; with the death of many of them, the loss of their lands, and the complete destruction of a way of life that had developed over many thousands of years.
Why did Cook force the naked people off their land?
The naked people so admired by Cook for their simple honesty had been forced off their lands simply because Britain needed somewhere to dump her thieves, many of whom had also been ousted from their natural environment due to Britain’s greater industrialisation and the greed of many factory and mine owners.
Why did Cook set out on his ship?
Naturalists, botanists and surveyors set out from England aboard armed ships in order to scientifically record species of new animals, new plants and new societies and the make-up of Cook’s compliment aboard his ship Endeavour fulfilled this criteria admirably .
