When was the first settlement established in Australia?
A few days after arrival at Botany Bay the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day. The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney.
What year did Australia become a colony?
On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia.
What was the original name of Australia?
Australia, 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.
What is the history of Australia from 1788?
The history of Australia from 1788 to 1850 covers the early colonial period of Australia's history, from the arrival in 1788 of the First Fleet of British ships at Sydney, who established the penal colony, the scientific exploration of the continent and later, the establishment of other Australian colonies.
When was the first English settlement in Australia?
1607In 1607, 104 English men and boys arrived in North America to start a settlement. On May 13 they picked Jamestown, Virginia for their settlement, which was named after their King, James I. The settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America.
What part of Australia was settled first?
The First Fleet of British ships arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788 to establish a penal colony, the first colony on the Australian mainland.
Where were the British colonies located in Australia?
Colonization in Australia began with the First Fleet in 1788. Settlement took place around the Sydney area for the first few years. More convict settlements were founded in Tasmania beginning in 1803. In 1824 the area that became Brisbane was settled as another convict settlement.
Who landed in Australia first?
explorer Willem JanszoonWhile Indigenous Australians have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years, and traded with nearby islanders, the first documented landing on Australia by a European was in 1606. The Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon landed on the western side of Cape York Peninsula and charted about 300 km of coastline.
Who lived in Australia first?
Aboriginal people are known to have occupied mainland Australia for at least 65,000 years. It is widely accepted that this predates the human settlement of Europe and the Americas.
What was Australia called before it was colonized by the British in 1788?
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.
What was Australia called in 1788?
New South WalesAfter the Dutch era Cook first named the land New Wales, but revised it to New South Wales. With the establishment of a settlement at Sydney in 1788, the British solidified its claim to the eastern part of Australia, now officially called New South Wales.
What was Australia called before 1901?
"Combine Australia!" Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901 when 6 British colonies—New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania—united to form the Commonwealth of Australia. This process is known as Federation.
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.
Where did the Aborigines come from?
It is generally held that Australian Aboriginal peoples originally came from Asia via insular Southeast Asia (now Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, and the Philippines) and have been in Australia for at least 45,000–50,000 years.
What was Australia called in 1788?
New South WalesAfter the Dutch era Cook first named the land New Wales, but revised it to New South Wales. With the establishment of a settlement at Sydney in 1788, the British solidified its claim to the eastern part of Australia, now officially called New South Wales.
Who lived in Australia before the British?
aboriginesHISTORICAL BACKGROUND Australian Prehistory: Humans are thought to have arrived in Australia about 30,000 years ago. The original inhabitants, who have descendants to this day, are known as aborigines. In the eighteenth century, the aboriginal population was about 300,000.
Where was the first British settlement?
The first British settlement was meant to be at Botany Bay on the east coast of what was named New South Wales. It had been visited briefly in 1770 by Lt James Cook RN and botanist Joseph Banks RS, who reported to the Board of the Admiralty that it was suitable as a point of settlement
When was Sydney established?
Sydney was the first settlement, in the British colony of New South Wales, on 26th of January 1788.
What did the Maori people do when the British invaded New Zealand?
When the British went to New Zealand, the Maori people saw it as no less than a hostile invasion. They were able to fight the British and maintain their standing in New Zealand. The British then did something unusual for them as colonisers, they signed a treaty between the a Crown and the Maori chiefs. The treaty gave sovereignty to the Crown, but preserved the rights of the Maori people over the land and some sea, unless those rights were sold.
How many states are there in Australia?
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation of six independent and sovereign nation states, who maintain full independence from the CoA in their internal affairs, and are only answerable to the CoA government for the few things ceded to the jurisdiction of the CoA (eg: defense, border control, taxation (since the 1940s), communications etc).
How many colonies did the British have?
The British had seven autonomous colonies within Australasia and all were granted full independence & sovereignty over their own destiny in the mid 19th century. Thus seven nation-states were created, albeit under the oversight of the Privy Council in London, to ensure that none devolved into a dictatorship or a monarchy.
What was the British government's solution to the problem of petty criminals?
Their solution was to increase penalties harshly and implement a “one strike and your out rule”. This policy increased the population of the gaols significantly. Many offenders were sentenced to transportation for 7 or 14 years. Originally they were sent to the colonies in America, but when the Americans refused to accept them after 1776, a new destination had to be found.
How many criminals were in Botany Bay?
A fleet was gathered and in May 1787 the fleet carrying more than 700 convicted criminals plus approximately 400 Marines and administrative personnel departed from England for Botany Bay.
Why was Australia not a colony?
Plus, neither did it boast the soil or climate to produce the natural commodities which Europe demanded. At the end of Cook’s second voyage in 1775 it was therefore apparent that it was not fit to serve as any type of colony. Australia had once again been shunned.
Why was Australia chosen as the new location for its overseas prison?
The usual explanation is that with the American colonies revolting in 1776, Britain had been deprived of its outlet for the criminals that were overfilling its goals, and so Australia was chosen as the new location for its overseas prison. However, this explanation may be overly simplistic. Instead, one must look at the pressures on Britain to maintain its commercial empire and militaristic strength to fully understand decisions for settlement.
How long ago was the Aboriginal culture?
Tracing Aboriginal history via an outback small group tour for mature and senior couples or solo travellers provides an intriguing learning platform about Australia, rock art, trading and culture that traces a history possibly some 120,000 years ago .
Why was the North Atlantic coast more suitable for settlement?
Similarly, European migrants were willing to make the sea journey across the North Atlantic because the voyage was not unduly dangerous or long, nor was it seriously menaced by scurvy or fever.
Where is the Outback South Australia?
Outback South Australia, near Roxby Downs and Olympic Dam mine. The dry arid lands, with lots of red earth and sand-hills, was not appealing to the commercial interests of 17th century Europeans.
Where did the British ship go in the 1780s?
Around the same route and into halfway ports in Australia could come English ships bound for the Pacific coast of north-west America where commerce in sea otter skins was booming in the 1780s. And Botany Bay could also become a base for whaling ships that had begun venturing into the Indian and South Pacific oceans. Finally, it could be a base from which British ships quietly emerged to dabble in smuggling and privateering in the rich Spanish trade that linked the Philippines, Mexico and South America.
Did Europeans know about Australia?
Although it is likely that Europeans knew of Australia since the 16th century, they opted to largely avoid it until as late as the eighteenth century. Since 1516 Portugal had held a colony in Timor, only 300 miles from Australia, and must have occasionally been driven within sight of its coast by annual north-western monsoon winds. And with Australia’s west coast flanked by one of the world’s richest trade routes, between Europe and the East Indies, it had been visited at countless points by Dutch ships, before Abel Tasman and Dutchmen traced nearly two-thirds of Australia’s coastline in the mid-17th century.
What was the colony of New South Wales?
The British colony of New South Wales was established in 1788 as a penal colony . After the American War of Independence, Britain, in a time of social upheaval at the beginnings of massive agricultural, industrial and social change, was faced with overcrowded prisons and prison ships and no suitable destination to transport their convicts Lieutenant James Cook's discovery and annexation for Britain of the east coast of Australia in 1770, now aroused new interest. In particular, Sir Jospeh Banks, the influential Botanist who had accompanied Cook on the voyage, strongly supported "Botany Bay" as a site for a new British settlement and convict colony. For this and for related strategic and commercial reasons, the British government decided, to embark on the new settlement project.
Who were the first judges of the peace in Australia?
Originally, Governor Phillip, Lieutenant-Governor Ross and Judge Advocate David Collins acted as Justices of the Peace. Phillip was later given the right to appoint additional Justices of the Peace. Like their English counterparts, these Justices of the Peace, or magistrates, undertook both judicial and administrative duties.
What did the New South Wales military do?
The officers quickly gained significant land holdings and monopoly control over trade, especially of rum and alcohol imports.
What happened to the New South Wales Corps?
The New South Wales Corps remained in control until 1810 when the British government sent a new Governor (Macquarie) with his own regiment, disbanding the New South Wales Corps.
Who were the early governors of New South Wales?
The Early Governors of New South Wales. Governor Phillip (1788-92) was succeeded as Governor by Governors John Hunter, 1795-1800, Philip Gidley King, 1800-06, and William Bligh, 1806-08 (the famous Captain Bligh of the "Mutiny on the Bounty"). Until 1824, the military governors of New South Wales were absolute rulers, ...
Where did the convicts settle?
Finding the area unsuitable for settlement, they actually settled at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson ( or Sydney Harbour as it is better known) on January 26, the date now celebrated nationally as "Australia Day".
Who supported Botany Bay?
In particular, Sir Jospeh Banks, the influential Botanist who had accompanied Cook on the voyage, strongly supported "Botany Bay" as a site for a new British settlement and convict colony. For this and for related strategic and commercial reasons, the British government decided, to embark on the new settlement project.
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.'
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.
Overview
Colonisation
The decision to establish a colony in Australia was made by Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney. This was taken for two reasons: the ending of transportation of criminals to North America following the American Revolution, as well as the need for a base in the Pacific to counter French expansion. Approximately 50,000 convicts are estimated to have been transported to the …
European exploration
While the actual date of original exploration in Australia is unknown, there is evidence of exploration by William Dampier in 1699, and the First Fleet arrived in 1788, eighteen years after Lt. James Cook surveyed and mapped the entire east coast aboard HM Bark Endeavour in 1770. In October 1795 George Bass and Matthew Flinders, accompanied by William Martin, sailed the boat Tom Thum…
Aboriginal resistance and accommodation
Aboriginal reactions to the arrival of British settlers were varied, but often hostile when the presence of the colonists led to competition over resources, and to the occupation of Aboriginal lands. European diseases decimated Aboriginal populations, and the occupation of land and degradation of food resources sometimes led to starvation. By contrast with New Zealand, no valid treaty wa…
Politics and government
Traditional Aboriginal society had been governed by councils of elders and a corporate decision-making process, but the first European-style governments established after 1788 were autocratic and run by appointed governors—although English law was transplanted into the Australian colonies by virtue of the doctrine of reception, thus notions of the rights and processes established by the Magn…
Economy and trade
The instructions provided to the first five governors of New South Wales show that the initial plans for the colony were limited. The settlement was to be a self-sufficient penal colony based on subsistence agriculture. Trade, shipping and ship building were banned in order to keep the convicts isolated and so as not to interfere with the trade monopoly of the British East India Company. There wa…
Religion, education, and culture
Since time immemorial in Australia, Indigenous people had performed the rites and rituals of the animist religion of the Dreamtime. The permanent presence of Christianity in Australia however, came with the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788. As a British colony, the predominant Christian denomination was the Church of England, but one tenth of all the convicts wh…
Representations in literature and film
• Marcus Clarke's 1874 novel, For the Term of his Natural Life, and the 1983 television adaptation of the novel.
• Eleanor Dark's 1947 Timeless Land trilogy, which spans the colonisation from 1788 to 1811. The 1980s television drama, The Timeless Land, was based on this trilogy.
• D. Manning Richards. Destiny in Sydney: An epic novel of convicts, Aborigines, and Chinese embroiled in the birth of Sydney, Australia. First book in Sydney series. Washin…
• Marcus Clarke's 1874 novel, For the Term of his Natural Life, and the 1983 television adaptation of the novel.
• Eleanor Dark's 1947 Timeless Land trilogy, which spans the colonisation from 1788 to 1811. The 1980s television drama, The Timeless Land, was based on this trilogy.
• D. Manning Richards. Destiny in Sydney: An epic novel of convicts, Aborigines, and Chinese embroiled in the birth of Sydney, Australia. First book in Sydney series. Washington DC: Aries Books, 2012. ISBN 978 …