Australian History Resources Australia has been in existence for several centuries, however, the written history of the country does not begin until the early 1600’s. In 1606 a navigator for Portugal named Pedro Fernandes de Queiros was exploring the area south of New Guinea. During this journey de Queiros spotted a large island and from there the first sighting of Australia was documented. After de Queiros made the discovery several other explorers journeyed to the area and plotted the land that is now known as Australia and New Zealand. During this time explorers such as Abel Tasman and James Cook helped to chart Australia and the neighboring islands. Because of the work of James Cook in 1769 in charting Australia, the British government had an interest in settling the new land. On January 26, 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip landed in Sydney’s Cove and established the first colony in Australia. In subsequent years, the British government established other settlements in Australia. Some of these settlements were successful, others not a success. Some of the successful colonies include the establishment of a penal colony and a military base to discourage the French from attempting to settle in Australia. The subsequent years saw British settlements established in various parts of the continent. From that point on the British government ruled Australia. After years of British rule, in 1901, the various states of Australia came together for form an independent nation. Through the Federation of Colonies, on January 1, 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was born. Through the 20th and 21st Centuries, Australia has remained independent, and has had it’s ups and downs. They include a prosperous period, technological adcances, participating in World Wars I and II, and suffering through the Depression of the 30’s. However, Australia has been a continent of various cultures, from the major metropolitan areas of Sydney and Perth, to rolling farm lands to the wilderness of the outback. Australia has had tremendous growth over the past several centuries and provides something for everyone. The history of Australia is fascinating, and here is a collection of resources to learn more about the land down under: · Australian History · Colonization of Australia · Resources on the History of Australia · National Library of Australia · Australia’s Story of Democracy · National Archives of Australia · New Zealand and Australia Discovery · Exploration of Australia · Journals of James Cook · First Landing in Australia · Australia’s Early Exploration and Colonization · Colonization of Australia · Australia Constitution of Independence · Australia Day · History of Australia · Australia History Timeline
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