Australia

So, what do you know about Australia?  Probably the most common thing people know about Australia is the kangaroo and the fact that it's called "the land down under". Why is it called this, apparently it has to do with geography, because Australia lies in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Not only does Australia have a history, it has a prehistory.  Some people actually migrated to Australia, somewhere between 40,000-45,000 years ago.  This is called prehistory because there is no written documentation on what took place during this time.  The first documented history of Australia didn't begin until 1606, when Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon discovered it.  In 1770, Captain James Cook made a voyage to the South Pacific in order to chart the east coast of Australia and claim it for the British Crown.  So, what did Britain want to do with this land now under their rule?   They wanted to use it for a prison because there was overcrowding in the British prisons.  The first fleet of British ships arrived in Australia on January 26, 1788, ironically, this would also become the date that Australians would celebrate Australia Day.  The transporting of convicts to Australia eventually stopped in 1868. 

The 1850s saw the beginning of the gold rush in Australia.  With the farming, mining and trade opportunities, many people saw Australia as a land of opportunity and started to settle there. 

On January 1, 1901, Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire.  One of the first acts of the new commonwealth was to pass the Immigration Restriction Act, what this did was restrict migration to people of European origin.  However, this law was abolished after world war II.  Australia saw great growth through the early years of the 1900s.  The wars were devastating to Australia, just like every other country.  The periods between the world wars saw instability in the country. 

After the war, Australia entered into a boom period.  The manufacturing industry was growing and lots of new people were arriving.  The 1950s saw a strong economy and in 1956, Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games.  The 1960s brought change to Australia.  The population had already grown more diverse after the world wars, but when you add the decline of the United Kingdom and the Vietnam War, it was obvious that a new mind set was starting to take hold. 

Most countries have their skeletons and for Australia, it is the Aborigines.  The Aborigines actually occupied Australia before the British found it; but just like the Native Americans, they were displaced and mistreated after the British took over.  In 1967 the Australian people voted to allow the government to take action in trying help improve the lives and living conditions of the Aborigines. 

The final ties between Australia and Britain ended in 1986.  This ended any British role in the Australian States and ended any further judicial appeals to the UK Privy Council.  Australia voted to establish a republic, in 1999, but it was rejected.  Today, Australia is one of the most diverse countries in the world.  Over 200 languages are spoken, with English being the most common.