Australia

Australia was first discovered in 1606 by a Dutchmen named Willem Janszoon, although there are alternate theories proposing that it was actually first sighted by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. Several expeditions by the French, British, and Dutch would follow, but no permanent settlements were founded. In 1770, James Cook of the British Royal Navy mapped the east coast of the continent, landing at Botany Bay on April 29. He claimed the coastline for England and named it New South Wales. This was the first European settlement in Australia. Cook reported back to the English about this new land which created much interest in the continent, especially now that England had lost control of its American colonies. On May 13, 1787 eleven British ships departed England bound for Australia.

New South Wales was transformed into a penal colony because of overcrowding in British prisons. Inmates were shipped there from the British Isles. Tasmania was settled in 1803. In 1829, Britain formally claimed western Australia as a colony. New South Wales was split into three parts, South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland, in 1836, 1851, and 1859, respectively.

Immigrants from China, Europe, and North America flocked to Australia in the early 1850’s after gold was discovered. During this time, Australians became increasingly nationalist. Colonies gained more and more independence from the Crown, but were still controlled by Britain.

In 1901, the colonies became the Commonwealth of Australia, still under the Dominion of the British Empire. The capital of the Commonwealth became Melbourne. Australians took part in both the First- and Second World Wars, fighting alongside troops from the United Kingdom. However, in 1942 after the British were defeated in Asia, Australia severed most ties with the United Kingdom and looked to the United States for protection. After the war, Australia began a program that called for massive immigration from Europe. Not only did this program bring British immigrants, but people from Southern and Eastern Europe. While Europe’s economy was in ruins after the devastating war, the economy of Australia enjoyed huge growth and prosperity. Two million immigrants came to Australia during this time.

Australia sent troops to Korea to help the United States, its new ally, during the Korean War. In the late 1950’s, Australia entered into an agreement with the United Kingdom to test nuclear weapons and rockets in the vast expanse of the Outback. In 1973, Australia abolished its policy of white-only immigration, which has led to increasing diversity and multiculturalism much like in the United States. Some 15 percent of Australians now speak a language other than English at home, including Chinese and Arabic.