The origin of the Australian history dates back to as early as 70,000 years, when the first humans traveled across the sea from Indonesia. The archeologists designate these first visitors as 'robust', because of their heavy bone structure. Some 20,000 years later, came the 'Gracile' people, who can be referred to as the predecessors of the Australian Aborigines. The aboriginal and the Torres straight islanders inhabited most areas of the Australian continent, before the arrival of the European settlers. They spoke one or more of hundreds of separate languages, with lifestyles and religious and cultural traditions that differed according to the region in which they lived. Adaptable and creative, with simple but highly efficient technology, indigenous Australians had complex social systems and highly developed traditions reflecting deep connection with the land and environment.
It is in the 16th century, that the Europeans started their exploration in this continent. Luis Vaez de Torres, the Spanish explorer, sailed through the straight that separates Australia and Papua New Guinea in the year 1606. The Dutch explorers, who found Tasmania, charted the northern and the western coasts. Among the British explorers, William Dampier was the first one who landed on northwest coast in 1688. But it was not until 1770, that Captain James Cook, his countryman, extended a scientific voyage to the South Pacific in order to chart the east coast of the continent and claimed it for the British Crown.
In order to solve the overcrowding problem in the prisons of Britain, Sir Joseph Banks (who sailed as a naturalist with Captain Cook) suggested Australia as a new penal colony. The first fleet of eleven ships with 750 convicts (and a total number of 1500 people) arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788, under the supervision of Captain Arthur Phillip, who went on to become the first Governor General of the colony. Philip Phillip preferred Sydney Harbor and the date he landed in the Harbor, 26 January, is now commemorated as Australia Day.
There were at least 300000 aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders living in Australia when the early Europeans settled in Australia in the year 1788. These indigenous people were displaced and dispossessed by the European settlers. As a result the traditional land management systems got disrupted and new plants and animals got introduced in the Australian ecosystems.
Though free settlers began to get attracted to Australia over the successive decades, it was wool industry and the gold rush of the mid 19th century, which provided an impetus to it. Scarcity of labor, the vastness of the bush and new wealth based on farming, mining and trade, all contributed to the development of uniquely Australian institutions and sensibilities.
The year 1901 saw the formation of the commonwealth of Australia, through the declaration of constitution for the federation of six states. The founder, with the aspirations to do something new and better, stressed on progressive ideas about human rights, observance of democratic procedures and non-discrimination of race.
However, one of the first acts of the commonwealth parliament was the passing of the immigration restriction act 1901, which made it compulsory that the immigrant would be primarily of European origin. However, this gradually got dismantled and now there is non-discriminating migration policy. The ties with the mentor country Britain, has gradually got slackened too.
The effect of war The First World War had an overwhelming effect on Australia. Almost 4,00,000 males went to fight and thousands of them did not return and many returned wounded. The tradition of courage, reckless valor and fidelity, which prevails in Australia, is known as the 'ANZAC' tradition and is highly treasured. The period between the two World Wars was one of uncertainty and instability. The depression of the 1930s hit the country hard and poverty became widespread. World War II was a difficult, but in some respects empowering, event in Australian history. Australian forces made a significant contribution to the Allied victory in Europe and in Asia and the Pacific.
The post war period The post second world war period was a boom period for Australian economy. The primary industries namely wheat and wool, the mining resources and the nation building projects, everything flourished. This period of 1950s also witnessed the expansion of social security nets, advanced communication and stable political scenario.
During1960s, great changes overcame the Australian society and culture. There were several causes for this. Ethnic diversity followed by post-war immigration, was an important cause. Another major cause was the fall of Britain as a world power, leading to its. gradually declining importance for Australia, in comparison to United States. As a result, Australia followed the USA in the Korean War, and in the Vietnam War, provided them with troops. In order to empower the federal government with the authority to pass legislation on behalf of the indigenous people and to include them in future censuses, the Australian people voted overwhelmingly, in a national referendum held in the year 1976. The result of this referendum was the culmination of a strong and unanimous campaign by the Australians, and was regarded as the final affirmation of the Australian's wish to see its. government take active part in the betterment of the living condition of the aboriginal and Torres Straight islander people. Thus the domination of the national political scene by the coalition of the Liberal and Country parties came to an end in 1972, when the Australian labor party came to power. The following three years saw many changes in Australia's socio-economic policies and many reforms came in the fields of health, education, social security, foreign affairs and industrial relations. However, in 1975, certain constitutional crisis led to the replacement of the then Prime minister Gough Whitlam by the Governor General John Kerr. In the subsequent general election, the labor party got out and out defeated by the liberal-national coalition, who ruled till 1983. In 1983, the labor party again came in power, only to lose office to the Coalition government (led by John Howard) in both the subsequent elections of 1998 and 2001.