Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The Australia Act 1986 made Australia completely independent of the United Kingdom. [86] no change to map: 11 May 1989 Jervis Bay Territory was split from the Australian Capital Territory to become its own territory. [87] 7 July 1997 Elizabeth Reef and Middleton Reef were transferred from New South Wales to the Coral Sea Islands Territory. [88]
The prehistory of Australia is the period between the first human habitation of the Australian continent and the colonisation of Australia in 1788, which marks the start of consistent written documentation of Australia. This period has been variously estimated, with most evidence suggesting that it goes back between 50,000 and 65,000 years.
The Freycinet Map of 1811 is the first map of Australia to be published which shows the full outline of Australia. [1] It was drawn by Louis de Freycinet and was an outcome of the Baudin expedition to Australia. It preceded the publication of Matthew Flinders' map of Australia, Terra Australis or Australia, by three years.
Between 1788 and 1868, approximately 161,700 convicts were transported to the Australian colonies of New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land and Western Australia. [104] The literacy rate of convicts was above average and they brought a range of useful skills to the new colony including building, farming, sailing, fishing and hunting. [ 105 ]
Separate colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. [31] The Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia. [32] South Australia was founded as a "free province"—it was never a penal colony. [33]
The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south-east Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, during the last glacial period. [1] [2] Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world.
The theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia claims that early Portuguese navigators were the first Europeans to sight Australia between 1521 and 1524, well before the arrival of Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1606 on board the Duyfken who is generally considered to be the first European discoverer.
First permanent Australian city. [1] Largest city in Australia, capital of New South Wales. 1788 Parramatta: New South Wales Second-oldest settlement in Australia. [2] Now a part of the Sydney urban area. 1788 Kingston: Norfolk Island: Island settled as part of the Colony of New South Wales. [3] It is now a separate territory of Australia. 1791 ...