Australia and the Larger World Jesse and Lizzie

“Unknown Land” 2 nd century C.E.- Australia is known as terra australis incognita or “the unknown southern land.” Thought to be there to balance the northern hemisphere.

Dutch Exploration Approached Australia from the west First sighted in Jan Carstenzs reports that Australia was the “the most arid and barren region that could be found anywhere on earth.” Dubbed it as “New Holland” after exploring western, northern, and southern coasts through the 17 th Century.

Dutch Exploration No visits to the eastern coast until James Cook in 1770 Very brief landfalls and little to no encounters with the indigenous Aboriginal peoples. Aborigines had distinct forging and fishing societies. Europeans considered them “wretched savages” Early on there was no trade or permanent settlements.

British Colonists After Cook charted the eastern coast, Europeans became interested. Reported back that Botany Bay (near modern Sydney) was suitable for settlement British ship arrives carrying 1,000 settlers. 800 of which were convicts. Creating Australia’s first penal colony. Settlers never outnumbered convicts until the 1830s. By 19 th and 20 th Century Australia aws connected to the larger world.

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