Lesson 5 Australia

I Background 1st inhabitants /natives were the aborigine(original people) Believed to have come to Australia some time between 40,000 and 100,000 years ago. Came from Indonesia and Asia Believed that the land was a sacred gift from the spirits and could not be owned

II Discovery Europeans went in search of the legendary southern continent known as the “terra australis incognito” hoping there was wealth 1606- the Dutch landed on the west coast of Australia and were unimpressed with the flat, dry land. They did not stay or colonize 1768-England sent James Cook to explore Australia 1770-Cook landed on the east coast and claimed it for England (called New South Wales)

E. Joseph Banks –a scientist, sketched and labeled 1600 new species of plants that were previously unknown. He and Cook saw land that was rich and fertile (believed it was worth colonizing)

III. Settlement by England England’s jails were overcrowded so, the government decided to send convicts to begin colonization in Australia In 1788, 736 convicts and 200 soldiers were sent to new South Wales to begin the colony (build buildings, farm , etc) Oldest convict was 82 and the youngest was 9 The convicts were sentenced to work in the colony for at least 7 years

D. Start was difficult. Soldiers and Convicts had to work side by side to survive drought and ruined crops. E. 1790’s colony began to succeed and English citizens began to move there for a new start in life F. Convicts became the labor force and many stayed in the colony even after their sentence was up G. Women were a huge part of the success of New South Wales. They toughed it out with their husbands and helped the colony to grow. H. Elizabeth Veale and her husband established wool production as a major industry in Australia

IV. Government-Growth and Conflict A. As the colony grew, conflict with the aborigines increased 1. Aborigines did not like what was happening with their land or the fact they were pushed into small parts of it 2. Their weapons were simple and they couldn’t defend against the English. Wars would erupt and the guns and disease almost wiped out aborigines 3. Conflict even today over land ownership

B. Conflict also developed between the settlers and the emancipees 1 B. Conflict also developed between the settlers and the emancipees 1. English citizens were not willing early on to give rights and freedoms to the freed conflicts (called emancipees) 2. Through the work of several governors emancipees were slowly given rights C. 1822-British law allowed New South Wales to create its own legislatures to make laws D. 1842-Free settlers were allowed to vote for legislature members

E. 1855-England had difficulty ruling Australia from afar, they passed an act allowing Australia to create own constitutions and legislatures F. 1894 –Women in South Australia got the right to vote (before the women in US) G. 1-1-1901-commonwealth of Australia was created. United all provinces under one central government. Free to govern themselves but British monarch was leader