European Exploration and Colonization Of Australia
Exploration of Australian Coastline
Discovery Captain James Cook 1770 Claimed Australia for England Named the area New South Wales
Colonization From 1788 to 1868 convicts were sent from British debtors prisons to create a penal colony in New South Wales 20% of the first convicts were women 150,000 convicts in total sent to colony Good strategic location for the Royal Navy Easy access to the Far East for English merchants
Colonization Around 1793 free settlers began to arrive Hopes of finding wealth and land
Convict Labor
Gold Rush Late 1850s Europeans believed that large amounts of gold existed in Australia Brought many Europeans and Asians to Australia Population of the colony doubled
German prospector with a mass of nearly all solid gold, from in 1872, weighed 630lb & valued at 12,000 pounds
Europeans Impact Reduction in Aboriginal population About one half of the Aborigines died from diseases such as smallpox Many killed fighting the British settlers
Europeans Impact Introduction of cattle and sheep changed the landscape Fences built, trees cut down, and crops planted
Religion Christianity introduced by prisoners Irish prisoners brought Roman Catholic Other prisoners and guards brought the Anglican and Methodist religions Most Australians are Christians and belong to the Catholic or Anglican Church
Language Official language – English Brought by English prisoners and settlers Government limited number of immigrants to maintain language Today more than ½ population came from non-English speaking countries