PRESENTATION TOPIC “Australia up to 1901” Wayne Muller Griffith University 26 th June 2008

Presentation Structure (1) The Indigenous millennia (separate lecture) (2) The so called European “voyages of discovery” (3) The USA as the catalyst for white settlement/ “invasion” of Australia (4) Australia’s convict origins and heritage (5) White occupance and “the frontier” (6) Gold: “The rush to be rich” (7) The rural experience and the formation of “Australian Values” (8) The colonial experience (9) The 1890s: Towards Federation

The so called European “voyages of discovery” The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the British Specific voyages- Dirk Hartog, William Dampier, Captain James Cook, etc Conflicting opinions of the nature of the great southern land (Terra Australis) and its original inhabitants Increasing competition between the French and the British

The USA as the catalyst for white settlement/ “invasion” of Australia Implications of the American War of Independence The English penal system The First Fleet Beginnings of settlement- Sydney Cove 26 th January 1788

Australia’s convict origins and heritage Debate over the nature of the convicts: Scum of the earth, petty criminals, Irish convicts, gender imbalance, etc Composition of original society: Governor, military and convicts Arrival of free settlers- emergence of a class based society- exclusionists, emancipists and convicts Heritage of ‘anti-authoritarianism”, contempt for police- Ned Kelly as “folk hero” Convict ancestors- family shame-> trendy background

White occupance and “the frontier” Expansion from Sydney town- historical debates The role of the “explorers” Land grants and “squatters” The “pioneer” legend Waves of occupance cf F J Turner’s American “frontier thesis” Pushing the frontier too far- environmental consequences

Gold: “The rush to be rich” Edward Hargraves- The California connection Life on the gold fields The Chinese presence- seeds of racism Winners and losers Enhanced transport “Cobb and Co” Economic consequences of the gold discoveries

The rural experience and the formation of “Australian Values” The significance of the nineteenth century “bush” experience The itinerant bush workers- swagmen, sundowners and shearers- “Waltzing Matilda”- the “Nomad Tribe” The masculinist experience- “mateship” –Egalitarianism –Anti-authoritarianism –Sexism –Male bonding

The colonial experience Convict colonies and “free settlements” Dates of settlement/ proclamation/ convicts * –NSW 1788 * –Tasmania 1803 * –Victoria 1803/ 1850 * –South Australia 1836 –Western Australia 1829 * –Queensland 1824/ 1859 *

The colonial experience (continued) Implications of colonial settlement –Separate economic and social development –The ‘tragedy of the rail systems” –The challenge of Federation –State based social attributes: stereotypes, jokes, sporting rivalry, etc –State and federal government rivalries and conflicts

The 1890s: Towards Federation Drought, flood, plague, bank collapses and economic depression following the boom of the1880s Union action-> strikes- the “great shearers’ strike”- failure- > formation of the Labor Party Factors driving federation: –Need for defence force –Need for immigration policies- fear of foreign workers- coloured and Chinese –Need for customs and excise policies –Management of the Murray River, etc

The 1890s: Towards Federation (continued) Towards Federation: –October 1889 Henry Parkes “Tenterfield Speech” –February first conference re federation –First Federal Convention draft constitution- subsequently rejected by some colonies –1893- Corowa conferences of various business associations etc in favour of federation for economic reasons – various conventions of elected delegates from each of the colonies- general agreement on concept but difficulties seen as enormous

The 1890s: Towards Federation (continued) Sir Samuel Griffith- drafts the new constitution June referendum- failed- NSW main blocker January-February further meetings to amend the constitution including various compromises 1899 second series of referenda in each colony- eventually supported in all colonies July-September approval of the proposed federation by the British Government and Queen Victoria 1 st January Federation of the Commonwealth of Australia established- ceremonies and celebrations