What was Australia first called when settled?
After Dutch navigators charted the northern, western and southern coasts of Australia during the 17th Century this newly found continent became known as 'New Holland'. It was the English explorer Matthew Flinders who made the suggestion of the name we use today.
What did the British First Call Australia?
New South WalesAustralia, once known as New South Wales, was originally planned as a penal colony. In October 1786, the British government appointed Arthur Phillip captain of the HMS Sirius, and commissioned him to establish an agricultural work camp there for British convicts.
What was the original name of Australia?
New HollandUntil the early 19th century, Australia was best known as “New Holland”, a name first applied by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 (as Nieuw-Holland) and subsequently anglicized. Terra Australia still saw occasional usage, such as in scientific texts.
What was the name of Australia before Colonisation?
New HollandNew Holland (Dutch: Nieuw-Holland) is a historical European name for mainland Australia.
Where was the first settlement in Australia?
SydneyThe first settlement, at Sydney, consisted of about 850 convicts and their Marine guards and officers, led by Governor Arthur Phillip. They arrived at Botany Bay in the "First Fleet" of 9 transport ships accompanied by 2 small warships, in January, 1788.
What is the nickname of Australia?
There are also a number of terms for Australia, such as: Aussie, Oz, Lucky Country, and land of the long weekend. Names for regions include: dead heart, top end, the mallee, and the mulga.
What's another name for Australia?
Colloquial names for Australia include "Oz" and "the Land Down Under" (usually shortened to just "Down Under"). Other epithets include "the Great Southern Land", "the Lucky Country", "the Sunburnt Country", and "the Wide Brown Land".
Why was Australia called Terra Australis?
In about 200AD, Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek mapmaker drew in an fictional land on the bottom of his maps of the world. This imaginary land in the south was referred to as Terra Australis which means the Southern Land in Latin (terra=land + australis=southern).
What was Australia called before 1901?
Before 1900, there was no actual country called Australia, only the six colonies – New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia. While these colonies were on the same continent, they were governed like six rival countries and there was little communication between them.
When was Australia a British colony?
British settlement of Australia began as a penal colony governed by a captain of the Royal Navy. Until the 1850s, when local forces began to be recruited, British regular troops garrisoned the colonies with little local assistance.
What was Australia called before the First Fleet arrived?
From Portsmouth the First Fleet travelled via Tenerife and Rio de Janeiro to the Cape of Good Hope, the fleet's last port of call before striking out for Terra Australis.
Is Australia a colony of Britain?
In turn, Australia is the seventh largest foreign direct investor in Britain. Due to Australia's history as a colony of Britain, the two nations retain significant shared threads of cultural heritage, many of which are common to all English-speaking countries. English is the de facto language of both nations.
What do Aborigines call Australia?
There is no one Aboriginal word that all Aborigines use for Australia; however, today they call Australia, ""Australia"" because that is what it is called today. There are more than 250 aboriginal tribes in Australia. Most of them didn't have a word for ""Australia""; they just named places around them.
How did Australia get its name?
The name Australia (pronounced /əˈstreɪliə/ in Australian English) is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern", and specifically from the hypothetical Terra Australis postulated in pre-modern geography.
Who was in Australia before Aborigines?
The islands were settled by different seafaring Melanesian cultures such as the Torres Strait Islanders over 2500 years ago, and cultural interactions continued via this route with the Aboriginal people of northeast Australia.
Who first discovered Australia?
explorer Willem JanszoonWhile Indigenous Australians have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years, and traded with nearby islanders, the first documented landing on Australia by a European was in 1606. The Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon landed on the western side of Cape York Peninsula and charted about 300 km of coastline.
What was Britain's claim to Australia?
The territory claimed by Britain included all of Australia eastward of the meridian of 135° East and all the islands in the Pacific Ocean between the latitudes of Cape York and the southern tip of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). The western limit of 135° East was set at the meridian dividing New Holland from Terra Australis shown on Emanuel Bowen 's Complete Map of the Southern Continent, published in John Campbell's editions of John Harris' Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca, or Voyages and Travels (1744–1748, and 1764). It was a vast claim which elicited excitement at the time: the Dutch translator of First Fleet officer and author Watkin Tench 's A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay wrote: "a single province which, beyond all doubt, is the largest on the whole surface of the earth. From their definition it covers, in its greatest extent from East to West, virtually a fourth of the whole circumference of the Globe." Spanish naval commander Alessandro Malaspina, who visited Sydney in March–April 1793 reported to his government that: "The transportation of the convicts constituted the means and not the object of the enterprise. The extension of dominion, mercantile speculations and the discovery of mines were the real object." Frenchman François Péron, of the Baudin expedition visited Sydney in 1802 and reported to the French Government: "How can it be conceived that such a monstrous invasion was accomplished, with no complaint in Europe to protest against it? How can it be conceived that Spain, who had previously raised so many objections opposing the occupation of the Malouines ( Falkland Islands ), meekly allowed a formidable empire to arise to facing her richest possessions, an empire which must either invade or liberate them?"
Where did the British settle?
Seventeen years after Cook's landfall on the east coast of Australia, the British government decided to establish a colony at Botany Bay. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) saw Britain lose most of its North American colonies and consider establishing replacement territories. In 1779 Sir Joseph Banks, the eminent scientist who had accompanied James Cook on his 1770 voyage, recommended Botany Bay as a suitable site for settlement, saying that "it was not to be doubted that a Tract of Land such as New Holland, which was larger than the whole of Europe, would furnish Matter of advantageous Return". Under Banks' guidance, the American Loyalist James Matra, who had also travelled with Cook, produced "A Proposal for Establishing a Settlement in New South Wales" (23 August 1783), proposing the establishment of a colony composed of American Loyalists, Chinese and South Sea Islanders (but not convicts).
What was the largest city in Australia in 1950?
After World War II and by the 1950s, Australia had a population of 10 million, and the most populous urban centre was its oldest city, Sydney. It has retained its status as Australia's largest city ever since.
What was the role of the Commonwealth in the Aboriginal community?
Following federation Aboriginal affairs was a state responsibility, although the Commonwealth became responsible for the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory from 1911 . By that date the Commonwealth and all states except Tasmania had passed legislation establishing Protectors of Aborigines and Protection Boards with extensive powers to regulate the lives of Aboriginal Australians including their ownership of property, place of residence, employment, sexual relationships and custody of their children. Reserves were established, ostensibly for the protection of the Aboriginal population who had been dispossessed of their land. Church groups also ran missions throughout Australia providing shelter, food, religious instruction and elementary schooling for Indigenous people.
How many convicts were transported to Australia?
Between 1788 and 1868, approximately 161,700 convicts (of whom 25,000 were women) were transported to the Australian colonies of New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land and Western Australia. Historian Lloyd Robson has estimated that perhaps two-thirds were thieves from working class towns, particularly from the Midlands and north of England. The majority were repeat offenders. Whether transportation managed to achieve its goal of reforming or not, some convicts were able to leave the prison system in Australia; after 1801 they could gain "tickets of leave" for good behaviour and be assigned to work for free men for wages. A few went on to have successful lives as emancipists, having been pardoned at the end of their sentence. Female convicts had fewer opportunities.
What was the boundary of Australia?
The western boundary of 135° East of Greenwich was based on the Complete Map of the Southern Continent, published in Emanuel Bowen 's Complete System of Geography (London 1747), and reproduced in John Campbell's editions of John Harris' Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca, or Voyages and Travels (1744–48, and 1764). Bowen's map was based on one by Melchisédech Thévenot and published in Relations des Divers Voyages (1663), which apparently divided New Holland in the west from Terra Australis in the east by a latitude staff situated at 135° East. This division, reproduced in Bowen's map, provided a convenient western boundary for the British claim because, as Watkin Tench subsequently commented in A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay, "By this partition, it may be fairly presumed, that every source of future litigation between the Dutch and us, will be for ever cut off, as the discoveries of English navigators only are comprized in this territory". Thévenot said he copied his map from the one engraved in the floor of the Amsterdam Town Hall, but in that map there was no dividing line between New Holland and Terra Australis. Thévenot's map was actually copied from Joan Blaeu 's map, Archipelagus Orientalis sive Asiaticus, published in 1659 in the Kurfürsten Atlas (Atlas of the Great Elector); this map was a part of Blaeu's world map of 1648, Nova et Accuratissima Terrarum Orbis Tabula, which first showed the land revealed by Abel Tasman 's 1642 voyage as Hollandia Nova and which served as the basis for the Amsterdam Town Hall pavement map. Longitude 135° East reflected the line of division between the claims of Spain and Portugal established in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which had formed the basis of many subsequent claims to colonial territory. An Historical Narrative of the Discovery of New Holland and New South Wales, published in November 1786, contained "A General Chart of New Holland, including New South Wales & Botany Bay, with The Adjacent Countries, and New Discovered Islands", which showed all the territory claimed under the jurisdiction of the Governor of New South Wales.
How many people settled in New South Wales?
It consisted of over a thousand settlers, including 778 convicts (192 women and 586 men). A few days after arrival at Botany Bay the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day. The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney. Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and a safe harbour, which Philip described as being, 'with out exception the finest Harbour in the World [...] Here a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security'.
Why did Arthur Phillip take three boats to search for a colony?
He took a small party of three boats north the next day to discover a much more suitable, sheltered site for a colony with fertile soil and fresh water.
When was Ross sent back to Australia?
Ross was sent back to Sydney in 1791 and was promptly deported back to Britain after being relieved of his command. Even after Ross left though, Norfolk Island was still used primarily as a prison island for the worst of the worst from the Australian mainland.
Why did free men and women migrate to Britain?
With Botany Bay and Port Jackson growing every year, free men and women began to migrate from Britain to seek their fortune and to take advantage of the cheap labour the penal colonies offered . If a convict behaved, adhered to the rules and served their time, they were free to go.
What did Philip hope for the convicts?
Although the cramped conditions that awaited them below deck could hardly be considered comfortable, Philip had hoped that each convict was at least being given the best chance of surviving the journey that their ‘pardon’ afforded them: the sorry state that they were marched from the jail in suggested otherwise.
What happens if a victim pursues a gang member through court?
As if that wasn’t incentive enough to simply take it on the proverbial chin, if the victim pursued the criminal through court, they could face retaliation from members of the gang they belonged to. Unsurprisingly, a high number of crimes simply went unreported.
Where did the last ship land?
The last of the fleet landed at its final destination in Botany Bay relatively intact, on 20 January 1788. None of the ships had been lost on the journey and only 48 of the would-be colonists had died, a remarkably low statistic for the time.
Who was Phillip's prickly major?
One particular thorn in Phillip’s side was the prickly Major Robert Ross. The Scottish marine had a reputation for having a hair-trigger temper, but it wasn’t until Phillip was trying to set up the colony that he discovered just how insubordinate he could be.
What was the colony of New South Wales?
The British colony of New South Wales was established in 1788 as a penal colony . After the American War of Independence, Britain, in a time of social upheaval at the beginnings of massive agricultural, industrial and social change, was faced with overcrowded prisons and prison ships and no suitable destination to transport their convicts Lieutenant James Cook's discovery and annexation for Britain of the east coast of Australia in 1770, now aroused new interest. In particular, Sir Jospeh Banks, the influential Botanist who had accompanied Cook on the voyage, strongly supported "Botany Bay" as a site for a new British settlement and convict colony. For this and for related strategic and commercial reasons, the British government decided, to embark on the new settlement project.
Where did the convicts settle?
Finding the area unsuitable for settlement, they actually settled at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson ( or Sydney Harbour as it is better known) on January 26, the date now celebrated nationally as "Australia Day".
What did the New South Wales military do?
The officers quickly gained significant land holdings and monopoly control over trade, especially of rum and alcohol imports.
What happened to the New South Wales Corps?
The New South Wales Corps remained in control until 1810 when the British government sent a new Governor (Macquarie) with his own regiment, disbanding the New South Wales Corps.
What was the role of the governors in the New South Wales government?
In New South Wales, the governors had the responsibility of putting into effect the Statute and Common law of England.
Who were the early governors of New South Wales?
The Early Governors of New South Wales. Governor Phillip (1788-92) was succeeded as Governor by Governors John Hunter, 1795-1800, Philip Gidley King, 1800-06, and William Bligh, 1806-08 (the famous Captain Bligh of the "Mutiny on the Bounty"). Until 1824, the military governors of New South Wales were absolute rulers, ...
Who supported Botany Bay?
In particular, Sir Jospeh Banks, the influential Botanist who had accompanied Cook on the voyage, strongly supported "Botany Bay" as a site for a new British settlement and convict colony. For this and for related strategic and commercial reasons, the British government decided, to embark on the new settlement project.
Why was Australia made into a penal colony in the first place?
The run-up to Australia's time as a penal colony is a pretty interesting era, and it wasn't just a matter of the British seeing the massive island and thinking, "Hey, we know what we can do with that!" They were actually in the middle of a major crisis.
When was Australia a prison colony?
The Messed Up History Of Australian Penal Colonies. Australia has a strange and fascinating history, particularly the part that begins in the late 1700s. In 1788, to be precise, the British founded New South Wales ... and they founded it as a prison colony.
How many convicts were transported to Australia?
According to the Sydney Living Museums, the largest of the prison ships used to transport convicts was around 210 feet long and could hold up to 300 convicts, in addition to the regular crew and supplies. If that sounds terrible, it was. Around 6,000 people were shipped off to Australia between 1776 and 1795, and of those, around 2,000 never made it.
How many Australians can trace their roots back to a convict marooned there by the British?
The effects have been long-lasting, and according to the BBC, about 20 percent of today's Australians can trace their roots back to a convict marooned there by the British. That includes their former prime minister, Kevin Rudd.
What was the petty crime in Sydney?
In turn, that led to a lot of people turning to a life of crime to support their families, and according to the Sydney Living Museums, a lot of that crime was pretty petty. It was stuff like stealing livestock and filching apples, and this petty crime was so widespread that prisons filled up.
Why did British citizens need to mind their Ps and Qs?
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, British citizens needed to mind their Ps and Qs because there were a lot of reasons they could be sentenced to transportation to Australia. The State Library of Queensland has made a lot of the convict records public, and they're fascinating — if heartbreaking — reading.
Why was there no room in the British jails?
There was simply no room in British jails, and according to History, there was another thing at work: elitism. It was 18th-century , upper-class wisdom that criminals were irredeemable, so there was no sense in keeping them around in the hopes that they would become productive members of society.
Overview
Colonisation
Although various proposals for the colonisation of Australia were made prior to 1788, none were attempted. In 1717, Jean-Pierre Purry sent a plan to the Dutch East India Company for the colonisation of an area in modern South Australia. The company rejected the plan with the comment that, "There is no prospect of use or benefit to the Company in it, but rather very certain and heavy costs".
Indigenous prehistory
Humans are believed to have arrived in Australia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago. As hunter-gatherers, they established enduring spiritual and artistic traditions and used a range of implements adapted to their environments. Recent estimates of the population at the time of British settlement range from 500,000 to one million.
Early European exploration
Although a theory of Portuguese discovery in the 1520s exists, it lacks definitive evidence. The Dutch East India Company ship, Duyfken, captained by Willem Janszoon, made the first documented European landing in Australia in 1606. That same year, a Spanish expedition sailing in nearby waters and led by Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós had landed in the New Hebri…
From autonomy to federation
Imperial legislation in 1823 had provided for a Legislative Council nominated by the governor of New South Wales, and a new Supreme Court, providing additional limits to the power of governors. A number of prominent colonial figures, including William Wentworth. campaigned for a greater degree of self-government, although there were divisions about the extent to which a future l…
Federation
The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun on 1 January 1901, and Barton was sworn in as Australia's first prime minister. The first Federal elections were held in March 1901 and resulted in a narrow plurality for the Protectionist Party over the Free Trade Party with the Australian Labor Party (ALP) polling third. Labor declared it would support the …
First World War
When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, the declaration automatically involved all of Britain's colonies and dominions. The outbreak of war came in the middle of the 1914 federal election campaign during which Labor leader Andrew Fisher promised to defend Britain "to the last man and the last shilling." Both major parties offered Britain 20,000 Australian …
When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, the declaration automatically involved all of Britain's colonies and dominions. The outbreak of war came in the middle of the 1914 federal election campaign during which Labor leader Andrew Fisher promised to defend Britain "to the last man and the last shilling." Both major parties offered Britain 20,000 Australian …
Inter-war years
After the war, Prime Minister Billy Hughes led a new conservative force, the Nationalist Party, formed from the old Liberal party and breakaway elements of Labor (of which he was the most prominent), after the deep and bitter split over Conscription. An estimated 12,000 Australians died as a result of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1919, almost certainly brought home by returning soldiers.