History

Australia was uninhabited before stone-culture peoples arrived perhaps by boat across the waters separating the island from the Indonesia archipelago about 40 000 years ago. Portuguese Spanish Dutch and English explorers observed the island before 1770 when Captain Cook explored the east coast and claimed it for Great Britain.

On January 26 1788 (now celebrated as Australia Day) the First Fleet under Capt. Arthur Phillip landed at Sydney and formal proclamation of the establishment of the Colony of New South Wales followed on February 7. Many but by no means all of the first settlers were convicts condemned for offenses that today would often be thought trivial. The mid-19th century saw the beginning of government policies to emancipate convicts and assist the immigration of free persons. The discovery of gold in 1851 led to increased population wealth and trade.

The six colonies that now constitute the states of the Australian Commonwealth were established in the following order: New South Wales 1788; Tasmania 1825; Western Australia 1830; South Australia 1836; Victoria 1851; and Queensland 1859.

Federation, which occurred in 1901, brought the 6 colonies together under a common government.

The first federal Parliament was opened at Melbourne in May 1901 by the Duke of York (later King George V). In May 1927 the seat of government was transferred to Canberra a planned city designed by an American Walter Burley Griffin. The first session of Parliament in that city was opened by another Duke of York (later King George VI). Australia passed the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act on October 9 1942 which officially established Australia's complete autonomy in both internal and external affairs. Its passage formalized a situation that had existed for years. The Australia Act (1986) eliminated the last vestiges of British legal authority.

But what about the Queen? Well, yes, Queen Elizabeth II is still the Queen of Australia, which, according to the Australians, just happens to have another job, being the Queen of Britain. In the 2000 referendum the Aussies decided to keep her. The Queen is represented by the Governor General.