The arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in January of 1788 marked the beginning of the European colonisation of Australia. The fleet was made up of 11 ships carrying convicts from Britain to Australia.

The arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 marked a turning point in Australia’s history. Bringing convicts, soldiers, and settlers to Gadigal Country initiated profound changes to the land and its peoples.

Smallpox has been one of humanity’s deadliest diseases, though it has now been eradicated.

The Moreton Bay Penal Settlement was established on the Redcliffe Peninsula on Moreton Bay in September 1824.

The discovery of gold in the 1850s started a series of rushes that transformed the Australian colonies.

On 30 November 1854 miners at Ballarat in Victoria swore allegiance to the Southern Cross flag at Bakery Hill and built a stockade at the nearby Eureka diggings.

On 23 December 1901 The legislation was specifically designed to limit non-British migration to Australia

World War I, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict from 1914 to 1918

The iconic bridge took eight years to build and opened in 1932. It’s made of 53,000 tonnes of steel and six million hand-driven rivets.

In May 1967, after 10 years of campaigning, a referendum to recognise First Nations peoples in the Australian constitution was held.

National Sorry Day, observed annually on May 26 in Australia, commemorates the Stolen Generations and acknowledges the injustices faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In 1849, the British Government authorised the conversion of Western Australia from a free settlement to a penal colony.

I guess many things led me toward a life in politics, perhaps key among them was my mother’s influence. My mum, Linda, disliked injustice and was always prepared to stand-up for right over wrong. That was a great example for me. I grew up in a period where issues like caring for the environment, nurturing our wildlife, and caring for those less fortunate than myself were key drivers which inspired me to help others.