History of Australia >>> by Mia HUANG

First Nations time・65,000 years ago

mhua14 — 2025-07-29 23:40:29 UTC

Before the British arrived at Australia, the aboriginals ruled the land, having over 250 tribes and they took good care of the land. They had a rich culture, which was shared and told to the young ones through stories and dance. They hunted with spears and boomerangs, they told stories and had many traditions and their own ways of keeping the land healthy and green. They cared about wildlife, always making sure to leave some food for them. They had different seasons which were Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Majuro, Djilba and Kambarang. They often used constellations to make and tell stories.

The First Fleet・1787 to 1788

mhua14 — 2025-07-29 23:45:09 UTC

The First Fleet consisted of 11 ships, 6 of which was transporting convicts from the British. 2 of the ships were naval ships and 3 were store ships. They carried and transported around 1500 people, including crewmates. About half of those people were convicts. The ships were led by Arthur Phillip. They were searching for land that was uninhabited so sent convicts to. They found Australia, which they claimed as ‘Nobody’s Land’. Obviously, they were quite wrong.

Life in the ships・1787 to 1788

mhua14 — 2025-07-30 00:40:47 UTC

Life in the ships were cramped, disgusting and diseased. It was often considered lucky if you even made it to Australia under the harsh conditions. There was a limited amount of food and supplies, a high chance of catching a disease and a extremely cramped ship. Surgeons on the ship struggled to help people with disease, and one of the reasons why is how little medical resources there were.

The trip to Australia・1787 to 1788

mhua14 — 2025-08-04 23:45:12 UTC

The long ride to Australia took about 250 - 252 days. It was a long time to be stuck in a ship with the horrible conditions, but 68 of those days were spent on different countries while the boats were being repaired and food was being gathered. They left Portsmouth May 13th, 1787 and sailed towards Canary Islands and arrived at 3rd of June 1787. Then they travelled to Rio de Janeiro and arrived 4th of August 1787 and they set off on the 4th of September. Their next stop was Cape of Good Hope which they arrived on 13th of October, 1787, and they sailed towards Australia on the 13th of November. They finally ended the journey at Australia on January 1788.

Federation・1901

mhua14 — 2025-08-12 03:25:13 UTC

Australia officially became a federation on the first of January, 1901. Edmund Barton was the first ever prime minister in Australia. This combined the original countries; Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. Some difficulties were the fear of losing their money and power, the different laws, fighting over who would rule the country and disagreement between the countries (now states). They finally agreed because the original country rulers negotiated and compromised with each other, which is why Australia is the way it is today.

Alfred Deakin・1856 to 1919

mhua14 — 2025-08-12 03:25:59 UTC

Alfred Deakin was born on the 3rd of August, 1856 in Fitzroy, Melbourne in Australia. He was the only surviving child in his family. He attended Melbourne Grammar School and liked reading and thinking over homework. He went to the University of Melbourne and studied law. He was elected to be prime minister when he was 47. He was good at public speaking, writing and thinking. He wrote The Age (newspaper), pretending to be someone else. He died when he was 63 from having diseases.

Ten Pound Poms・1945 to 1982

mhua14 — 2025-08-19 03:08:43 UTC

The Ten Pound Pom scheme started in 1945 due to the prime minister worrying that they would die out (because they recently lost a lot of the population due to WWII), and offering Britains to come to Australia (and stay for 2 years) for just 10 pounds. Many people decided to come, but many of those people decided to go back to their homeland. Going back before the 2 years would cost 120 pounds (worth thousands of dollars (in Australia) today). Weirdly enough, a lot of those people who went back decided to come back to Australia again.

Girlhood・19th century

mhua14 — 2025-08-19 03:51:27 UTC

Girls’ parents migrated from other countries. They were often forced to cook and clean, and learn how to sew and mend clothes. They sometimes played imaginative games with their siblings and they often kept collections of things such as shells. Schooling ended at the age of 14, even after school was free (compulsory) for them. They also often attended Sunday School and religious activities. Girls usually stayed home until they were married.

National Sorry/Apology Day・1998・2008

mhua14 — 2025-08-26 03:14:57 UTC

National Sorry Day was established on the 26th of May in 1998, but, National Apology Day however, was on the 13th of February, 2008. The apology happened when Australian prime minister, Kevin Rudd, publicly apologised to Aboriginal Australians, especially the stolen generations. The symbol for national sorry day is a hibiscus flower, native to Australia. Sorry and Apology day are 2 completely different days and events, but people still get confused between the 2.