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Expanded History

History of Australia

From antiquity to the modern era — the historical eras, key events, and narrative that shaped Australia.

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Overview

Australia was uninhabited until stone-culture peoples arrived, perhaps by boat across the waters separating the island from the Indonesia archipelago more than 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 (three American colonists were crew members aboard Cook’s ship, the Endeavour). 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. Settlement had preceded these dates in most cases. Discussions between Australian and British representatives led to adoption by the British Government of an act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia in 1900. 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.

Historical Eras

The major periods of {country}’s history at a glance.

  1. Aboriginal Australia

    40000 BCE – 1770

    For over 40,000 years, Aboriginal peoples inhabited the Australian continent, developing hundreds of distinct languages, rich spiritual traditions, and sophisticated land management practices. Arriving from Southeast Asia in successive migrations, these communities built enduring cultures tied to the land through the concept of the Dreamtime. Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch navigators made contact with the coastline before sustained European engagement began.

  2. Colonial Era

    1770 – 1901

    Captain James Cook claimed the eastern coastline for Great Britain in 1770, and in January 1788 the First Fleet under Captain Arthur Phillip established the Colony of New South Wales at Sydney Cove, initially populated largely by transported convicts. Six separate colonies were founded across the continent through the 19th century, and the gold rush of 1851 dramatically accelerated population growth, wealth, and demands for self-governance. By the 1850s most colonies had achieved responsible government, laying the groundwork for federation.

  3. Federation & Early Commonwealth

    1901 – 1945

    The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed on January 1, 1901, uniting the six colonies under a federal parliament that opened in Melbourne before relocating to the purpose-built capital of Canberra in 1927. Australia fought alongside Britain in both World Wars, suffering enormous losses at Gallipoli in 1915 that forged a distinct national identity. The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act of 1942 formally confirmed Australia's full legislative autonomy from Britain.

  4. Post-War & Migration

    1945 – 1983

    Following World War II, Australia launched an ambitious mass immigration program under the slogan "populate or perish," dramatically reshaping the country's demographics with arrivals from Britain, southern Europe, and later Asia. Economic expansion fueled rapid urbanization and industrialization, while the White Australia Policy was progressively dismantled between the 1950s and its formal abolition in 1973 under Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. This era also saw significant advances in Aboriginal rights, culminating in the 1967 referendum granting the federal government power to legislate for Indigenous Australians.

  5. Modern Australia

    1983 – present

    The Hawke and Keating Labor governments of the 1980s and 1990s floated the Australian dollar, deregulated the economy, and introduced compulsory superannuation, transforming Australia into a globally integrated market economy. The Australia Act of 1986 severed the last formal British legal ties, and a 1999 republican referendum, though defeated, signaled ongoing debate over national identity. Australia entered the 21st century as a prosperous, multicultural nation grappling with Indigenous reconciliation, climate change, and its strategic role in the Asia-Pacific.

Timeline Preview

The first 7 key events. View the full chronology on the timeline page.

  1. 4000 BCE

    The first Aborigines arrive

    The first Aborigines arrive from south-east Asia. By 20,000 BC they have spread throughout the mainland and Tasmania.

  2. 1770

    Lieutenant James Cook charts the easter coastline

    Lieutenant James Cook charts the Easter coastline of the continent aboard the Endeavour and claims the land as a British possession.

  3. 1787

    New South Wales Courts Act

    New South Wales Courts Act established. An Act to keep the convicts on the straight and narrow.

  4. 1788

    Britain establishes the Colony of New South Wales at Sydney Cove

    Britain establishes the Colony of New South Wales at Sydney Cove.

  5. 1801

    Lieutenant John Murray lands at bay he names Port Phillip

    Lieutenant John Murray lands at bay he names Port Phillip.

  6. 1804

    David Collins establishes convict settlement at Hobart on the Derwent River

    David Collins establishes convict settlement at Hobart on the Derwent River in Van Diemen’s Land. William Paterson establishes second settlement in Van Diemen’s Land, named Gworge Town on Tamar River.

  7. 1810

    Governor Lachlan Macquarie takes office, Ellis Bent becomes deputy judge advocate

    Governor Lachlan Macquarie takes office and Ellis Bent becomes the Colony’s third deputy judge advocate.

View full timeline (44 events)
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