# History & Heritage of Australia **Parent:** [Australia.md](../Australia.md) **Authoritative source:** [National Museum of Australia](https://www.nma.gov.au) · [Australian Heritage Database](https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/places) --- ## Timeline ### Pre-colonial (≥65,000 BCE – 1606 CE) - Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples have inhabited the continent for at least **65,000 years** — among the longest continuous cultural histories on Earth. - An estimated **250+ language groups** existed across the continent. - Complex societies with sophisticated land management (fire-stick farming), trade networks, and ceremonial law. ### European Contact (1606–1788) - **1606:** Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon makes first recorded European contact with Australia (Cape York Peninsula). - **1770:** Lieutenant James Cook charts the eastern coastline and claims it for Great Britain (*Possession Island*, QLD). - **1788:** First Fleet arrives at Sydney Cove on 26 January — 11 ships carrying ~1,400 people (convicts, marines, officials). This date is now celebrated/contested as **Australia Day / Invasion Day**. ### Colonial Period (1788–1901) - Six separate British colonies established: NSW (1788), TAS (1825), WA (1829), SA (1836), VIC (1851), QLD (1859). - **Gold Rushes (1851–1860s):** Major population surge, particularly in Victoria and NSW. - **1854 — Eureka Stockade:** Miners' revolt on the Ballarat goldfields; milestone in Australian democratic development. - **1890s — Federation movement:** Push to unite the colonies into one nation. ### Federation & Early Commonwealth (1901–1945) - **1 January 1901:** Commonwealth of Australia proclaimed. Edmund Barton becomes first Prime Minister. - **1902:** Women granted the right to vote and stand for federal parliament (among the first nations globally). - **1914–1918 — World War I:** ~330,000 Australians served. **Gallipoli campaign (1915)** is a defining moment — ANZAC Day commemorated 25 April. - **1927:** Federal capital moves from Melbourne to Canberra. - **1939–1945 — World War II:** Australia fights in multiple theatres; Japanese forces bomb Darwin (1942) and reach the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. ### Post-War & Modern Era (1945–present) - **1945–1970:** Mass immigration ("populate or perish") — over 2 million migrants from Europe. - **1967 Referendum:** Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples counted in the Census and Commonwealth able to make laws for them — passes with 90.77% Yes. - **1972:** Whitlam Labor government elected; significant social reform era. - **1975 — Constitutional Crisis:** Governor-General John Kerr dismisses Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. - **1992 — Mabo Decision:** High Court recognises Native Title; overturns terra nullius doctrine. - **2000 — Sydney Olympics:** Australia hosts the Summer Olympic Games. - **2008 — National Apology:** Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologises to the Stolen Generations. - **2023 — Voice Referendum:** Referendum to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament — No vote wins. --- ## Heritage Register Australia's national heritage places are listed in the **Australian Heritage Database**, administered by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. - **National Heritage List:** Places of outstanding national significance - **Commonwealth Heritage List:** Places with heritage values owned or controlled by the Commonwealth - **World Heritage List (Australian nominations):** 20 properties inscribed **Search the register:** [heritage.gov.au](https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/places) --- ## ANZAC Day - **Date:** 25 April (public holiday) - **Commemorates:** Landing at Gallipoli, 25 April 1915 - **National authority:** [Australian War Memorial](https://www.awm.gov.au) --- ## Authoritative Sources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | National Museum of Australia | | | Australian War Memorial | | | Australian Heritage Database (DCCEEW) | | | National Archives of Australia | | | Australian Dictionary of Biography | |