Important Events in History of Australia.
                     Important Events in History 
of Australia
Introduction
→ Long before the an cient civ i li sa tions in the Middle 
East, Europe and the Americas flour ished, and more 
than 50,000 years be fore Eu ro pe an, Asian or Middle 
Eastern navigators recorded visits to the shores of  
“the Great South Land”, Australian Ab or ig i nes oc cu 
pied this continent.
Source: www.insightguides.com
Archaeological Discovery
→ Luminescence dating carried out on archaeological 
evidence found in Kakadu has definitively proven that 
Indigenous Australians have occupied the country for 
at least 65,000 years. 
Source: theculturetrip.com
Willem Janszoon
→ Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon is believed to be the 
first European to land, see and map Australian soil. In 
1606, Janszoon arrived on the West coast of Cape York 
Peninsula in Queensland. 
Source: theculturetrip.com
Arrival of the First Fleet
→ The First Fleet, commandeered by Captain Arthur 
Phillip, sailed into Botany Bay on 18th January 1788. 
→ Deeming the area unsuitable, the contingent then 
travelled north and arrived at Port Jackson on 26th 
January 1788.
Source: theculturetrip.com
Gold Rush
→ The discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 
revolutionised Australia as an influx of migrants 
arrived, and the wealth of the nation increased 
dramatically. 
→ At its peak, two tonnes of gold poured into 
Melbourne’s Treasury Building each week. 
Source: theculturetrip.com
Eureka Stockade
→ The event is often regarded as the birthplace of 
Australian democracy, as it marked a moment of 
revolt against oppression. 
→ The Eureka Flag is still considered as a symbol of 
Australian independence.
Source: theculturetrip.com
Federation of Australia
→ On 1st January 1901, the Constitution of Australia was 
put into effect and united the British colonies of 
Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, 
South Australia and Western Australia as the 
collective states of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Source: theculturetrip.com
Australian Woman Suffrage
→ Before the Federation, only women in South Australia 
and Western Australia had the right to vote, but the 
Women’s suffrage movement led parliament to pass 
the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902, which 
enabled Australian women older than 21 to vote in 
national elections and stand for the Australian 
Parliament.
Source: theculturetrip.com
Gallipoli Landing
→ On 25th April 1915, in the midst of World War I, 
Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Anzac 
Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula. 
→ The Gallipoli campaign lasted eight months with 8,709 
Australian fatalities.
Source: theculturetrip.com
Port Arthur Massacre
→ On the 28th April 1996, a lone gunman killed 35 
people and injured 23 more at the Port Arthur Historic 
Site in Tasmania. 
→ It was the deadliest shooting rampage in Australian 
history, and in response, the government introduced 
tight gun control laws that are among the strictest in 
the world.
Source: theculturetrip.com