A Brief Timeline of Australia's Genealogy

Australia - a land with relevantly recent European immigration history. It should be pointed out now, that I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and the contributions of Indigenous Australians to the vast history and stewardship of Australia, however this web-site will be primarily focused on European history.

  • 1606 - first recorded European contact (Williem Janszoon)
  • 1688 - first landing by Europeans (William Dampier)
  • 1770 - voyage to chart the east coast (James Cook) and claimed for Britian
  • 1788 - arrival of 11 ships of the first fleet and settlement of ~1500 people - half were convicts
  • 1790s - free settlers start to arrive
  • 1850s - wool industry thrives & gold is discovered causing rushes
  • 1868 - penal transportation ended, by then over 160k convicts sent from Britian
  • 1895 - Banjo Paterson writes Waltzing Matilda
  • 1901 - Commonwealth formed from federation of six states, popln of 93k (Indigenous) and 3.8m (European)
  • 1902 - women given the right to vote at federal level
  • 1907 - Dorothy MacKellar writes "My Country"
  • 1914 - WW1 almost 62k Australians died
  • 1932 - Great Depression saw 32% of Australians unemployed
  • 1939 - WW2 almost 40k Australians died
  • 1956 - Melbourne Olympic Games
  • 1962 - Aboriginal peoples entitled to vote at federal level
  • 1975 - by now more than 2 million immigrants have arrived from continental Europe since 1948
  • 1984 - Advance Australia Fair becomes our National Anthem
  • 2000 - Sydney Olympic Games

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