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Aboriginal Australia
The culture of Australia's indigenous Aborigines is the oldest living culture in the world and has a continuous history spanning 50,000 years. Each of the aboriginal tribes had their own dialects, customs and lifestyles that were untouched for centuries.European Australia
The first recorded European visitor in Australian history was the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon in 1606. He and others chartered the coastline of ‘New Holland’ (as it was then known) over the decades but in 1770 Englishman, Captain James Cook claimed the eastern half of Australia for the British Crown.
British history of Australia
Britain decided to use its new outpost as a penal colony and the first fleet of 11 ships carried about 1500 people - half of them convicts. The fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1788, and it is on this day every year that Australia Day is celebrated.
Over the next 80 years around 160,000 men and women were brought to Australia as convicts. Free immigrants joined the convicts from the early 1790s and were tempted by work in the wool industry or hoped to find their fortune during the gold rushes.
As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five, largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed.
Culture and society of Australia
Following the Second World War millions of immigrants arrived in Australia, mainly from Britain and Ireland but also from Greece, Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia and Holland, along with refugees from Spain, Portugal, Poland and Russia. Australia believed that they had narrowly avoided Japanese invasion and needed ‘populate or perish’ so immigrants were actively sourced and many assisted to find work.As a result of this modern Australia is one of the most multicultural societies in the world where over 200 languages are spoken, there are diverse religious and cultural activities and variety in foods, restaurants, fashion and architecture.
Each of the capital cities is a reflection of the multi-cultural mix, ancestry, landscape and climate. The vibrant Asian and Aboriginal influences characterize tropical Darwin, and you’ll see convict-built buildings in Hobart. Melbourne is home to a rich fashion, food and sports culture and Sydney is cutting edge. You’ll find Brisbane is laidback, Adelaide is elegant and Perth is a scenic city where there is an abundance of water sports.
Religion
While there is no official religion in Australia, around 64% identify as Christian, 30% do not identify with any religion, and the remaining are Islamic, Buddhist, and others.
Australia’s indigenous people believe in the ‘Dreamtime’ and that the world, its people, and some plants and animals were created by supernatural deities at the beginning of time. Very religious and spiritual, the Aboriginies believe in a number of deities whose form can be depicted in the form of a landscape eg an image in a rock art shelter, or in a plant or animal form.
Geography
The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.
Democracy. Symbolic executive power is vested in the British monarch, who is represented throughout Australia by the governor-general.
History
The first inhabitants of Australia were the Aborigines, who migrated there at least 40,000 years ago from Southeast Asia. There may have been between a half million to a full million Aborigines at the time of European settlement; today about 350,000 live in Australia.
Free settlers and former prisoners established six colonies: New South Wales (1786), Tasmania (then Van Diemen's Land) (1825), Western Australia (1829), South Australia (1834), Victoria (1851), and Queensland (1859). Various gold rushes attracted settlers, as did the mining of other minerals. Sheep farming and grain soon grew into important economic enterprises. The six colonies became states and in 1901 federated into the Commonwealth of Australia with a constitution that incorporated British parliamentary and U.S. federal traditions. Australia became known for its liberal legislation: free compulsory education, protected trade unionism with industrial conciliation and arbitration, the secret ballot, women's suffrage, maternity allowances, and sickness and old-age pensions.From the World Wars to the End of the Millennium
Australia fought alongside Britain in World War I, notably with the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) in the Dardanelles campaign (1915). Participation in World War II helped Australia forge closer ties to the United States. Parliamentary power in the second half of the 20th century shifted between three political parties: the Australian Labour Party, the Liberal Party, and the National Party. Australia relaxed its discriminatory immigration laws in the 1960s and 1970s, which favored Northern Europeans. Thereafter, about 40% of its immigrants came from Asia, diversifying a population that was predominantly of English and Irish heritage. An Aboriginal movement that grew in the 1960s gained full citizenship and improved education for the country's poorest socioeconomic group.
In March 1996, the opposition Liberal Party–National Party coalition easily won the national elections, removing the Labour Party after 13 years in power. Pressure from the new, conservative One Nation Party threatened to reduce the gains made by Aborigines and to limit immigration.
In Sept. 1999, Australia led the international peacekeeping force sent to restore order in East Timor after pro-Indonesian militias began massacring civilians to thwart East Timor's referendum on independence.
Changes in Immigration Policy
John Howard won a third term in Nov. 2001, primarily as the result of his tough policy against illegal immigration. This policy has also brought him considerable criticism: refugees attempting to enter Australia—most of them from Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq and numbering about 5,000 annually—have been imprisoned in bleak detention camps and subjected to a lengthy immigration process. Asylum-seekers have staged riots and hunger strikes. Howard has also dealt with refugees through the “Pacific solution,” which reroutes boat people from Australian shores to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. In 2004, however, the government began easing its policies on immigration.Australia on the International Stage as Peacekeeper
Prime Minister Howard sent 2,000 Australian troops to fight alongside American and British troops in the 2003 Iraq war, despite strong opposition among Australians.
In July 2003, Australia successfully restored order to the Solomon Islands, which had descended into lawlessness during a brutal civil war.
Australian citizens have been the victims of two significant terrorist attacks in recent years: the 2002 Bali, Indonesia, bombings by a group with ties to al-Qaeda in which 202 died, many of whom were Australian, and the 2004 attack on the Australian embassy in Indonesia, which killed ten.
In Oct. 2004, Howard won a fourth term as prime minister. When rival security forces in East Timor began fighting each other in 2006, Australia sent 3,000 peacekeeping troops to stem the violence. Howard was defeated by the Labor Party's Kevin Rudd in elections in Nov. 2007. Rudd campaigned on a platform for change, and promised to
The worst wildfires in Australian history killed at least 181 people in the state of Victoria, injured more than a hundred, and destroyed more than 900 houses in Feb. 2009. At least one of the fires was determined to be the work of arsonists. Australian officials were criticized for failing to evacuate those in danger. A government inquiry was requested to research the state's response to the fires.
Australia Elects Its First Female Prime Minister
Rudd's popularity plummeted in May 2010, largely because he shelved his environmental policy that centered on an emissions-trading system. In June, the Labor Party ousted him as its leader and elected his deputy, Julia Gillard. She became Australia's first female prime minister in June and promptly called for elections, which were held in August. They resulted in a hung parliament, with neither the incumbent Labor Party nor the conservative Liberal-National coalition, led by Tony Abbott, taking a majority of seats. It is the country's first hung parliament in 70 years. After several weeks of attempting to woo members of parliament to her side, Gillard succeeded in early September,
Worst Flooding in Decades
In Jan. 2011, the worst flooding for decades in Queensland cut off many cities and towns. The floods left more than 30 people dead and caused billions of dollars in damage to mines, farms, and cities. Coal mining operations in the Australian state were severely hampered. The flood affected about 200,000 people and covered an area larger than France and Germany combined. Prime Minister Gillard started off the New Year by visiting the ravaged state. In April, Queensland urban areas were plagued with extremely large numbers of flying beetles, a likely result of the floods.
U.S. Establishes Military Presen
Nov. 2011 saw Barack Obama in Canberra where he announced a new American military presence near the port city of Darwin, "Australia's Pearl Harbor." Marines will be gradually deployed over the coming years, to a total strength of 2,500. Mr. Obama's speech established his commitment to "a larger and long-term role" in shaping the region, which will include providing humanitarian relief and responding to security issues in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea.
Wildfires and Record High Temperatures Strike in Early 2013
In January 2013, summer for Australia, wildfires spread throughout the southeastern part of the country. National parks were evacuated as temperatures reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit. The extremely high temperatures mixed with dry and windy conditions combined to raise the threat level to catastrophic, the most severe rating.
Since September 2012, Australia has experienced record-breaking heat. Four months later, the country was having its hottest summer on record. So far there were no confirmed deaths due to the wildfires, but 100 people were missing
Culture and Customs of Australia
With a strong history of immigration, modern Australia is made up of people from many different cultural backgrounds. This mix makes Australia an endlessly fascinating place to visit as travellers will be exposed to a variety of different customs and cultures during their stay. From the ancient, spiritual ways of the indigenous population to the wide array of faiths, foods and festivals on display in the big cities, Australia is a cultural melting pot.
Despite the differences, there are many things that unify the people of Australia. Sports, in particular cricket, soccer and football (Australian Rules) are played and watched by the masses, irrespective of age, race, gender or income. Large sporting events like the AFL Grand Final, Melbourne Cup Day and the Boxing Day Cricket Test have universal appeal for Australians.
Australians relish public holidays, with national and state holidays offering locals time to relax with friends and family over a barbecue or picnic. Making use of Australia’s natural environment is also paramount during this time, with outdoor activities like bushwalking, swimming at the beach or lazing in the park popular with locals.
Geography and Environment of Australia
The continent of Australia is known for being one of the flattest, hottest and driest places on earth; but despite this there are an astounding variety of terrains and environments on this island nation. While large areas of Australia are covered in desert, there are also tropical rainforests, alpine snowfields, dense bushland, beaches, gorges, lakes and rivers to be found. Australia’s national parks are home to many species of birds and mammals not found in the wild anywhere else in the world including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and wombats. Boasting many stunning white sand beaches, Australia has a coastline like none other. From busy Bondi to surfing icons like Bell’s Beach and Tasmania’s stunning Wineglass Bay, there are endless places to swim, surf, snorkel and paddle.
Despite Australia’s large landmass, most people tend to live in urban, coastal cities. Faster-paced cities like Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne hold much of the population, as do regional satellite cities such as Albury, Dubbo, Bunbury, Townsville, Newcastle and Geelong.
Outback towns have a unique flavour and a distinct way-of-life; things are slower here and due to smaller populations, space is plentiful with most locals relying on agriculture for a living. Venturing away from the city to visit
History and Government of Australia
Early History
The land now known as Australia was inhabited by an indigenous population for thousands of years before white settlement and colonisation. Aboriginal tribes lived an independent lifestyle with the land providing all that was needed for survival; hunting, fishing and the gathering of berries and other edible plants provided sustenance for people. Tribes were largely nomadic – this allowed them to move around to find game and water and enable the land to regenerate in their absence. Tribal groups had different customs, rituals, music and language dialects, although the concept of ‘Dreamtime’ is a comm
Rock paintings, middens (shell heaps) and other archaeological sites give us clues to ancient dreamtime stories, daily life, rituals and even the arrival of the white man. Central and Western Australia are particularly rich in ancient rock art and paintings, with some sites open to the public for viewing.
Recent History
Naval explorer Captain James Cook set foot on Australian soil in 1770, claiming the eastern coastline as British Territory. Australia was soon seen as a solution to overcrowding in British prisons and a way to expand the reach of the British Empire.
In 1788, 11 ships arrived from Great Britain carrying convicts, marines and settlers. The arrival of white settlers changed the face of Australia almost instantly. Much of the indigenous population fell victim to starvation and disease, with foreign diseases like small pox and loss of land devastating the aboriginal population. Colonisation soon expanded throughout Australia, with separate colonies being set up in Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria. Thousands of convicts and settlers arrived to populate the new colonies, essentially giving birth to modern Australia. Convict life was hard, with long days spent toiling in a harsh environment with the unforgiving climate making life difficult. Brutal physical punishment, public hangings and death from disease and malnutriti
on were commonplace. The free settlers also suffered, as limited access to healthcare and fresh produce created medical problems and malnutrition. In the 1850s, Australia experienced a new wave
of immigration due to the Gold Rush. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants from China, Britain, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Germany and France flocked to the Victorian goldfields to find their fortunes in the gold frenzy. This new wave of multiculturalism would be the first of many for Australia.
In 1901, the separate colonies un
ited to form the Federation of Australia, meaning the nation was then governed under one constitution. Sir Edmund Barton became Australia’s first Prime Minister, governing the Commonwealth of Australia until 1903 when he stepped down to become a judge of Australia’s first High Court. A little more than a decade later, World War I was declared. Australia’s participation in World War I gave birth to the Anzac legend – the spirit of mateship, courage and honour that embodies the Australian way of life. Later on, Australia also participated in World War II, as well as the Korean War, Vietnam War and other conflicts and peacekeeping missions.More recently, Australia has prospered with a strong economy based on tourism, agriculture and the export of resources and minerals like coal, iron and gold.