1. Name: _________________________ Date: __________ Ntbk #: _____
Study Guide – Australia
I. Political and Physical Features of Australia
Political Features:
1. Western Australia 2. Northern Territory 3. South Australia
4. Queensland 5. New South Wales6. Victoria
7. Tasmania 8. Australian Capital Territory
Physical Features:
A. Coral Sea B. Great Barrier Reef C. Great Dividing Range
D. Ayer’s Rock (Uluru) E. Great Victoria Desert F. Indian Ocean
II. Early Australia
1. Who were the Aborigines? Where did they come from?
The native (indigenous) people of Australia who came from Southeast Asia.
2. How did Aborigines go about acquiring food?
They were hunter/gatherers, surviving off the foods that were around them.
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2. 3. Which country was the first to make undisputed contact with Australia?
The Netherlands; Holland; the Dutch
4. Who is Abel Tasman? Why is he significant?
Dutch explorer who discovered Tasmania.
5. Who is William Dampier? Why is he significant?
He was the first Englishman to see Australia
6. Who is Captain James Cook? Why is he significant?
He sailed along and mapped the East coast of Australia, claiming it for Great Britain.
III. British Colonization/ History of Australia
1. What was the name of the first British settlement in Australia?
Port Jackson
2. Why did the British want to set up a colony in Australia?
Because the British prisons were overcrowded and they needed a place to send prisoners.
3. What impact did the early British prisoners have on the development of Australia?
A huge impact, building public facilities like roads, churches, buildings, etc.
4. What was the name of the famous prison colony in Tasmania?
Port Arthur
5. Describe Australia’s original policy known as “White Australia?”
Australia only allowed Caucasian Europeans to immigrate to Australia.
6. List 3 to 4 ways that the Australians treated the Aborigines poorly.
1) Made laws against them, 2) kicked them off the land, 3) took children from their homes, 4)
didn’t allow parents to pass down the culture and language, and 4) gave the Aborigines
diseases.
7. Why did the Australians treat the Aborigines the way they did?
The British wanted to end the Aboriginal culture for good.
IV. Australia’s Government and Economics
1. What type and system of government does Australia have?
Type – Parliamentary Democracy & Constitutional Monarchy/ System - Federal
2. How old do citizens in Australia have to be to vote? What can happen to an Australian citizen if he/she
fails to vote?
Citizens must be 18, and if they fail to vote they can be fined or taken to court.
3. Describe the roles of the following people in Australia : 1) Queen of England, 2) Prime Minister, and 3)
governor-general:
1) Ceremonial leader, 2) Head of the government (most power), and 3) Represents the Queen
4. What economic system does Australia have?
A free market economy (technically mixed since there are no true market economies)