The first settlers arrived in Australia around 50,000 years ago, with population growth 10,000 years ago as the climate improved. Fighting decimated Aboriginal populations, especially in Tasmania. In 1788, the First Fleet established the first European settlement in Sydney as a penal colony, founding modern Australia on 26 January. In 1901, the federation of Australian colonies created the Commonwealth of Australia.

2. The first settlers are thought to have arrived
around 50,000 years ago. The population grew
proportionately quicker around 10,000 years ago as
the climate improved.

3. Fighting wiped out the Aboriginal population in
Tasmania and greatly reduced the numbers in the rest
of Australia.

4. 17th CENTURY
1606.The first European sightings of Australia were
made by a Dutchman called Willem Janszoon on the
Duyfken (Little Dove).
Later that year Louis Vaez de Torres sailed through the
Torres Strait, named after himself. Both Captains have
been recorded as having sighted the Cape York
Peninsula.

5. 1642. Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman's, first journey to
Australia. It was in 1644 that Abel Tasman established
that Australia was made up of four coasts
North, West, East and South. The Australian state of
Tasmania was named after this famous explorer.

6. 18th CENTURY The great age of exploration
Captain Cook lands in Botany Bay on the Eastern
side of Australia in the ship named HM Bark
Endeavour. and claims New South Wales for Britain.

7.  1788 The First Fleet arrives at Sydney Cove under
Captain Arthur Phillip to establish the first settlement
in Australia. This was to be a penal colony - Sydney was
founded. The date of his arrival, 26 January, went on to
mark Australia Day.

8. 19th CENTURY
1803 Mathew Flinders completes the first voyage around
Australia in the 'Investigator'.
1804 Castle Hill Rising by Irish convicts in New South
Wales.
1825 Tasmania seceded from New South Wales.
1829 Western Australia formed.
1836 South Australia formed.
1851 – 1961 Gold rushes (Ballarat, Bendigo).

9. 1855 Victoria achieved government.
1856 New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania
achieved government.
1859 Queensland formed from New South Wales and
achieved government.
1890 Western Australia achieved government.
1891 Depression gave rise to the Australian Labor Party.
1899 – 1900 South African War - forces offered by the
individual colonies.

10. 20th CENTURY
During the early part of the 20th century legislation's
were passed to segregate and protect Aboriginals. This
involved restrictions on where they could live and
work and families being broken up.

11.  1901 Creation of the Commonwealth of Australia.
This was a federation of the States of
 New South
Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, Western
Australia and
 South Australia.
 1911 Site for capital at Canberra acquired.
 1914 - 1918 World War I - Anzac troops in Europe
including Gallipoli. Australia experiences her
 first major losses in a war during in 1915 on the
Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.

12.  1939 - 1945 World War II - Anzac troops in
Greece, Crete, and N Africa (El Alamein) and the
 Pacific. The Japanese bomb Darwin in 1942.
 1941 Curtin's appeal to USA for help in the World
War marked the end of the special
 relationship with Britain.
 1944 Liberal party founded by Menzies.
 1948 - 1975 Two million new immigrants, the
majority from continental Europe

13.  1978 Northern Territory achieved self-government.
 1979 Opening of uranium mines in Northern Territory.
 1983 Hawke convened first national economic summit
- The Fraser Government is
 defeated in the election and the Australian Labour Party
under Bob Hawke forms a
 government.
 1988 Australia celebrates its Bicentennial - 200 years
since the first European settlement.

14.  1991 Paul Keating replaced Hawke as Labour Party
leader and Prime Minister.
 1994 The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was
established
 1996 Labour Party ousted in general election by
Liberal-National coalition.
 1901 - 1999 Australian Prime Ministers of the 20th
Century

15. 21st CENTURY
 2000 Australia hosts the 2000 Olympic Games.
 2001 Australia celebrates the Centenary of the Federation of
Australia.
 2007Liberal-National Coalition lost in the general election to the
Australian Labor Party (ALP).
 2007Kevin Rudd replaced John Howard as Prime Minister.

16.  1901 Creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. This
was a federation of the States of New South
Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, Western
Australia and South Australia.
Northern
Territory
Queensland
Western
Australia South
Australia
New South
Wales
Victoria
Tasmania

17. The Labor government that came into power in 1910
was already beginning to chafe under the limits
imposed by the constitution when the outbreak of
World War I overshadowed domestic affairs.
1914 – 1918 World War I - Anzac troops in Europe
including Gallipoli. Australia experiences her first
major losses in a war during in 1915 on the Gallipoli
peninsula in Turkey.

18. http://www.australianexplorer.com/australi
an_history.htm
http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Commonwe
alth+of+Australia