Lexi Webster
Australia's human history dates back between 50,000 and 65,000 years ago, with the arrival of the first ancestors of Aboriginal Australians. However, the British colonisation of Australia began on 26 January 1788, when Captain Arthur Phillip led a fleet of 11 ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales. The British government had decided to settle New South Wales in 1786, and colonisation began in early 1788. The colony became prosperous by the turn of the 19th century, and in 1818, 26 January became an official holiday, marking the 30th anniversary of British settlement in Australia. The modern nation of Australia came into existence on 1 January 1901, as a federation of former British colonies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date founded as a British colony | 26 January 1788 |
| Captain of the fleet | Arthur Phillip |
| Number of ships in the fleet | 11 |
| Number of convicts on the fleet | More than 700 |
| Total number of people on the fleet | 1,000-strong party |
| Date modern Australia was formed | 1 January 1901 |
| Number of colonies joined to form modern Australia | Six |
| Name of modern Australia | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Date transportation of British convicts to Australia was phased out | 1840-1868 |
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What You'll Learn
Captain Arthur Phillip led the first British settlement in Australia in 1788
The modern nation of Australia came into existence on 1 January 1901 as a federation of former British colonies. However, the human history of Australia goes back much further, with the arrival of the first ancestors of Aboriginal Australians from Maritime Southeast Asia between 50,000 and 65,000 years ago. The ancestors of the Torres Strait Islanders settled in the islands on the northern tip of the Australian landmass around 2,500 years ago.
In 1747, Emanuel Bowen promoted the benefits of exploring and colonising Australia, writing:
> It is impossible to conceive a Country that promises fairer from its Situation than this of TERRA AUSTRALIS, no longer incognita, as this Map demonstrates, but the Southern Continent Discovered.
In 1783, the British government considered exiling convicts to a small river island in Gambia. However, this plan was dropped in favour of establishing a penal colony in Australia. On 26 January 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guided a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. This fleet was known as the First Fleet, and it arrived at Sydney Cove (now Circular Quay) after a voyage of eight months, which claimed the lives of around 30 men.
The first years of settlement were challenging, with the colony facing starvation due to poor soil, an unfamiliar climate, and a lack of skilled farmers. Phillip persevered by appointing convicts to positions of responsibility and insisting that food be shared between convicts and free settlers. He also gave land to trustworthy convicts, which was not well-received by the British officers.
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The colony was originally planned as a penal colony
Phillip, who proved to be a tough but fair-minded leader, persevered by appointing convicts to positions of responsibility and oversight. By the turn of the 19th century, the colony had become prosperous. Feeling a new sense of patriotism, the men began to rally around January 26 as their founding day. In 1808, they observed the "anniversary of the foundation of the colony" with "drinking and merriment." In 1818, January 26 became an official holiday, marking the 30th anniversary of British settlement in Australia.
The British government had determined to settle New South Wales in 1786, and colonisation began early in 1788. The decision to establish a penal colony in Australia was influenced by a desire to relieve pressure on British prisons, which had intensified due to the loss of American colonies that had previously accepted transported felons. This view is supported by the presence of convicts in the settlement from the outset and official statements indicating that this was the colony's primary purpose.
However, some historians argue that this penal colony scheme masked a broader strategy to establish a bastion for British sea power in the eastern seas. There may have been a purely strategic purpose behind the settlement, or an intention to use the colony as a springboard for economic exploitation of the area. It is likely that the British government considered multiple factors when planning the colony.
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The colony became prosperous by 1800
The British colony of Australia was founded in 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson. This marked the beginning of the early British colonial period, which lasted until 1850. During this time, the colony developed and prospered through various economic activities and the establishment of infrastructure.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the economy of the colony was based on farming, fishing, whaling, trade with incoming ships, and construction using convict labour. The colony also benefited from the exploration and settlement of more fertile lands around the Hawkesbury River, northwest of Sydney. However, this expansion led to conflicts with the Darug people, resulting in a significant death toll on both sides from 1794 to 1800.
By the early 1800s, the colony had established public schools in the main settlements, and some teachers were opening private academies. The schools were run by the Church of England and taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and scripture. They were funded by the government, the British Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, and community donations.
The colony also witnessed the emergence of a thriving business class, with partnerships such as Berry and Wollstonecraft making significant profits through land grants, convict labour, and exporting native cedar back to England. John Macarthur, a former member of the New South Wales Corps, played a pivotal role in establishing the wool industry in Australia.
The transportation of convicts to Australia, which began in 1788, intensified in 1816, and this influx of convict labour contributed to the colony's economic development. However, by the 1840s, the transportation of convicts started to phase out, and the colony began transitioning towards democratic reforms and representative government.
By the mid-19th century, gold rushes and agricultural industries further bolstered the colony's prosperity. Autonomous parliamentary democracies emerged in the six British colonies, and in 1901, the colonies voted to unite, forming the modern nation of Australia as a federation of former British colonies.
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The New South Wales Legislative Council was established in 1823
The modern nation of Australia came into existence on 1 January 1901 as a federation of former British colonies. However, the human history of Australia goes back much further, with the arrival of the first ancestors of Aboriginal Australians between 50,000 and 65,000 years ago. The artistic, musical, and spiritual traditions they established are among the longest surviving in human history.
The New South Wales Legislative Council, Australia's oldest legislature, was established in 1823 by the New South Wales Act 1823. This Act was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and created the first legislative body in Australia, with a small, appointed body of five to seven members advising the Governor of New South Wales on legislative matters. The Council first met on 25 August 1824, growing to seven members in 1825, and between ten and fifteen in 1829.
The establishment of the Legislative Council was a response to the criticisms of Commissioner John Thomas Bigge, who was sent from London in 1819 to investigate the state of the colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. His report prompted reorganisation and the administration of justice, as the British Government did not consider the colony ready for a representative government.
The Legislative Council underwent significant changes over the years, with the expansion of its membership and the introduction of elected members alongside those appointed by the Governor. By the mid-19th century, autonomous parliamentary democracies began to emerge in the British colonies, and the transportation of convicts to Australia was phased out. In 1856, under a new Constitution, the Parliament became bicameral, with a fully elected Legislative Assembly and a fully appointed Legislative Council, marking a shift in legislative powers from the Governor.
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Australia became a federation of former British colonies in 1901
Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901, when the British Parliament passed legislation allowing six Australian colonies to unite and collectively govern as the Commonwealth of Australia. This federation of former British colonies was the culmination of years of discussion, debate, and public votes. The process began with the colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed the Northern Territory), and Western Australia agreeing to unite. Each colony had its own laws, railway gauge, postage stamps, and taxes, and they partly governed themselves, but they were also under the control of the British Parliament.
The desire for unification, rather than a desire for independence from Britain, seemed to be the main driver of the Federation movement. The colonies of Fiji and New Zealand were initially involved in the process but ultimately decided not to join the federation. The Constitution of Australia, which came into force on 1 January 1901, established a system of federalism, with law-making powers divided between the former colonies, now called states, and the new federal parliament.
The British monarch remained the head of state, and Australians remained British citizens until the Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1948. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900, based on the Constitution Bill as accepted by the colonies, was passed on 5 July 1900 and given royal assent by Queen Victoria on 9 July 1900. The Earl of Hopetoun was appointed Australia's first Governor-General, and Edmund Barton was sworn in as caretaker Prime Minister on 31 December 1900.
The Federation of Australia was a significant political accomplishment, and its formation was greeted with much enthusiasm. On 9 May 1901, the First Commonwealth Parliament was opened by HRH The Duke of Cornwall and York (later HM King George V). The event was commemorated with a china mug printed with a 'Rose and Waratah' pattern.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia was founded as a British colony on 26 January 1788, when Captain Arthur Phillip guided a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales.
The traditional view is that the British colony in Australia was founded to relieve the pressure on British prisons, which was intensified by the loss of its American colonies that had previously accepted transported felons. Some historians have also argued that the colony was established as a strategic move to provide a bastion for British sea power in the eastern seas.
The modern nation of Australia came into existence on 1 January 1901 when six colonies were joined together to create the Commonwealth of Australia, a self-governing Dominion in the British Empire. While Australia gained sovereignty over its domestic affairs in 1901, the United Kingdom maintained control over its external relations. Australia gradually gained control over its external policy in the following decades, and the relationship was codified by the Statute of Westminster in 1931.
26 January, the day that Captain Arthur Phillip founded the colony of New South Wales, became an official holiday in 1818, marking the 30th anniversary of British settlement in Australia. It is now the national holiday of Australia, known as Australia Day. However, many Aboriginal Australians call it "Invasion Day" as it marks the beginning of the dispossession of their land by white colonists.
