European Exploration and Colonization Of Australia Exploration of

European Exploration and Colonization Of Australia

Exploration of Australian Coastline

Discovery • Captain James Cook – 1770 Claimed Australia for England – Named the area New South Wales

Colonization • From 1788 to 1868 convicts were sent from British debtors prisons to create a penal colony in New South Wales – – 20% of the first convicts were women 150, 000 convicts in total sent to colony • Good strategic location for the Royal Navy • Easy access to the Far East for English merchants

Colonization • Around 1793 free settlers began to arrive • Hopes of finding wealth and land

Convict Labor

Gold Rush • Late 1850 s • Europeans believed that large amounts of gold existed in Australia • Brought many Europeans and Asians to Australia • Population of the colony doubled

German prospector with a mass of nearly all solid gold, from in 1872, weighed 630 lb & valued at 12, 000 pounds

Europeans Impact • Reduction in Aboriginal population – About one half of the Aborigines died from diseases such as smallpox – Many killed fighting the British settlers

Europeans Impact • Introduction of cattle and sheep changed the landscape – Fences built, trees cut down, and crops planted

Religion • Christianity introduced by prisoners • Irish prisoners brought Roman Catholic • Other prisoners and guards brought the Anglican and Methodist religions • Most Australians are Christians and belong to the Catholic or Anglican Church

Language • Official language – English • Brought by English prisoners and settlers • Government limited number of immigrants to maintain language • Today more than ½ population came from non -English speaking countries