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Do you know any historical facts about Australia?

I have to do a presentation on 5 countries and one of them is Australia... so... im not that good at history and geography so please help!

Public Comments

1. Australia was "founded" by the British and was used as a criminal colony where the British Empire cast away their most embarassing and "evil" criminals. Now they have sheep, good beer, and women.
2. joe jonas likes austrailia....sorry if this bothered you its the only thing i know
3. It was originally a country for convicts to carry out their sentences. Uh I can't remember much else. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/history.html
4. 1: Australia is the smallest Continent, not the largest Island. 2: Australia was once known as "Terra Incognita (unknown land)" to European mapmakers. 3: When Captain James Cook traveled to Australia, he asked a native the name of the large indigenous hopping marsupial. The native answered "I don't know", which in the local dialect was "Kangaroo". 4: Australia is Latin for "Land to the South" (Terra Australis) 5: the "Southern Cross" Constellation is featured on Australia's flag, and is not visible in the Northern Hemisphere. 6: A comedian named Paul Hogan popularized the "Oz" persona in the U.S. 7: The Australian Continent consists of low coastal plains, including swamps, backed by sere central deserts in the interior of the Continent. This is due to a Mountain Range which pretty much surrounds most of the Continent, and blocks sea breezes. 8: Starting in the 18th Century CE, Australia was England's Siberia. It was used as a dumping ground for undesirables. Botany Bay was the port of destination for England's condemned. 9: The most photographed natural phenomenon in Australia is Ayres' Rock, which is right smack dab in the middle of what the Australians call "the Outback" 10: Modern "Aussies" tend to be bluff, hearty, friendly and welcoming. Aussies tend to not stand on ceremony, and if you are called "mate" by an Oz, you are considered one of the crowd.
5. The Aborigines first arrived in Australia from somewhere in Asia at least 40,000 years ago, and probably up to 60,000 years ago. Tasmania at this point was still part of the mainland; it was only separated by rising sea levels some 16,500 to 22,000 years later. Early Discoverers; Willem Jansz sailed into Torres Strait. Dirk Hartog, Abel Janszoon Tasman William Dampier. In 1770 Cook landed at Botany Bay on the eastern coast and at Possession Island in the north where, on August 23, he claimed the region for Great Britain and named it New South Wales. On May 13, 1787, Capt Arthur Phillip set sail from Portsmouth, England, with the First Fleet. The 11 ships carried 759 convicts (568 men and 191 women); 13 children belonging to the convicts; 211 marines and officers to guard the convicts; 46 wives and children of naval personnel; and Phillip’s administrative staff of 9. Phillip arrived at Botany Bay on January 18, 1788. Decided to go onto Port Jackson and landed there 26th January (now Australia Day) Look up;- Explorers; Blaxland, Lawson & Wentworth, John Oxley, John Oxley, Ludwig Leichhardt, Matthew Flinders, In April 1851 Edward Hargraves found gold at Summer Hill Creek in east-central New South Wales Other gold finds in Ballarat and Bendigo,Victoria “White Australia” policy in 1856 - to stop Chinese entering Australia Eureka Stockade Commonwealth of Australia – Jan 1st 1901 Gallipoli, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) April 25, 1915 – ANZAC Day