Ever wondered why Australia, the Land Down Under, has such a rich, beautifully complex culture? From the sights, the food, the people, and the language, Australia has a lot of unique cultural attributes that one might wonder how this incredible community of people came to be. Well, all this can be answered if we travelled back in time and walked through some of the most fate-changing events that happened in this continent. 

Let’s take a brief journey through Australia’s roots - who the original inhabitants of Australia were, what became of them when the British sank its anchor on Australian shores, and how they regained their freedom and became home to people of all kinds and races. 

Learn About the History Of Australia 

Fact #1: Australia has the oldest existing indigenous culture in the world. 

While there are varying accounts, studies find that the earliest traces of people arriving in the mainland of Australia dates back to at least 30,000 - 50,000 years ago (see reference), making them the oldest indigenous culture that still exists today. 

The “aborigines” which are Australia’s original inhabitants mainly survived on gathering and fire stick hunting. They did not really learn nor practise land cultivation which leads many to think that this might be the reason why Australia’s interior lands look barren. These groups of people are believed to have settled in the coastal areas of the continent where water supply is abundant. 

Fact #2: Australia was home to 250 indigenous languages before the British colony arrived 

After thousands of years of living on the continent, the aboriginal people of Australia developed many customs and traditions that allowed for the creation of a unique and distinct culture unlike the rest. Australians Together, for instance, is a resource hub that focuses and embraces the cultural value of aboriginal learnings. 

In fact, indigenous Australia was so vast and complex that it led to the birth of multiple languages across the lands. It is said that over 250 languages were spoken by the time the first British fleet landed on Australian shores. 

Fact #3: The first sighting of Australia took place almost 200 years before the British Fleet came. 

According to the earliest historical records, the first-time people of European origin came to Australia was in 1606, when a Dutch explorer made the first sighting of the continent. However, at the time, these explorers did not fully see the potential of the land and focused on other conquests instead. 

It wasn’t until 182 years later that the first British fleet would land on Sydney’s shores to establish the roots of New South Wales, a penal colony. This was largely due to the influence of Captain James Cook that explored the land almost 20 years prior and brought great interest to the continent again. 

Great Britain, at this time, was taking over large lands and territories, expanding its influence and power. It is believed that during the 18th and 19th century, Great Britain officially became a global power that built an intercontinental empire. 

The first fleet that made land in Australia consisted of 11 boats in 1788. After losing land in North America, Great Britain needed a place to transport convicts in accordance with the British penal policy and with the persuasion of Joseph Banks, who worked alongside Captain James Cook, they decided to create a settlement in Botany Bay in Sydney. 

Later, more convicts would be displaced in other areas of Australia with as much as 162,000 recorded convicts transported to the mainland until 1848. 

Fact #4: Australia literally became a melting pot of gold. 

After Great Britain’s colonisation of Australia, the next pivotal event that would happen in its history is the discovery of gold in its lands which attracted more immigrants from near and far in hopes of making a fortune. 

This gold rush in the 1850’s hastened the country’s economic growth as more people of varying origins began to acquire land in the continent. This, however, resulted in many conflicts as well. The gold did not only attract established and prominent figures but also outlaws that wanted to rid them of it. 

Fact #5: Chinese Immigrants have planted roots in Australia as early as the 1850’s. 

The other notable historical fact is that around this time, Chinese immigration also started in Australia. So as early as the 1950s, Chinese immigrants were already making settlements in the continent, establishing Chinatowns in several areas, which was not well received by much of the British population. 

This became more and more apparent as the Chinese proved to be successful in their mining and trading efforts which allowed them to amass considerable wealth in Australian lands. Certain laws were later on passed to restrict Chinese movement such as a tariff for Chinese immigrants and a law banning marriages between Chinese and British individuals. 

Fact #6: Australia reclaimed its sovereignty 130 years later at the start of a new century. 

It was the year 1901 when the Commonwealth of Australia was finally established. It started when certain states, referred to as the Australian colonies, were given authority to govern themselves. These were the colonies of New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, South and Western Australia, as mentioned here: https://digital-classroom.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/federation-australian-colonies. 

These colonies were also at odds due to differences in their governance and the laws presiding their territories. It was not until 1901 when the British government granted defined powers to the Commonwealth which enabled the unification of the six colonies, later on regarded as “states.” 

Fact #7: Not 15 years later, WW1 started 

Unfortunately, not even two decades have passed since the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia, when World War 1 began. It was the cold war between two of the world’s superpowers: the United States of America and the USSR (Soviet Union). 

Australia took part in the Gallipoli Campaign in April 1915 and while defeated, became a defining point in Australian history. April 25 is now commemorated as  ANZAC day in respect to the fallen soldiers of WW1 and the sacrifices they made. Over 39% of the male population, ages 18-44, took part in WW1. 

Fact #8: At the end of WW2, Australia gave refuge and jobs to over 100,000 people and became the multicultural, multifaceted country it is today. 

The first war ceased but would continue on to WW2 and millions of Australians would serve and perish during this war as well. However, it was at the end of WW2 that Australia became the diverse and multicultural land that it is today. At the end of WW2 and the Vietnam war, the Land Down Under welcomed thousands of immigrants that gave rise to the Australia we know today. 

Aboriginal Learnings 

With all the events that have unfolded in the history of Australia, and everything else that is yet to be seen, one thing is for certain: There is a lot we can learn from the continent’s aboriginal roots. From the way they lived, the values they upheld, and the culture they celebrated, there is much to discover and to emulate from the original inhabitants of the Land Down Under. 

One such part of Australia’s indigenous culture that needs to be protected is its languages. Aborigines across the continent had an incredible number of spoken languages, around 250 to be exact. Some of these languages thrive to this day as indigenous groups do everything to preserve it by passing it down to their kin through teaching and storytelling. 

As such, we should be allies of the aborigines and help preserve these priceless gifts of history by supporting movements that are aimed towards boosting the aboriginal and cultural heritage of Australia.