THE FIRST AUSTRALIANS

The first Australians arrived by sea to the island continent.  While it is difficult to estimate the first arrival of Humans to Australia it is accepted that man has been in Australia for at least 40,000 years.  This would suggest that man arrived in Australia well before it ventured into the America's.  Some even suggest that man may have lived in Australia for over 60,000 years.  If this is the case, then it is possible that the enormous feet of crossing 90 miles of sea to Australia provides the first evidence of advanced communication, as the journey would have involved planning which required a more advanced language.

    These early  inhabitants were the ancestors of the Australian Aboriginals.  While there are few written records on Australian inhabitance before European settlement records do date back until the early 17th century.  For Aboriginal people, their story is contained in oral tradition handed on by their elders, they believe since Dreaming times.  There has been recent successful attempts to publish the traditions and stories of many different clans however these histories represent a much different human perspective. 

    However, while Aboriginals relied predominately on oral history, Australian rock art ranks with the oldest-known images of artistic expression and some believe that it is the world's oldest.  Much Australian rock art is the expression of beliefs about the Dreaming and relationship to the land.  It is therefore the most valuable type of material evidence for reconstructing the prehistory of Australia.  One however, must remember the enormous diversity of Aboriginal people's customs, languages and beliefs. 

POST-EUROPEAN  HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA

    Australia was officially discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770.  Cooks journey  had taken  nearly two years.  Cook landed at Botany Bay on the east coast just near modern day Sydney.  He named the region New South Wales and claimed the territory for Great Britain.  The first settlement did not occur until January 26, 1788.  This day is celebrated annually as Australia Day.  Australia  was founded as a penal colony for Great Britain.  The first Governor Phillip and the early settlers encountered many hardships such as the enormous distance to import food stuffs and the relatively poor education and skills of the predominately poor convicts.  Australia or New South Wales as it was known then was an attractive opportunity for a penal because after the American revolution the Americans would no longer accept British convicts.

By 1850, the three eastern colonies of South Australia, Victoria and Van Diemen's Land (which changed its name to Tasmania in 1854) were give some autonomy, like New South Wales which received self government in 1842.  In the 1850's a discovery changed Australia for good.  Gold was discovered and people flocked from around the world to join in the "Gold Rush".  Australia's population increased from 400,000 in 1850 to 1.2 million in 1861.  Australia changed rapidly during this time as not only British, but many nationalities from Europe, North American's and Chinese came to Australia to strike it rich.  Most of the gold was to be found north of Melbourne which saw Melbourne emerge as the largest city in Australia and a new power struggle between Sydney and Melbourne.

    As early as 1847, proponents of federation in Australia began to urge the colonies to unite however it was not until 1901 that the six colonies agreed to become states in the Commonwealth of Australia.  However, New Zealand which had been involved in federation talks declined to join, perhaps for the same concerns that the smaller states had that they would be marginalized by the power brokers in Melbourne and Sydney.  The main catalyst for federation was the concern of defense as new powers began to emerge in Europe and the world began to experience a sense of hostility.   The first  Capital of Australia was Melbourne, however it was viewed as unacceptable by the New South Wales Government and likewise, Sydney was viewed equally by their Melbourne counterparts.  The Australian Capital Territory was agreed to be established approximately half was between the two cities and to build Canberra and proclaim it as the Capital of Australia.

Australia is a multicultural society. Until WWII, Australians were predominantly of Anglo-Celtic descent, but that has changed dramatically. A large number of immigrants from Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Lebanon and Turkey came after the war and these have been supplemented by more recent influxes of immigrants from Asia. There are also about 380,000 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Consequently, many Australians speak Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Vietnamese or Arabic as their first language. English-speaking Australians are liable to use a hotchpotch of indigenous slang and shortened words that often makes their speech slightly impenetrable.

Australia has a rich artistic heritage and a vibrant contemporary art scene. Aboriginal rock carvings and paintings date back at least 30,000 years. European settlers began to produce distinctively Australian art forms towards the end of the 19th century. Australia's mid-20th century artists were world figures (Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, the writer Patrick White) and its modern practitioners have excelled in painting

Sport is the Australian religion and Aussies are worldbeaters in cricket, rugby league, rugby union, swimming and cycling. Other popular sports are basketball, yachting, golf, soccer and Aussie Rules - a unique Australian sport, similar to Gaelic football. The Olympic Games were held in Sydney in 2000, and were a major success.

Australia is bisected by the tropic of Capricorn; much of Australia is closer to the equator than any part of the USA. Accordingly, the northern Australia enjoys a tropical climate, and southern Australia a temperate one.

The tropical states Queensland and the Northern Territory have highly predictable weather. In ``winter'', typical daily maximums are from 20 to 24 degrees Celsius (68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) and rain is rare. The beaches and tropical islands of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef are perhaps at their most pleasant at this time of year. Further south, the weather is less dependable; in Melbourne in August maximums as low as 13 (56F) degrees are possible, but can reach as high as 23 (72F) degrees.

In summer, the northern states are hotter and wetter, while the southern states are simply hotter, with temperatures up to 41 (105F) in Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne but generally between 25 and 33 - very pleasant indeed.

Snow is rare in the southernmost capitals Melbourne and Hobart, falling less than once every ten years, and in the other capitals it is unknown. However, there are extensive, well-developed ski fields in the Great Dividing Range, a few hours drive from Melbourne and Sydney. Late August marks the peak of the snow season, and the ski resorts are a popular destination; perhaps too popular for some tastes. An alternative skiing destination is New Zealand, which provides skiers with excellent snow and facilities at lower cost.

With over 7.5 million sq km of sparsely populated territory, it's not surprising that Australia is an adventure playground. You can chew up the km with a 4WD, or explore smaller regions by foot, horseback or even on the back of a camel. You can also find some fine touring country for cycling , though only the very experienced should tackle the dry centre. There are fabulous walks for hikers in the Northern Territory's

There are countless surfing beaches along the Australian coast, some of them in the cities (Sydney and Perth), some in beach towns (Lorne in Victoria, Byron Bay in New South Wales and the Gold Coast in Queensland) and some in remote areas (the south-west of South Australia and the north-west of West Australia). Apart from the diving mecca which is Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, diving spots include South Australia's Kangaroo Island (where there are several accessible shipwrecks) and West Australia's Esperance, Rottnest Island, and Carnarvon.

Whalewatching is possible at many places; the most popular are Eden in New South Wales, Warrnambool in Victoria, Albany in Western Australia and Fraser Island in Queensland. White-water rafting and/or canoeing are possible at Coffs Harbour on New South Wales' Nymboida River, on the upper Murray near Khancoban also in New South Wales; along Queensland's Tully and North Johnstone rivers between Townsville and Cairns; and in Tasmania.