Australia: Taking a Deep Dive into the Start of the Land Down Under
The Aussies have a long a proud history
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Australia, the land down under, home to anything and everything that you can imagine. The nation has slowly become a world powerhouse after years of British rule.
Last year we took a look into Australia and everything about the country. This year we take a look at how it all started.
Australia began when migrants crossed an ice bridge during the ice age which opened up the continent to new human inhabitants. For thousands of years those indigenous residents were left alone, never to see or be seen. Then, in 1606, the Dutch make their first landfall on the continent as they were en route to the indies for spices and jewels. In 1629, the ship Batavia became shipwrecked on the continent thus leading to the first permanent European residents. For the next 141 years there were many attempts at settlement, but none were able to be sustained.
In 1770, English Captain James Cook, sailed along the coast and established the area New South Wales. Shortly after, penal colonies were established as the British would use the continent to get their convicts off their soil. Once these convicts were freed, they began to form settlements throughout the colonies. Future colonies, South Australia for example, were not established as penal colonies but instead as free ones.
On January 1, 1901, Australia had it’s constitution put into place and thus the Commonwealth of Australia was born. Australia fought for the first time under it’s own flag during World War One. Australians bravely fought during the Battle of Gallipoli, the landing day of which became known as ANZAC day. In 1920, they became one of the founding members of the League of Nations, further establishing themselves on the worlds stage. The Aussies would later fight closely with the United States and the United Kingdom during World War Two as they were crucial to the success in the allies victory. Australia established the back dated Statute of Westminster in 1942 to officially sperate themselves constitutionally from the British. In 1951, they became formal allies with their World War partners from the United States with the passage of the ANZUS treaty. After the wars ended, Australia entered a period of economic boom as the standard of living was raised steadily throughout the 1950s and 60s.
The nation has become a powerhouse on the world stage both economically and in the sports world. They rank in the top twenty globally in all major economic category and have seen steady growth in recent decades. Their sports have become world renowned for almost always being one of the best at whatever they are doing. They are well known for their tennis, being home to one of the most sought after tournaments in the world. Their cricket ability is said to be among the best on the world, with many Australians considering it their national sport. The Aussies hosted their first Olympics in 1956 and have not missed one edition of the games in the modern era of the Summer Olympics. They are slated to host the games again in 2032 in Brisbane.
COVID effected Australia heavily as it was forced to shut their its borders for an extended amount of time. If the origins of the nation prove anything, it’s that the Aussies can take whatever punches are thrown and will come back stronger than before.
