About the history of Australia's National Day

Today, the vitality and globalization of Australian society are among the best in the world. Australians speak more than 200 languages, and English is the common language. Australia has a prosperous national media, internationally renowned enterprises, innovative art groups, colorful religious and cultural activities, as well as a variety of food, restaurants, fashion and architecture.

Europeans settled in Australia.

1606 In March, the Dutch explorer Jens drew a map of the coast west of Cape York, Queensland, which was the earliest record of European contact with Australia. Later that year, Spanish explorer Luis Van Torres sailed through the Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea. In the next two centuries, European explorers and businessmen continued to draw Australia's coastline, when they called Australia the New Holland. 1688, William? Dampier became the first British explorer to land on the Australian coast. However, it was not until 1770 that another Englishman, Captain james cook, took the Endeavour to expand his scientific expedition to the South Pacific, thus further mapping the east coast of the Australian mainland and claiming this sovereignty in the name of the British king.

Britain decided to use its new territory as a settlement for prisoners. 1788 65438+1On October 26th, the first fleet consisting of 1 1 ships arrived in Sydney Harbour with 1500 people (half of whom were prisoners). Later, this day was designated as Australia's National Day.

Britain sent prisoners to Australia from 1788 to 1868. During this period, Britain sent about160,000 male and female prisoners to Australia. After the prisoner, 18 came to Australia as a free immigrant in the 1990s. The wool industry and the gold rush in the middle of19th century stimulated the development of free immigrants to Australia.

The scarcity of labor, the vastness of land and the emerging wealth based on agriculture, mining and trade all make Australia a land full of opportunities. However, during this period, Australian aborigines suffered a great disaster. Death, illness, displacement, homelessness, etc. Have interfered with the traditional lifestyles and practices of the aborigines.

The birth of this country

190 1 year, six states formed the Commonwealth of Australia under a unified constitution. At the beginning of the Federation, the non-indigenous population was 3.8 million, half of whom lived in cities. Three quarters of people were born in Australia, and most of them are descendants of English, Scots or Irish.

The founders of the Commonwealth of Australia thought they were creating new things, so they were careful not to revive the old world. They want to build Australia into a harmonious, unified and equal society. They have advanced human rights concepts, abide by democratic procedures and advocate secret ballot.

One of the opening tasks of the newly established federal parliament is to pass the immigration restriction law of 190 1, stipulating that immigrants must mainly come from Europe. After World War II, this provision was gradually abolished. Today, Australia pursues a global non-discriminatory immigration policy and has become the home of immigrants from more than 200 countries.

From 1900 to 19 14, Australia has made great progress in improving agricultural and manufacturing production capacity and establishing government and social service institutions.

The influence of war

World War I had a disastrous impact on Australia. 19 14, the male population in Australia was less than 3 million, but nearly 400,000 of them volunteered to participate in the war. As a result, 60,000 people died and tens of thousands were injured.

It was in the test of this war that Australia's most enduring values-the national spirit and courage of ——ANZ Corps-were born. On April 25th every year, Australia will hold a national commemorative event to remember the heroic fighting and heavy casualties of ANZ in the Battle of Garipoli in Turkey in 19 15, as well as all Australian soldiers who have participated in related wars since the Battle of Garipoli.

During the period between the two world wars, the situation was turbulent. In the difficult years of the Great Depression in 1930s, many Australian financial institutions closed down, which further aggravated the socio-economic differentiation.

During the Second World War, the Australian army made outstanding contributions to the successive victories of its allies in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. A generation of Australians who participated in the Second World War and came back alive have thus developed a sense of pride in the capabilities of their motherland.

Peace and prosperity after the war

After World War II, Australia entered a period of prosperity. Millions of refugees and immigrants came to Australia, many of them young people, and they embraced a new life with vigor and happiness. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the number of people employed in Australian manufacturing industry has increased steadily. In wartime, because men joined the army to fight, many women went to work in factories instead of them, but in peacetime, women can still continue to work.

In 1950s, due to the implementation of major national construction projects such as "Snow Mountain Project", Australia's economy developed strongly. Snow Mountain Project is a hydropower project located in the mountainous area of southern Australia. At the same time, the suburbs of the city are thriving. The ownership rate of private housing has greatly increased from less than 40% in 1947 to more than 70% in 1960.

Other developments include the expansion of the social security network and the emergence of television. Melbourne hosted the 1956 Olympic Games, which made Australia the center of international attention.

A changing society

The 1960s was a period of change in Australia. The post-war immigration, the decline of Britain's international status and the ethnic diversity brought about by the Vietnam War (Australia sent troops to participate in the war) created an atmosphere conducive to political, economic and social changes.

In the referendum of 1967, Australians overwhelmingly authorized the federal government to pass legislation on behalf of Australian aborigines and bring it into the statistical scope of future census. This is the result of the active efforts of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. It is widely believed that this fully proves that Australians want to ensure that their government takes direct action to improve the living conditions of indigenous people and Torres Strait Islanders.

1972, the Australian Labor Party was elected to power, and the long-term hegemony of the alliance between the Liberal Party and the National Party (now the National Party) came to an end. In the following three years, Australia's social and economic policy agenda has undergone major changes, and major legislative reforms have been carried out in health, education, diplomacy, social security and labor relations. However, in 1975, Governor John Cole dismissed Goff Whitlam, Prime Minister of the Labour Party, which triggered a constitutional crisis. In the subsequent general election, the alliance of the Liberal Party and the Rural Party defeated the Labour Party by an overwhelming majority and remained in power until 1983 (the Labour Party was re-elected). The coalition government led by john howard succeeded the Labor Party in power after winning the general election of 1996, and was re-elected for three times in 1998, 200 1 and 2004.

Today, the vitality and globalization of Australian society are among the best in the world. Australians speak more than 200 languages, and English is the common language. Australia has a prosperous national media, internationally renowned enterprises, innovative art groups, colorful religious and cultural activities, as well as a variety of food, restaurants, fashion and architecture.