Australia History - How much do you know?

[Shazzam]

In 1862 explorer John McDouall Stuart led an expeditiion (his third and final attempt) through the centre of Australia, to the north coast, navigating and mapping the country for white settlement. As arguably Australia's pre-eminent explorer, the Stuart Highway honours his remarkable feats of exploration and leadership.

Following in Stuart's footsteps, the construction of the 'Overland Telegraph Line' from Adelaide to Darwin was completed in 1872 and made it viable for pastoralists to take up leases in the 'centre'. However, it was the discover of alluvial gold at Aritunga, some 100 kms east of Alice Springs, in 1887 that provided a population boom for the 'centre'.

By 1929 the railway line linking Alice Springs with Adelaide was completed and mechanised trains replaced camel trains. Motor and air transport to the Centre grew more frequent and reliable, as Alice Springs overcame its isolation.

Until the early 1930's, the town's official name was Stuart. Alice Springs was the name given to the Telegraph Station, the site of original white settlement in Central Australia. However, this dual naming created such confusion for administrators in Adelaide that on 31 August, 1933 the township of Stuart was officially gazetted Alice Springs.

Afghan Cameleers forged their place in Central Australian history, driving their camel trains 600 kms across the desert to deliver essential provisions from the railhead at Oodnadatta to Alice Springs. "Their contribution to the opening up and accessibility of the great mass of inland Australia was enormous and vital. The very backbone of Australia's economy, the traditional spheres of pastoralism and mining, owe an immense historical debt to the cameleers and their camels." (Tin Mosques and Ghantowns - Christine Stevens 1989).
Alice Springs Town Council 1999-2005

[justinlan]

I knew little about Australia before.However, for I will go there for study,I'd like to learn more knowledge including history about it.This topic is great.

In my impression,Australia is a main country which exports sheep and the releated products,and there are many many sheep in Australia,right?

[Shazzam]

:roll: I knew little about Australia before.However, for I will go there for study,I'd like to learn more knowledge including history about it.This topic is great.

In my impression,Australia is a main country which exports sheep and the releated products,and there are many many sheep in Australia,right?

Yes sheep are one of the main exports in Australia. New Zealand is well known for sheep farming as well. I'm glad you like this topic I hope you can find some Australian History to post here as well.

[Shazzam]

A brief History of Adelaide (South Australia)
Adelaide is generally known as 'The city of churches' by most Australians, because there are so many of them there. In stark contrast to the city of Newcastle (where I live) in New South Wales, which is probably more known for how many pubs there are.
In Adelaide these days the churches are out-numbered by pubs and nightclubs. It had to happen at some point, but take it from me there are more churches there than anywhere else in Australia.

So here is some interesting information on Adelaide

Adelaide City at the time of European settlement, the area that is now Adelaide, was occupied by the Kaurna people, a peaceful group numbering around 300. Their territory extended south towards Cape Jervis and north towards Port Wakefield, and they had close ties with the Narungga of York Peninsula. Modern historians know little about Kaurna social life, but we do know that they were skilled at working with skins and fibres. Even before the arrival of white settlers in South Australia, the Kaurna people had suffered epidemics of smallpox and other disease which had swept down the Murray from NSW (where white settlers were).

The site for Adelaide was chosen in December, 1836 by the colony's far-sighted Surveyor-General, Colonel William Light, who created its remarkable design. The site was well-drained, had fertile soil and straddled the Torrens River, which guaranteed a ready water supply. The site was named after Queen Adelaide, wife of the British King William IV.

Adelaide was unusual in that it was settled by free people, the city has no convict history.

It was also unusual in that the British Government gave the colony no financial backing, so when things finally took off in Adelaide, most of the money stayed in the state. The colony promised settlers civil and religious liberty and by 1839 Lutherans fleeing religious persecution were arriving from Russia. In 1840, 6557 Europeans lived in Adelaide, by 1851 the European population was 14,577. By the early 1840's the town had about 30 satellite villages, including the German settlements of Hahndorf, Klemzig and Lobethal, where the state's wine industry was founded.

The capital's growth has reflected the state's cycle of boom and bust. A wheat boom in the 1870's and 80's set of a building boom (similar to other states with mining) and a lot of the beautiful buildings which still line the city's streets were built during these decades. Rapid expansion also took place during WW1, the 1920's, and the busy post WWII years. After WWII, new migrants arrived from Europe (especially Italy) bringing with them the cafe culture.

http://www.adhills.com.au/tourism/towns/adelaidecity/history.html

[roses]

I have looked up a few things in "Crisis, Conflict and Consensus" by Murray. My summary is thus:

In JUne, 1838, Mr Hobbs was a superintendent of Dangar's station, which was about 350 miles north of Sydney. He had about 50 natives on the station. He left the station for a few days and, upon returning, found most of the fifty native aborigines to be dead and dismembered.

Some white men were charged with this horredous crime, convicted, and executed: the first instance of white murderers being charged with shooting native people.

[carly]

I have looked up a few things in "Crisis, Conflict and Consensus" by Murray. My summary is thus:

In JUne, 1838, Mr Hobbs was a superintendent of Dangar's station, which was about 350 miles north of Sydney. He had about 50 natives on the station. He left the station for a few days and, upon returning, found most of the fifty native aborigines to be dead and dismembered.

Some white men were charged with this horredous crime, convicted, and executed: the first instance of white murderers being charged with shooting native people.

Sorry this is shazzam I forgot to change back from my daughters profile. I posted this. Sorry guys. It is going to take some time to get used to having two members in one house. So to speak!...

Deaths in custody go back that far!! How dreadful I had never read this piece of history. So sad the way the indigenous population was treated during this time period. You have to put it down to ignorance, class superiority and just plain evil..

[englishhelps]

It's great to know a little history about Australia. I have to admit that I don't know anything about its history. I'm a big fan, though. Mainly because I'm a big fan of Steve Irwin.

Thanks for sharing Australia's wonderful history!

[englishhelps]

Australia was not always in the location and shape it is recognised today. Millions of years ago, it was part of the the great land mass called Gondwanaland. Later on, the continent of Australia began to drift away from this great land mass and around the Mesozoic era, dinosaurs roamed the land. After the death of dinosaurs, mammals began to dominate and the first signs of mankind can be traced back with the "First Australians", the Aboriginal people.

Dinosaurs - During the dinosaur era, the Rhoetosaurus was known to live in Australia although no skeleton of a dinosaur has been found.


_____________________________
Peter Parker
Caribbean cruises

No dinosaur bones have been found in Australia, ever? That's weird.

[englishhelps]

I'm interested in finding out how Australia evolved. I know that you still have a lot of wildlife. Is it like all wildlife before? How did humans established habitat?