1. History and Government
Australia
History and Government

2. Map of Australia (and Oceania)

3. The Region’s Countries
Australia
New Zealand
New Guinea
Solomon Islands

4. Quick History . . .
40,000 BC – Australia is first inhabited by Aboriginal people (from Asia)
Grew to 500 different Aboriginal groups
1000 AD – the Maori (from Polynesia) settle in New Zealand
1769/70 – Capt. James Cook explored the two islands – Australia and New Zealand
First exposure of the British to the area.

5. Quick History . . . 1788 – Britain began colonizing Australia
The island was referred to as New South Wales until 1820
Britain used the island as an area to relocate prisoners, but also as a location for naval bases
1840 – Treaty of Waitangi
Signed by the British and several Maori tribes
Two sides to the agreement
English – gave Great Britain complete control
Maori – gave Britain “governorship”
This led to disagreements over land ownership  Land Wars
1851 (Australia) & 1861 (New Zealand) – gold is discovered
This led to a new wave of immigrants entering the area in search of wealth and opportunity Many did not find it, but stayed anyway.

6. Quick History . . .
1901 – unification of the colonies existing within Australia into a single, independent nation*
1907 – New Zealand becomes self-governing*
1999 – a referendum was introduced in Australia to become an independent republic, but it was defeated.
The Australians could not agree on how a head of state should be selected.
*These countries remained in the British Commonwealth, meaning there is still a free association between the Britain and these countries.

7. The Region’s Governments
Democracy
Basic definition – government authority is based on the will of the people
People will vote directly on the issues, or they elect representatives who make government decisions for them.
Other Government Types:
Federal Parliamentary State
Parliamentary Democracy

8. Important People Eddie Mabo
A Torres Strait islander that went to court when he discovered that his family did not own their traditional lands (under Australian law)
The Australian High Court reached the decision that the family did have reason to claim the land.
Through this decision, the court recognized that Aboriginal people had owned land before the British arrived (overturned Terra Nullius)

9. Important Groups The Aborigines
Group that migrated from Asia about 40,000 years ago some of the first inhabitants of the land
Developed a complex system of religious beliefs and social structures
They lived off the land by hunting and gathering
Dealt with violent conflicts with the British upon their colonization of Australia
The British claimed the lands that the Aborigines lived on, and the natives were forced off the lands . . .
Present Day - the natives are fighting for the rights of their ancestral lands

10. 20th Century Issues Aboriginal Fight for Land, 1960-2000
1967 – Aboriginal people become Australian citizens
1972 – protesters erect the Aboriginal Tent Embassy
1976 – Land Rights Act allows Aboriginal people to claim land in Northern Territory
1992 – the ruling in the lawsuit brought by Eddie Mabo overturns doctrine of Terra Nullius
Terra Nullius – “empty land”; allowed for the British to take away lands from the Aborigines without making treaties
1996 – the Wik case allows Aboriginal people to claim land leased by farmers and ranchers