First Peoples and Australian History

Part 1 of Our Common Bond starts with the people of Australia and the events that shaped the nation. These dates and names come up often in the citizenship test.

The first Australians

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were the first inhabitants of Australia and have the oldest continuous cultures and traditions in the world. Aboriginal people come from mainland Australia and Tasmania. The archaeological record places their arrival between 65,000 and 40,000 years ago, while Aboriginal peoples see themselves as central to the creation stories of the land. Torres Strait Islander people come from the islands between the northern tip of Queensland and Papua New Guinea. Their deep connection with the land is expressed through stories, art and dance.

The First Fleet and the colonies

European settlement began when the First Fleet of 11 convict ships arrived from Great Britain on 26 January 1788. British jails were overcrowded, so convicts were sent to the new colony of New South Wales. Its first Governor was Captain Arthur Phillip. As convicts and free settlers arrived, more colonies were founded. Early free settlers came mainly from Great Britain and Ireland, and this heritage strongly influenced Australian culture and politics.

Gold rush and migration

In 1851 gold was discovered in New South Wales and Victoria. People came from around the world, and Chinese arrivals formed the first large group of migrants from outside Europe. Within 10 years the population more than doubled. After World War II a large wave of European migrants arrived, and today people come from all over the world to join family, build a new life or escape war and persecution.

Federation and the 1967 Referendum

On 1 January 1901 the separate colonies united as the Commonwealth of Australia, and the national parliament, government and High Court were created under the new Constitution. The population was then about four million, but Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were not counted. Only after the 1967 Referendum were they included in official population estimates. English is the national language, and more than 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are also valued.

Summarised in our own words from Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, Department of Home Affairs, licensed under CC BY 4.0. This is not an official publication.