Australian History
Australia’s Aboriginal people were thought to have arrived there by boat from South East Asia. At the time of European  discovery and settlement, up to one million Aboriginal people lived across the continent as hunters and gatherers. They were scattered in 300 clans and spoke 250 languages and 700 dialects. Each clan had a spiritual connection with a specific piece of land. However, they also travelled widely to trade, find water and seasonal produce and for ritual and totemic gatherings.  The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland was made by the Dutch navigator Wilhen Jazoon who sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in 1606. During the 17th century, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines of what they called New Holland, but they made no attempt at settlement.

In 1770 Captain Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain. Cook's discoveries prepared the way for establishment of a new Penal Colony. The British Crown Colony of New South Wales began a settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Philip on 26 January 1788. This date was later to become Australia's national day, Australia Day. Van Diemen’s Land now known as Tasmania, was settled in 1803 and became a separate colony in 1825. The United Kingdom formally claimed the western part of Australia in 1829. Separate colonies were created from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836. Victoria, in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. The Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia. South Australia was founded as a "free province"—that is, it was never a penal colony.

Victoria and Western Australia were also founded "free" but later accepted transported convicts. The transportation of convicts to the colony of New South Wales ceased in 1848 after a campaign by the settlers. The 'stolen generation' were some 100,000 aboriginal children who were taken from their families on the territories, and raised in homes or adopted by white families. This was Australian state policy between about 1880 and 1960, but was concentrated around the 1930s. At the time, the policy was seen as benevolent - rescuing aboriginal children from the 'aimless and immoral' life on the territories, and giving them a better start in life. The project was part of the Australian attempt to forge a nation, to bring aborigines into mainstream society - it was assumed that the Aboriginal way of life would die out in a matter of years.

Aboriginal Culture

The Dreamtime is the sacred ‘time before time’ of the world’s creation. According to Aboriginal belief, totemic spirit ancestors emerged from the earth and descended from the sky to awaken a dark and silent world. They created the sun, moon and stars, forged mountains, rivers, trees and waterholes and changed into human and animal forms. Spirit ancestors connect this ancient past with the present and future through every aspect of Aboriginal culture. Rock art, craft and bark painting reveal Dreamtime stories, mark territory and record history, while songs tell of Dreamtime journeys, verbally mapping water sources and other essential landmarks. Their special lyrics have been passed down virtually from generation to generation and are often accompanied by clapsticks or the deep throb of the didgeridoo. Similarly, traditional dances reveal creation myths, enact the deeds of Dreamtime heroes and even recent historical events.

The Stolen Generation
For years, Australians have agonized over the fate of about 100,000 Aborigine children who were taken from their families because the government believed that their race had no future and they would be better off being brought up in white society.

Agriculture
Australia is a major agricultural producer and exporter. There is a mix of irrigation and dry land farming. The CSIRO has forecast that climate change will cause decreased precipitation over much of Australia and that this will exacerbate existing challenges to water availability and quality for agriculture. There are three main zones: the high rainfall zone of Tasmania and a narrow coastal zone (used principally for dairying and beef production); wheat, sheep zone (cropping (principally winter crops), and the grazing of sheep (for wool, lamb and mutton) plus beef cattle) and the pastoral zone (characterized by low rainfall, less fertile soils, and large scale pastoral activities involving the grazing of beef cattle and sheep for wool and mutton. An indicator of viability of agriculture is whether land is within Goyders Line.