History of Australia in Timeline

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, encompasses the Australian continent mainland, Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. Its vast area of 7,688,287 km2 makes it the sixth-largest country globally and the largest in Oceania. Notably, it's the flattest and driest inhabited continent. Australia boasts exceptional biodiversity, with diverse landscapes and climates ranging from interior deserts to coastal tropical rainforests.

1900: Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act

In 1900, the name "Commonwealth of Australia" was formalised for the new federation of the six former colonies in the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act.

January 1901: Federation achieved

In January 1901, the federation of the colonies was achieved, establishing the Commonwealth of Australia as a nation under the new Australian Constitution.

1901: Strengthening of the White Australia Policy

Following Federation in 1901, the white Australia policy was strengthened, restricting migration from certain areas.

1901: Self-governing dominion

From 1901, Australia was a self-governing dominion within the British Empire.

1901: Melbourne served as temporary capital

From 1901, Melbourne served as the temporary capital of Australia.

1901: Earthquake activity

From 1901, There were 18 earthquakes with a moment magnitude of greater than 6 between 1901 and 2017.

1901: Federation of the colonies

In 1901, the Australian colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia and marking a significant step towards autonomy from the United Kingdom.

1901: Federation

Since Federation in 1901, Australia has maintained its mostly unchanged constitution alongside a stable liberal democratic political system.

1902: Second Boer War

In 1902, the Second Boer War ended. It marked the largest overseas deployment of Australia's colonial forces.

1905: Administration of the Territory of Papua

In 1905, Australia took over the administration of the Territory of Papua.

1910: Temperature rise

Since 1910, climate change has led to a 1.5 °C rise in Australian temperatures.

1911: Formation of the Australian Capital Territory

In 1911, the Australian Capital Territory was formed as the location for the future federal capital of Canberra, and the Northern Territory was transferred to the Commonwealth.

1914: Australia joins the First World War

In 1914, Australia joined the Allies in the First World War and took part in the fighting on several fronts.

1915: Defeat at Gallipoli

In 1915, The defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Gallipoli is regarded by many Australians as the "baptism of fire" that forged the new nation's identity.

1920: Administration of the Territory of New Guinea

In 1920, Australia took over the administration of the Territory of New Guinea.

1920: Founding member of the League of Nations

In 1920, Australia was one of the founding members of the League of Nations.

1927: End of Melbourne as temporary capital

In 1927, Melbourne stopped being the temporary capital.

1931: Statute of Westminster

In 1931, the Statute of Westminster ended the ability of the UK to legislate for Australia at the federal level without Australia's consent.

1939: Australia joins the Second World War

From 1939, Australia joined the Allies in fighting the Second World War.

1939: Statute of Westminster backdated

In 1939, The Statute of Westminster was backdated to confirm the validity of legislation passed during World War II.

1942: Statute of Westminster Adoption Act

In 1942, Australia adopted the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act, further solidifying its autonomy from the United Kingdom.

1942: Bombing of Darwin and shift to US alliance

In 1942, the bombing of Darwin and other Japanese attacks led to a shift from the United Kingdom to the United States as Australia's principal ally.

1945: Founding member of the United Nations

In 1945, Australia became one of the founding members of the United Nations.

1945: End of World War II

In 1945, Australia was part of the Allies that won World War II.

1949: Territory of Papua and New Guinea unified

In 1949, the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea were unified as the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.

1951: ANZUS treaty

Since 1951, Australia has been allied with the United States under the ANZUS treaty.

1955: Split in the Labor Party

In 1955, tensions over communist influence led to a bitter split in the Labor Party.

1962: Vietnam War

From 1962, Australia participated in the Vietnam War.

1967: Referendum on Aboriginal Australians

As a result of a 1967 referendum, the federal government gained the power to legislate with regard to Aboriginal Australians, and Aboriginal Australians were fully included in the census.

1970: Reduction in rainfall

Since 1970, there has been a reduction in rainfall from April to October in southern Australia.

1973: End of Vietnam War involvement

In 1973, Australia stopped participating in the Vietnam War.

1973: End of Racial Discrimination

In 1973, all overt racial discrimination ended in Australia, with multiculturalism becoming official policy.

1973: End of White Australia policy

In 1973, following the abolition of the last vestiges of the White Australia policy, Australia's demography and culture transformed as a result of a large and ongoing wave of non-European immigration.

1975: Racial Discrimination Act 1975

In 1975, the Racial Discrimination Act was enacted in Australia, providing legal protections against racial discrimination.

1975: Independence of Papua New Guinea

In 1975, the Territory of Papua and New Guinea gained independence from Australia.

1975: Dismissal of the Whitlam government

In 1975, the most notable exercise of the governor-general's reserve powers was the dismissal of the Whitlam government in the constitutional crisis.

1982: Tropical cyclones fallen

Since 1982, the number of tropical cyclones have fallen.

1984: Sex Discrimination Act 1984

In 1984, Australia passed the Sex Discrimination Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.

1986: Australia Acts

In 1986, The Australia Acts severed the remaining constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom.

1989: Newcastle earthquake

In 1989, the Newcastle earthquake occurred and it was Australia's deadliest, killing 13 people.

1992: Disability Discrimination Act 1992

In 1992, the Disability Discrimination Act was introduced in Australia, aiming to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

1999: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

In 1999, The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was established as the legal framework for the protection of threatened species.

1999: Constitutional referendum

In 1999, a constitutional referendum rejected abolishing the monarchy and becoming a republic.

2001: Afghanistan War

From 2001, Australia joined the United States in fighting the Afghanistan War.

2001: Religious Affiliation in 2001

In 2001, 15.5% of the Australian population identified as having no religion.

2003: Iraq War

From 2003, Australia joined the United States in fighting the Iraq War.

2003: Australia joins the invasion of Iraq

In 2003, Australia joined the invasion of Iraq, with the decision being made without prior Cabinet approval, highlighting the concentration of foreign policy power in the prime minister and the national security committee.

2004: Age Discrimination Act 2004

In 2004, the Age Discrimination Act was established in Australia to prevent discrimination based on age.

2009: Renewable Energy Target

In 2009, the Commonwealth government set a target of 20% renewable energy by 2020.

2009: End of Iraq War

In 2009, the Iraq War ended.

2012: Energy Source Changes Between 2012 and 2022

From 2012 to 2022, Australia's energy sourced from renewables increased by 5.7%, while energy sourced from coal decreased by 2.6%. The use of gas also increased by 1.5%, and the use of oil stayed relatively stable, decreasing by only 0.2%.

2017: Earthquake activity

In 2017, There were 18 earthquakes with a moment magnitude of greater than 6 between 1901 and 2017.

2017: Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage

In 2017, same-sex marriage was legalized in Australia, marking a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ rights.

2018: Urban Population

In 2018, 67% of Australia's population lived in the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas, which includes the metropolitan areas of the state and mainland territorial capital cities.

2018: National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS)

The National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS) for 2018–19 found that more than 120 Indigenous language varieties were in use or being revived, although 70 of those in use were endangered.

2019: International Tourists

In 2019, Australia attracted 9.5 million international tourists and was ranked thirteenth among Asia-Pacific countries for inbound tourism. Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $45.7 billion.

2019: Research and Development Spending

In 2019, Australia spent $35.6 billion on research and development, allocating about 1.79% of its GDP.

March 2020: COVID-19 pandemic response

From March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns and other restrictions were implemented by the Federal, state and territory governments.

2020: Household Debt

In 2020, Australia had the second-highest level of household debt in the world, after Switzerland.

2020: Renewable energy production

In 2020, Australia produced 27.7% of its electricity from renewable sources, exceeding the 2009 Commonwealth government target of 20% renewable energy by 2020.

2020: Australia's Contribution to World Research

In 2020, despite having only 0.3% of the world's population, Australia contributed over 4% of the world's published research, ranking it among the top 10 research contributors globally.

June 2021: Endangered species

In June 2021, over 1,000 animal and plant species were listed by Australian governments as endangered or critically endangered.

2021: Australia's wealth per adult

As of 2021, Australia had the second-highest amount of wealth per adult globally, following Luxembourg.

2021: Indigenous Population

At the 2021 census, 3.8% of the Australian population identified as being Indigenous—Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.

2021: Languages Spoken at Home

At the 2021 census, English was the only language spoken in the home for 72% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home were Mandarin (2.7%), Arabic (1.4%), Vietnamese (1.3%), Cantonese (1.2%) and Punjabi (0.9%).

2021: Ancestry Groups

At the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated ancestry groups as a proportion of the total population were: 57.2% European, 33.8% Oceanian, 17.4% Asian, 3.2% North African and Middle Eastern, 1.4% Peoples of the Americas, and 1.3% Sub-Saharan African.

2021: Use of Auslan

At the time of the 2021 census, the Australian sign language known as Auslan was used at home by 16,242 people.

2021: Permanent meadows and pastureland

In 2021, Australia had 10% of the global permanent meadows and pastureland.

2021: Australia's international relations and aid program

In 2021, Australia had strong relations with New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and South Korea. Australia also maintained an international aid program, assisting approximately 75 countries. Additionally, Australia was ranked fourth in the Center for Global Development's Commitment to Development Index in 2021.

2021: Net Zero Emissions Target Set

In 2021, Australia set a target for net zero emissions by 2050.

2021: Electricity Generation Sources in 2021

In 2021, Australia's electricity generation was sourced from black coal (37.2%), brown coal (12%), natural gas (18.8%), hydro (6.5%), wind (11.1%), solar (13.3%), bio-energy (1.2%) and others (1.7%).

2021: Rollout of vaccines

In 2021, following the rollout of vaccines, COVID-19 restrictions were gradually eased.

2021: End of Afghanistan War

In 2021, the Afghanistan War ended.

2021: Australian Defence Force Personnel Numbers

In 2021, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) had 84,865 currently serving personnel, including 60,286 regulars and 24,581 reservists.

2021: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness

The 2021 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Australia seventh-highest in the world out of 117 countries.

2021: Indigenous Languages Spoken

The 2021 census found that 167 Indigenous languages were spoken at home by 76,978 Indigenous Australians — Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Djambarrpuyngu (a Yolŋu language) and Pitjantjatjara (a Western Desert language) were among the most widely spoken.

June 2022: National Reserve System coverage

As at 30 June 2022, Australia's National Reserve System covered over 22% of Australia's land mass.

June 2022: Unemployment Rate

As of June 2022, Australia had an unemployment rate of 3.5% with a labour force of some 13.5 million people.

June 2022: Australian Government Debt

In June 2022, Australian government debt was about $963 billion, exceeding 45.1% of the country's total GDP.

2022: Australian Tech Sector Contribution

A 2022 study by Accenture for the Tech Council revealed that the Australian tech sector contributes $167 billion annually to the economy and employs 861,000 individuals.

2022: Energy Source Changes Between 2012 and 2022

2022: Permanent Migrants Admitted

In 2022, 212,789 permanent migrants were admitted to Australia.

2022: Renewable Energy Target set in 2022

In 2022, Australia set a new target of 82% renewable energy by 2030.

2022: Human Development Index Ranking

In 2022, Australia was ranked tenth in the Human Development Index.

2022: Defence Spending

In 2022, Australia's defence spending was 1.9% of its GDP, making it the world's 13th-largest defence budget.

October 2023: COVID-19 declared no longer a communicable disease incident

In October 2023, Australia declared that COVID-19 was no longer a communicable disease incident of national significance.

2023: Trade deal with the UK

In 2023, Australia signed the most recent trade deal with the UK.

2024: Nobel Prize and Fields Medal Recipients

As of 2024, 13 Australian scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine, and two have been awarded the Fields Medal.

2024: Australia's Strategy for Nature

Australia's Strategy for Nature 2024–2030 is the national biodiversity plan that aims to reverse biodiversity loss in Australia by 2030.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, Australia ranked 23rd in the Global Innovation Index.

2024: ADF Active Operations

In 2024, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) was actively involved in operations in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, providing security and aid. They were also contributing to UN forces in South Sudan, Syria–Israel peacekeeping, and North Korea. Domestically, they were assisting in preventing asylum-seekers from entering the country and aiding in natural disaster relief.