History of Australia in Timeline
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, encompasses the Australian mainland, Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands, totaling 7,688,287 km2. It is the sixth-largest country globally and the largest in Oceania. Characterized as the flattest and driest inhabited continent, Australia is ecologically megadiverse, featuring a wide array of landscapes and climates ranging from interior deserts to coastal tropical rainforests.
1900: Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act
In 1900, the "Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act" formalized the name "Commonwealth of Australia" for the federation of the six former colonies.
January 1901: Federation of the Colonies
In January 1901, after a decade of planning, constitutional conventions and referendums, the federation of the colonies was achieved, establishing the Commonwealth of Australia.
1901: Earthquake Activity
Between 1901 and 2017, there were 18 earthquakes with a moment magnitude of greater than 6 in Australia.
1901: Strengthening of White Australia Policy
Following Federation in 1901, the white Australia policy was strengthened, restricting further migration.
1901: Self-governing Dominion
From 1901, Australia was a self-governing dominion within the British Empire.
1901: Melbourne as Temporary Capital
From 1901, while Canberra was being constructed, Melbourne served as the temporary capital.
1901: Federation of Colonies
In 1901, the Australian colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia, marking a key moment in the country's increasing autonomy.
1902: End of the Second Boer War
In 1902, the Second Boer War concluded, marking 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.
1906: The Story of the Kelly Gang
In 1906, "The Story of the Kelly Gang", the world's first feature-length narrative film, spurred a boom in Australian cinema during the silent film era.
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 World War I
In 1914, Australia joined the Allies in the First World War.
1915: Gallipoli Campaign
In 1915, the defeat of ANZAC at Gallipoli is regarded as the "baptism of fire" that forged the new nation's identity.
1920: Founding Member of the League of Nations
In 1920, Australia became one of the founding members of the League of Nations.
1920: Administration of the Territory of New Guinea
In 1920, Australia took over the administration of the Territory of New Guinea.
1927: End of Melbourne as Temporary Capital
In 1927, Melbourne ceased serving as 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.
1938: Commonwealth Games
In 1938, Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games.
1939: Australia Joins World War II
From 1939, Australia joined the Allies in fighting the Second World War.
1939: Backdating of Statute of Westminster
In 1939, the Statute of Westminster was backdated to this year in 1942 to confirm the validity of legislation passed during World War II.
1942: Adoption of the Statute of Westminster
In 1942, Australia adopted the Statute of Westminster, backdated to 1939 to confirm the validity of legislation passed during World War II.
1942: Bombing of Darwin
In 1942, the bombing of Darwin and other Japanese attacks led to the belief that a Japanese invasion was imminent.
1942: Statute of Westminster Adoption Act
The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act was enacted in 1942, highlighting Australia's increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom.
1945: Multicultural Immigration
Contemporary Australian culture is diverse and reflects the country's Indigenous traditions, Anglo-Celtic heritage, and post-1945 history of multicultural immigration.
1945: Founding Member of the United Nations
In 1945, Australia became one of the founding members of the United Nations.
1949: Unification of Territories
In 1949, the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea were unified.
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.
1956: Melbourne Olympics
In 1956, Australia hosted the Summer Olympics in Melbourne.
1962: Commonwealth Games
In 1962, Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games.
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: Rainfall Reduction
Since 1970, there has been a reduction in rainfall from April to October in southern Australia.
1971: First One Day International
The Australian national cricket team competed against England in the first One Day International in 1971, winning the game.
1973: Abolition of White Australia Policy
Following the abolition of the last vestiges of the White Australia policy in 1973, Australia's demography and culture transformed due to non-European immigration.
1973: End of Racial Discrimination
In 1973, all overt racial discrimination ended, with multiculturalism becoming official policy.
1973: Nobel Prize in Literature
Patrick White, the first recipient of Australia's most prestigious literary prize (Miles Franklin), went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973.
1975: Introduction of national insurance scheme
In 1975, Australia introduced a national insurance scheme.
1975: Racial Discrimination Act
In 1975, the Racial Discrimination Act was established in Australia to protect human rights.
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.
1981: Medicare
In 1981, the national insurance scheme became universal under the name of Medicare.
1982: Commonwealth Games
In 1982, Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games.
1982: Tropical Cyclone Decrease
Since 1982, the number of tropical cyclones have fallen.
1984: Sex Discrimination Act
In 1984, the Sex Discrimination Act was established in Australia to protect human rights.
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 was Australia's deadliest, killing 13 people.
1992: Disability Discrimination Act
In 1992, the Disability Discrimination Act was established in Australia to protect human rights.
1999: Constitutional Referendum
In 1999, a constitutional referendum saw 55% of voters rejecting the proposal to abolish the monarchy and become a republic.
1999: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is the legal framework for the protection of threatened species.
2000: Sydney Olympics
In 2000, Australia hosted the Summer Olympics in Sydney.
2001: Afghanistan War
Following the September 11 attacks, Australia joined the United States in fighting the Afghanistan War from 2001.
2001: Religion Statistics
In 2001, 15.5% of the population identified as having no religion.
2003: Adult Literacy Rate
In 2003, Australia's adult literacy rate was estimated to be 99%.
2004: Age Discrimination Act
In 2004, the Age Discrimination Act was established in Australia to protect human rights.
2004: First Twenty20 International
The Australian national cricket team competed against New Zealand in the first Twenty20 International in 2004, winning the game.
2006: Commonwealth Games
In 2006, Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games.
2009: End of Iraq War Participation
2009: Renewable Energy Target
In 2009, the Commonwealth government set a target of 20% renewable energy by 2020.
2011: Literacy and Numeracy Competence Levels
A 2011 report for the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 44% of the population does not have high literary and numeracy competence levels.
2012: Literacy and Numeracy Competence Levels
A 2012 report for the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 44% of the population does not have high literary and numeracy competence levels.
2012: Electricity Generation Sources baseline
From 2012 to 2022, the energy sourced from renewables has increased 5.7%, while energy sourced from coal has decreased 2.6%.
2012: Obesity Ranking
In 2012, Australia ranked 35th in the world for its proportion of obese women and near the top of developed nations for its proportion of obese adults; 63% of its adult population is either overweight or obese.
2014: National curriculum implementation
Since 2014, a national curriculum developed by the Commonwealth has been implemented by the states and territories.
2015: Australian Films in Film Market
In 2015, Australian films delivered a 7.7% share of the local box office in a film market flooded with foreign content.
2016: Education as an Export
In the 2016 financial year, education was Australia's third-largest export, contributing more than $28 billion to the economy.
2017: Earthquake Activity
Between 1901 and 2017, there were 18 earthquakes with a moment magnitude of greater than 6 in Australia.
2017: Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage
In 2017, same-sex marriage became legal in Australia.
2018: Urbanization Levels
In 2018, 67% of the Australian population lived in the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas.
2018: Commonwealth Games
In 2018, Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games.
2018: National Indigenous Languages Survey
The National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS) for 2018 found that more than 120 Indigenous language varieties were in use or being revived, although 70 of those in use were endangered.
2019: International Students Enrollment
In 2019, 812,000 international students were enrolled in Australian universities and vocational institutions, representing 26.7% of the student bodies.
2019: International Tourists
In 2019, Australia attracted 9.5 million international tourists.
2019: Research and Development Spending
In 2019, Australia spent $35.6 billion on research and development.
March 2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Response
From March 2020, lockdowns and other restrictions were implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: World Research Contribution
In 2020, Australia contributed 4.1% of the world's published research.
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.
June 2021: Endangered Species List
In June 2021, over 1,000 animal and plant species were listed by Australian governments as endangered or critically endangered.
2021: Indigenous Languages Spoken at Home
According to the 2021 census, 167 Indigenous languages were spoken at home by 76,978 Indigenous Australians, including Yumplatok, Djambarrpuyngu, and Pitjantjatjara.
2021: Wealth Per Adult
As of 2021, Australia had the second-highest amount of wealth per adult, after Luxembourg.
2021: Indigenous Population
At the 2021 census, 3.8% of the Australian population identified as being Indigenous.
2021: Ancestry Groups at Census
At the 2021 census, 57.2% of the Australian population identified as European, 33.8% as Oceanian, and 17.4% as Asian.
2021: Auslan Users
At the time of the 2021 census, the Australian sign language known as Auslan was used at home by 16,242 people.
2021: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Following the rollout of vaccines in 2021, COVID-19 restrictions were gradually eased.
2021: Global Pastureland
In 2021, Australia had 10% of the global permanent meadows and pastureland.
2021: End of Afghanistan War Participation
In 2021, Australia's participation in the Afghanistan War ended.
2021: Net Zero Emissions Target Set
In 2021, a target for net zero emissions by 2050 was set.
2021: Aboriginal Religions
In 2021, it was recorded that just under 8,000 people declared an affiliation with traditional Aboriginal religions. Aboriginal mythology includes the Dreaming, a sacred era in which ancestral totemic spirit beings formed The Creation.
2021: Australian Defence Force Personnel
In 2021, the Australian Defence Force had 84,865 currently serving personnel, including 60,286 regulars and 24,581 reservists.
2021: Religion Statistics
In 2021, the census showed that 38.9% of the population identified as having no religion. Christianity was the largest religion (43.9%), with the Roman Catholic Church (20%) and the Anglican Church of Australia (9.8%) as the largest denominations. Non-Christian religions included Islam (3.2%), Hinduism (2.7%), Buddhism (2.4%), Sikhism (0.8%), and Judaism (0.4%).
2021: Most Favourably Viewed Countries
In 2021, the most favourably viewed countries by the Australian people included New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and South Korea.
2021: Electricity Generation Sources
In 2021–22, Australia's electricity generation was sourced from various sources, including 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: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
The 2021 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Australia seventh-highest in the world.
May 2022: Federal Election
In May 2022, the federal election resulted in the Australian Labor Party, led by Anthony Albanese, being elected to government.
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%.
June 2022: Australian Government Debt
In June 2022, the Australian government debt exceeded 45.1% of the country's total GDP.
2022: Tech Sector Contribution
A 2022 study showed that the Australian tech sector contributes $167 billion a year to the economy.
2022: PISA Evaluations
According to the 2022 PISA evaluations, Australian 15-year-olds ranked ninth in the OECD for reading and science and tenth for maths.
2022: Electricity Generation Sources changes
From 2012 to 2022, the energy sourced from renewables has increased 5.7%, while energy sourced from coal has decreased 2.6%.
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 GDP, representing the world's 13th-largest defence budget.
2022: Renewable Energy Target Set
In 2022, a new target of 82% per cent renewable energy by 2030 was set.
2022: Permanent Migrants Admitted
In 2022–23, 212,789 permanent migrants were admitted to Australia.
October 2023: COVID-19 Status Change
In October 2023, Australia declared that COVID-19 was no longer a communicable disease incident of national significance.
2023: Trade Agreement with the UK
In 2023, Australia signed a trade agreement with the United Kingdom.
2024: Nobel Prize and Fields Medal Awards
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: Global Innovation Index Ranking
Australia ranked 23rd in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.
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: Press Freedom Ranking
In 2024, Reporters Without Borders ranked Australia 39th on a list of 180 countries ranked by press freedom.
2024: ADF Active Operations
In 2024, the ADF had active operations in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific; and was contributing to UN forces.
January 2025: Australian National Species List
In January 2025, there were 168,386 named species on the Australian National Species List.
2030: 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.
2030: Renewable Energy Target
In 2022, a new target of 82% per cent renewable energy by 2030 was set.
2032: Brisbane Olympics
Australia is set to host the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.
2050: Net Zero Emissions Target
In 2021, a target for net zero emissions by 2050 was set.
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