History of Australia in Timeline

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country encompassing the Australian mainland, Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of 7,688,287 km2, it's the sixth-largest country globally and the largest in Oceania. Notably, it is the flattest and driest inhabited continent. Australia's expansive size results in diverse landscapes and climates, ranging from inland deserts to coastal tropical rainforests, contributing to its megadiverse environment.

1900: Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act

In 1900, the name "Commonwealth of Australia" was formalized for the new federation in the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (UK).

January 1901: Federation of the Colonies

In January 1901, the federation of the Australian colonies was achieved, leading to the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia as a nation.

1901: Strengthening of the White Australia Policy in 1901

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

1901: Earthquake Activity

From 1901 to 2017, there were 18 earthquakes with a moment magnitude of greater than 6 in Australia.

1901: Self-Governing Dominion

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

1901: Melbourne as Temporary Capital

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

1901: Federation of Colonies

In 1901, the colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia, marking a significant step in the country's autonomy from the United Kingdom.

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.

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1910: Temperature Increase

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 Canberra, the future federal capital.

1914: Australia Joins World War I

In 1914, Australia joined the Allies in the First World War.

1915: ANZAC Defeat at Gallipoli

In 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) suffered defeat at Gallipoli, considered a pivotal moment in shaping Australia's national 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 being the temporary capital of Australia.

1931: Statute of Westminster

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

1938: Commonwealth Games

Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1938.

1939: Australia Joins World War II

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

1939: Statute of Westminster Backdating

In 1939, the Statute of Westminster adoption was backdated to, confirming the validity of WWII legislation.

1942: Adoption of Statute of Westminster

In 1942, Australia adopted the Statute of Westminster, backdated to 1939.

1942: Statute of Westminster Adoption Act

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

1942: Bombing of Darwin

In 1942, the bombing of Darwin and other Japanese attacks on Australian soil occurred, leading to a shift in Australia's alliance towards the United States.

1945: Post-1945 history of immigration

Contemporary Australian culture reflects the post-1945 history of multicultural immigration.

1945: Founding Member of the United Nations

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

1945: End of World War II

In 1945, the Second World War ended.

1949: Unification of Papua and New Guinea

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, a bitter split occurred in the Labor Party due to tensions over communist influence.

1956: Summer Olympics in Melbourne

Australia hosted the Summer Olympics in Melbourne in 1956.

1962: Commonwealth Games

Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1962.

1962: Vietnam War Involvement

From 1962, Australia participated in the Vietnam War.

1967: Referendum on Aboriginal Australians

In 1967, as a result of a referendum, the federal government gained power to legislate regarding Aboriginal Australians, who were then fully included in the census.

1970: Rainfall Reduction in Southern Australia

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

1971: First One Day International

In 1971, the Australian national cricket team competed against England in the first One Day International, winning the game.

1973: End of Vietnam War Involvement

In 1973, Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War ended.

1973: End of racial discrimination in 1973

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

1973: Abolition of White Australia Policy

In 1973, the last vestiges of the White Australia policy were abolished, leading to significant demographic and cultural changes due to increased non-European immigration.

1973: Nobel Prize in Literature

Patrick White, the first recipient of Australia's most prestigious literary prize, went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973.

1975: Racial Discrimination Act 1975

In 1975, Australia enacted the Racial Discrimination Act.

1975: National insurance scheme introduction

In 1975, Australia introduced a national insurance scheme for healthcare.

1975: Independence of Papua New Guinea

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

1975: Dismissal of Whitlam Government

In 1975, the dismissal of the Whitlam government occurred, marking a notable exercise of reserve powers.

1981: Medicare becomes universal

In 1981, the national insurance scheme in Australia became universal once more under the name of Medicare.

1982: Commonwealth Games

Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1982.

1982: Tropical Cyclones

Since 1982, the number of tropical cyclones has fallen.

1984: Sex Discrimination Act 1984

In 1984, Australia enacted the Sex Discrimination Act.

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, becoming Australia's deadliest with 13 fatalities.

1992: Disability Discrimination Act 1992

In 1992, Australia enacted the Disability Discrimination Act.

1999: Constitutional Referendum

In 1999, a constitutional referendum saw 55% of voters reject abolishing the monarchy and becoming a republic.

1999: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

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

2000: Summer Olympics in Sydney

Australia hosted the Summer Olympics in Sydney in 2000.

2001: Religion in 2001

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

2001: Afghanistan War

In 2001, following the September 11 attacks, Australia joined the United States in the Afghanistan War.

2003: Iraq War

In 2003, Australia joined the United States in the Iraq War.

2003: Adult literacy rate

In 2003, Australia's adult literacy rate was estimated to be 99%.

2004: Age Discrimination Act 2004

In 2004, Australia enacted the Age Discrimination Act.

2004: First Twenty20 International

In 2004, the Australian national cricket team competed against New Zealand in the first Twenty20 International, winning the game.

2006: Commonwealth Games

Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2006.

2009: Target of 20% renewable energy set in 2009

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

2009: End of Iraq War

In 2009, the Iraq War concluded.

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: Energy sourced from renewables from 2012 to 2022

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.

2014: National curriculum implementation

Since 2014, a national curriculum developed by the Commonwealth has been implemented by the states and territories in Australia.

2015: Share of local box office

In a film market flooded with foreign content, Australian films delivered a 7.7% share of the local box office in 2015.

2016: Education contribution to economy

In the 2016-17 financial year, education contributed more than $28 billion to the Australian economy.

2017: Earthquake Activity

From 1901 to 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 in 2017.

2018: Commonwealth Games

Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

2018: Urban population in 2018

In 2018, 67% of Australia's population lived in the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas.

2018: National Indigenous Languages Survey in 2018

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 students

In 2019, 812,000 international students were enrolled in Australia's universities and vocational institutions. International students represented on average 26.7% of the student bodies of Australian universities.

2019: International Tourists in 2019

In 2019, Australia attracted 9.5 million international tourists and its international tourism receipts amounted to $45.7 billion.

2019: Spending on research and development in 2019

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

March 2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Response

In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia implemented lockdowns and restrictions on public gatherings and movement.

2020: Research contribution in 2020

In 2020, Australia contributed over 4% of the world's published research.

2020: Household Debt in 2020

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

2020: Electricity from renewable sources in 2020

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

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: Wealth Per Adult in 2021

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

2021: Indigenous population in 2021

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

2021: Religion in 2021

At the 2021 census, 38.9% of the population identified as having no religion, and Christianity was the largest religion, with 43.9% of the population.

2021: Languages spoken at home in 2021

At the 2021 census, English was the only language spoken in the home for 72% of the population.

2021: Land Use Statistics

In 2021, Australia accounted for 10% of global permanent meadows and pastureland.

2021: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

In 2021, Australia began the rollout of vaccines, leading to a gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

2021: Health care expenditure

In 2021, Australia spent around 9.91% of its total GDP on health care.

2021: Australia's electricity generation in 2021

In 2021, Australia's generation of electricity 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: Target for net zero emissions by 2050 set in 2021

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

2021: Affiliation with Aboriginal religions

In 2021, just under 8,000 people in Australia declared an affiliation with traditional Aboriginal religions.

2021: End of Afghanistan War

In 2021, the Afghanistan War concluded.

2021: Australian Defence Force Personnel in 2021

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

2021: Most favourably viewed countries in 2021

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: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report in 2021

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

June 2022: National Reserve System Coverage

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

June 2022: Unemployment rate in June 2022

As of June 2022, Australia had an unemployment rate of 3.5%.

June 2022: Australian government debt in June 2022

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

2022: Tech sector contribution to economy in 2022

A 2022 study by Accenture for the Tech Council shows that the Australian tech sector combined contributes $167 billion a year to the economy and employs 861,000 people.

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: Human Development Index Ranking in 2022

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

2022: Energy sourced from renewables from 2012 to 2022

From 2012 to 2022, the energy sourced from renewables has increased 5.7%, while energy sourced from coal has decreased 2.6%.

2022: Defence Spending in 2022

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

2022: New target of 82% renewable energy set in 2022

In 2022, a new target of 82% per cent renewable energy by 2030 was set.

2022: Permanent migrants admitted to Australia in 2022-23

In 2022–23, 212,789 permanent migrants were admitted to Australia.

October 2023: End of COVID-19 as National Significance

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 bilateral free trade agreement with the UK.

2024: Australian Nobel Prize winners in 2024

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 2024

Australia ranked 23rd in the Global Innovation Index 2024.

2024: Australia's Strategy for Nature

Australia's Strategy for Nature 2024-2030 is the national biodiversity plan.

2024: Press freedom ranking

In 2024, Reporters Without Borders placed Australia 39th on a list of 180 countries ranked by press freedom.

2024: ADF active operations in 2024

In 2024, the ADF had active operations in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, was contributing to UN forces, and assisting domestically in natural disaster relief and preventing asylum-seekers from entering the country.