The population of Australia at the time of its "invasion" by England in 1788 is estimated at perhaps being about 1 million though it may well have been less. The population around the Sydney region was estimated as "about 150
The population of Australia at the time of its "invasion" by England in 1788 is estimated at perhaps being about 1 million though it may well have been less. The population around the Sydney region was estimated as "about 1500". From the beginning, instructions from England were to "establish good relations with the Indigenous people" in order to "gain useful knowledge of the area". And all reports of Governor Phillip show that, yes, he endeavoured to do just that, ordering that the Aboriginal peoples must be "well-treated, and that anyone killing Aboriginal people (without due cause - Steve) would be hanged". Click here for this article about Governor Phillip's life. Click here for the attempts at peace by the British Government in Sydney and in the other colonies during the next 100 years, by establishing "protected reserves". No, no simple answers about how people can live together, particularly when they have different historical backgrounds — James 4. Not without God's help.
Anyway, beginning in 1788 all the initial settlements in Australia were ruled from Sydney as penal settlements or "prison camps", with land grants and leases offered to convicts as they completed their sentences. Each Governor was empowered to grant land to these men. Every male was entitled to 30 acres, an additional 20 acres if married, and 10 acres for each child with him in the settlement at the time of the grant. To encourage free settlers to the colony, Governor Phillip received additional Instructions entitling non-commissioned Marine Officers to 100 acres and privates to 50 acres over and above the quantity allowed to convicts. Other settlers coming to the colony were also to be given grants. Click here for some background on what was being used for money.
There were no (or minimal) land sales before 1831. Transportation to Sydney ended in 1840 as the colony opened up to free settlement, land sales (by auction), and subdivision. Self-government in New South Wales came in 1855.
Independent colonies opened up under British rule, starting with Hobart in Van Diemen's land in the south in 1825.
Over the waters from Sydney in 1834, James Busby, the official British Resident in New Zealand, drafted a document known as the "Declaration of (sovereign) Independence" of New Zealand which he and 34 northern Maori chiefs signed at Waitangi on 28 October 1835. By 1839, 52 chiefs had signed. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi, that ensured future land sales always had to go via the Crown, meant New Zealand was now a British colony then in 1853 a self-governing British state, alongside New South Wales. Click here for further background to this document. Back in 1769-1770 James Cook, followed by English missionaries, had started transcribing the Maori language into the English script, a development embraced enthusiastically by Maoris during the 1820s. Now in 1862, the first electric telegraph line was built, starting at Christchurch in the South Island. In 1872 it reached Auckland, then in 1876 a submarine cable was laid to Sydney, and thus to the rest of the world.
Back to Australia. Federation in 1901 now declared Australia's colonies to be self-governing states inside the Commonwealth of Australia, with the Australian constitution recognising the principal of "separation of powers" i.e. having three branches of government 1. Parliament: Making laws 2. Prime Minister and the Cabinet: Enforcing laws 3. High Court Judges: Interpreting laws in light of the Constitution, with Parliament always subject to the Constitution. The Constitution cannot be changed by an Act of Parliament alone, a referendum of the people is necessary.
Click here for further background to this Australian system of government.
In 1942, Australia changed its status fr