Australia's history begins over 65,000 years ago when the ancestors of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples first arrived on the continent. These Indigenous peoples developed diverse societies across Australia, creating complex spiritual beliefs centered around the Dreamtime, sophisticated land management practices, and deep connections to Country that have been maintained for tens of thousands of years.
In 1770, Captain James Cook claimed Australia's east coast for Britain, naming it New South Wales. The First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove in 1788, establishing the first British penal colony. Britain declared the continent terra nullius, meaning land belonging to no one, completely ignoring Indigenous ownership. This began a period of violent frontier conflicts, devastating diseases, and systematic dispossession of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands.
In 1901, the six separate colonies federated to become the Commonwealth of Australia, creating a self-governing dominion within the British Empire. The White Australia Policy was immediately implemented to restrict non-European immigration. During World War One, Australia fought as part of the British Empire, with the Gallipoli campaign in 1915 becoming a defining moment in national identity, giving birth to the ANZAC spirit that remains central to Australian culture today.
After World War Two, Australia experienced massive social transformation through mass immigration programs that brought millions of migrants from Europe and later Asia. The White Australia Policy was gradually dismantled and fully abolished in 1973. The 1967 Referendum overwhelmingly granted the Commonwealth power to make laws for Aboriginal people. The landmark Mabo decision in 1992 overturned terra nullius and recognized Native Title, while Australia officially embraced multiculturalism as national policy.
Modern Australia continues its journey of reconciliation, highlighted by the 2008 National Apology to the Stolen Generations. The nation maintains strong ties with the United States through ANZUS while deepening engagement with Asia. Today, Australia faces contemporary challenges including ongoing reconciliation efforts, constitutional recognition debates, climate change impacts, and navigating complex global geopolitical shifts as a confident multicultural democracy.