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Australian history has been written for over two centuries beginning with European explorers and colonists attempting to convey something of the complexity of the strange upside-down world they encountered in the southern hemisphere. Of course, aboriginal peoples had lived in Australia for millennia before the arrival of the whites. Modern Australia has its foundations in these two cultural strands. Intertwined with these are the impact of colonialism and federation, indentured servitude and convict transportation, the effects of El Niño on European-style farming techniques, gold rushes, and longstanding issues of ethnicity, immigration, and religious tolerance. Covering these topics and more, this most recent and up-to date narrative history of Australia includes a timeline of major events, a biographic sketches of noteworthy historical figures, and a bibliographic essay.
Noted historian of Australia, Francis Clarke, provides a complete, comprehensive, and contemporary account of the political, economic, and cultural forces of each period of Australian history and gives readers a clear understanding of the many factors that have shaped the country. Written for a general audience,
The History of Australia is the perfect introduction to Land Down Under.
List of contents
Preface
Timeline
The Nuts and Bolts of Modern Australia
Aboriginal Australia c.65,000 BCE--18th Century CE
European Arrivals and Colonization 17th Century--1830
Riding on the Sheep's Back 1831--1855
Gold and the Long Boom 1856--1890
The Bubble Bursts and the Road to Federation 1891--1900
Advance Australia Fair 1901--1919
A Land fit for Heroes and the Great Bust 1920--1939
War, Reconstruction, and the Cold War 1940--1966
Vietnam, People Power, and the Conservative Resurgence 1967--1983
Deconstruction and Multiculturalism 1984--1996
Mutual Obligation and the Conservative Revival 1997--2001
Advance Australia Where? 2001 +
Bibliographical Essay
Notable Australians
Index
About the author
FRANK G. CLARKE is Professor of History at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia and the author of six books and many articles and book reviews in the area of Australian History. He is also a regular broadcaster on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) national radio programs.
Summary
Australia has its foundations in aboriginal history and the white colonial history. Intertwined with this are the impact of colonialism and federalism, indentured servitude and convict transportation, the effects of El Nino on European-style farming, gold rushes, ethnicity and religious tolerance.
