Here is a peek into the beginnings of Australia and its evolution as a progressive and modern country. January 26 marks Australia Day, the day when it was founded in 1788. It was the day that the First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove and also the time that the continent was proclaimed as a sovereign of Britain.
The First Fleet
It was the name that was given to the fleet of 11 ships sailing at that time from Great Britain to Australia, with a total of 1,420 passengers. Included were 504 male convicts. The fleet commander was Captain Arthur Philipp, who was later promoted to the rank of Admiral. The ships reached Botany Bay between the 18th and 28th of January in 1788. Forty-eight passengers perished en route to their destination while there were 28 births on board the ships. The number of people that landed at Sydney Cove totalled 1,373. Arthur Phillip was assigned as the first governor. The fleet sailed from Britain on May 13, 1787 and passed by Tenerife in the Canary Island, Rio de Janeiro, and the Cape of Good Hope. The fleet’s journey took 252 days and a total of 24,000 kilometers or 15,000 miles. They first settled at Botany Bay but with the unfavourable conditions sought a more secure cove, finding Port Jackson on January 26, 1788. It was later named Sydney Cove by Governor Philipp.
Australia Day
It was only in 1818, the 30th anniversary of the colony’s founding that the celebration was acknowledged and made official for the first time by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. New South Wales started the tradition of having sports competition during the celebration of Foundation Day in 1837, which started with a five race-regatta for different boat classes. Australia’s foundation day only became a public holiday in 1838, 50 years after it was founded. Today’s celebration of Australia Day is more festive, with plenty of activities for everyone, including barbecues, fireworks display, regatta, concerts, citizenship grants and the awarding of the Australian of the Year award, presented by the country’s Prime Minister.
Modern Australia
Australia is closely associated with the United States via the ANZUS Pact. The country’s military had participated and provided support to Allied Forces throughout history. It has been supporting the United Nations in disaster relief, armed conflict and peacekeeping efforts. It has led many international trade liberalization agreements, as well as a regional defense agreement with Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
For a country whose first white settlers where European convicts, Australia today is a very wealthy nation of close to 23 million people from an initial population of 1,030 white people. It ranks 5th in the world’s highest per capita GDP. It is 13th of the world’s largest economies and second in the Human Development Index of the UN in 2011. It is a land rich in most natural resources, has coal and natural gas and oil deposits as well as iron-ore, gold, diamonds and other precious gems. The fertile lands contribute to Australia being a major exporter of wool, dairy, wine and wheat.
Photo Credit: Australia Day
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