Pre First Australians
1700s
1770 Captain Cook lands
1788 First fleet arrives
1790 Occupation resisted
1800 Authorised shooting
1810 Aboriginal missions
1830 Migration and
Aboriginal deaths
1850 Chinese and Irish
migration
1880 Immigration
restricted, Aboriginal
children removed
1890 Dictation test, foreign
language newspaper
1900 Aboriginal citizenship, Federation of Australia
White Australia Policy Aboriginal people are denied citizenship
White Australia Policy introduced
1910 WWI, immigration
Several hundreds of Australians and Torres Straight
Islander societies living on the Australian continent. It is
estimated that 700 cultural groups speaking 250
different languages
Captain Cook lands in Botany Bay and claims
possession of the East coast of Australia
The first fleet arrives in Sydney, with around 60
nationalities among the crew and convicts
Aboriginal people resist occupation of their land, many
are killed
Settlers in Van Diemans Land (Tasmania) are
authorised to shoot Aboriginal people
Aboriginal missions set up. Different religious groups
established in colony
Migration expands with assisted migration from Britain,
laborers from Asia and South Sea Islands, Germans
settle in South Australia
Aboriginal people are killed at Myall Creek, New South
Wales and PInjarra, Western Australia
Gold rush brings migrants from many countries
(particularly China and Ireland after the potato famine
and the anti-Chinese legislation is passed)
Legislation to restrict immigration is passed. Kidnapping
of South Sea Islanders continues. Aboriginal children
are removed from families in Victoria
First foreign language newspaper created.
Aboriginal reserves are set-up.
Dictation test was introduced to exclude non-European
migration
World War I, Aboriginal soldiers were among the troops
 halts, Aboriginal Aboriginal children removed from families across
children removed Australia- this continued into the 1970s

1920 European Immigration increases, favoring British and Northern

immigration, Coniston Europeans.
massacre The Australian Aborigines Progressive Association
established
Consiton massacre Northern Territory, 30 Aboriginal
people were murdered

1930 Jewish refugees Jewish refugees accepted by the commonwealth

Assimilation Assimilation of Indigenous people adopted as a national
policy

1940 WWII World War II

Populate or Perish Post-war Populate or perish immigration program

1950 NAIDOC Treatment of non-whites causes international concern

NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day
Observance Committee) formed
Dictation test abolished

1960 Referendum Referendum for Aboriginal rights passed

Anti-racism laws South Australia is the first state to pass anti-racism
legislation

1970 Migrant diversity Increased diversity among new migrants

Department of Aboriginal flag is flown for the first time
Aboriginal affairs Aboriginal Tent Embassy and Department of Aboriginal
RDA Affairs set up
Multiculturalism and multicultural services established
Racial Discrimination Act passed

1980 SBS SBS TV increases focus on rights and services for

HREOC Aboriginal people and migrants
Immigration Debate HREOC (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Uluru Commissions established
Uluru returned to Aboriginal owners
Inquiries into racist violence and Aboriginal deaths in
custody

1990 ATSIC ATSIC (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Commission) and Council Reconciliation are established
 Torres Strait Islands flag flown for the first time
Temporary protection provided to refugees from Kosovo
and East Timor

2000 Corroboree 2000 Australians march in support of reconciliation.

2002 1976 Aboriginal Land Immigration, Aboriginal and Multicultural Affairs Minister
Rights Act meets with the Northern Land Council. The Government
promises to streamline the legislation which impedes
economic development on Indigenous land

2003 East Timor Australian Government grants permanent visas to nearly

400 East Timorese

2006 Closing the gap of Northern Territory Government announces a

Indigenous comprehensive package to tackle Indigenous
disadvantage disadvantage

2007 African asylum Minister for immigration reduces Australias refugee

seekers intake from African nations
First Aboriginal leader At the official opening of Parliament, the welcome to
of state country was performed, the first time for national
Parliament

2008 Commonwealth The Commonwealth Government formally apologises to

apologises the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and
Temporary protection particularly to the stolen generations for the laws and
Visa abolished policies of successive parliaments
Launch of the The Australian Government abolishes the temporary
Australian protection visa system, meaning that all refugees are
multicultural council instead guaranteed the right to permanent residency
Australian multicultural council launched in order to
advise the department of immigration and citizenship on
issues relating to civic and social life of migrants in
Australia

2010 Indigenous people Queensland parliament passes legislation to recognize

written into state Indigenous people as the first Queenslanders in the
First Aboriginal States constitution
Australian elected Ken Wyatt, a Liberal from Hasluck in WA becomes the
first Aboriginal Australian elected to the House of Reps

2011 Malaysia Australian Government signs an arrangement with the

 Arrangement Malaysian Government to transfer 800 asylum seekers
who arrive by boat in Australia to Malaysia in return for
Australia resettling 4000 refugees out of Malaysia over
the next four years

2012 Asylum seekers count From June 2001 to 2012, 964 asylum seekers have
Asylum seeker been lost at sea
transfer Australian Government transfers asylum seekers to
Manus Island in Papua New Guinea whom will be
processed under PNG laws

2014 Syrians displaced Syrians displaced during Syrian war

2015 Australian Border Australian Border Force Act takes effect July 2015
Force Act

2016 Indefinite detention Asylum seekers who arrive without a prior valid visa (sea
or air) continue to to be subject to indefinite mandatory
detention