Zunaed ebooks

This event "was to
change, if not the entire character, at least the rate, of Australian
progress." The date of Captain James Cook's exploration of the eastern
coast (1770) marks the beginning of a new era in the history of
Australia. Cook took possession of the country for Great Britain. From
the resemblance of its coasts to the southern shores of Wales, he called
it New South Wales, and this name is still retained by one of the States
of the Commonwealth of Australia (inaugurated January 1, 1901). The
first English settlement (1788) was a convict colony at Port Jackson
(Sydney). From the establishment of this colony the development of
Australia as a British possession was gradual, but progressive, up to
the discovery of the gold-fields, by which it was so greatly
accelerated. At first a few pastoral groups occupied the lands near the
coast. Many of the newcomers were mere squatters, bent on making money
and then returning to England. But gradually small towns and settled
industries grew up.


Pages:
507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531