History of Australia
Australia was originally settled some 40,000 years ago by the descendents of the aboriginals, the word aboriginals meaning “native”. The Aboriginals are divided into many tribes and clans with many different dialects and languages, and their version of creation is called the Dreamtime. They are very spiritual people, They have an extensive knowledge of bush survival skills, and can find water and food in the most barren places, obtaining medicinal plants from the bush. Their most famous contributions to today’s world from a tourist’s perspective are the didgeridoo and boomerang that make very popular souvenirs.
Australia was claimed by the British in 1770 and originally settled as a penal colony. As the population grew and new areas were explored, the largely self governing colonies were established during the 19th century and became a Federation in 1901, forming the Commonwealth of Australia.