26th January is Australia Day each year. A national holiday, and the most important date in Australia's short history.
Why is this date so important ?
Sadly, many Australians, and almost certainly most new immigrants, have no idea. Please indulge me to explain Australia Day.
It all starts in America .... what
Yes .... in the mid 1770's Americans and Brits fought the War of Independence. The Americans won. The United States of America was born. (Independence Day 4th July)
The Brits lost 13 Nth American colonies. These colonies had been a valuable "dumping ground" for British convicts. The loss of these colonies became a major headache for the English judicial system. Where to now send these "undesirables" ?
Preferably somewhere far far way. Out of sight, out of mind. Hopefully never to be seen again.
Now we get to the Australia bit.
In 1770 Capt Cook "discovered", and explored, the entire East coast of Australia. (was called New Holland in those days)
Cook made no attempt to establish a colony, and he happily sailed away into the South Pacific.
Back in England, the gaols were full, and the overcrowding problem was acute. Where do we send all these buggers ?
Maybe Cook's recently discovered "Great Southern Land"? New South Wales.
What a good idea, thought the Brits. There's nothing there except for flies, kangaroos and blackfellas, and it's about as far away from England as anyone can go. We'll never see these shitheads again.
Done deal.
In May 1787, 8 convict ships, and 3 warships, departed England for New South Wales. Capt Arthur Phillip commanding.
The voyage took 8 months.
On 26th January 1788, Capt Phillip stepped ashore at a little cove within Port Jackson (now Sydney Harbour), and planted the Union Jack flag into the sand.
So ... there it is .... 26th January 1788 .... Australia Day
He named the spot Sydney Cove. It's the present site of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
A new colony was born. Made up entirely of convicts, marines and sailors. It was quite literally the only white settlement in the whole country. Lonely and isolated ?? Yes indeed.
It was called Sydney Town, New South Wales. Many more convict ships were subsequently sent to Sydney, and eventually many penal settlements were established along the East coast.
The lack of "freemen" ie not convicts, and white women, was a major drawback in the early days. Settlement was painfully slow, but eventually the nation of Australia was slowly taking shape.
Incidentally ....
The name Australia was first shown on maps drawn by Matthew Flinders in 1804, during the first complete circumnavigation of Australia. The British Parliament finally officially endorsed the name Australia in 1824, 36 years after the Sydney colony started. Flinders is generally considered to be the "man who named Australia"
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