Growth of Australia and New Zealand

Chapter 14 Section 2

The First Migrations

Two major migrations of people in Australia The first occurred 40,000 years ago The second over 200 years ago The Aborigines were nomadic hunters and gatherers They lived in small groups and spoke almost 250

languages Aborigines recorded history through oral tradition

and held a deep religious bond with nature.

Migration of New Zealand

The Maoris are seafaring people from southeast Asia who arrived about 800 years ago

They used 100 ft. long canoes to navigate the ocean The Maoris were farmers and lived in villages unlike

the Aborigines A Marae was their ceremonial gathering place and

was usually decorated with woodcarvings.

The First European Settlers

1769 – Captain James Cook landed in New Zealand, the following year he claimed Australia for Great Britain.

Britain used Australia as a penal colony, a place where they could send people who committed crimes.

1787 – the first convicts arrived which was called the First Fleet

Condemned to Transportation

The First Fleet consisted of 776 men, women, and children

More than 160,000 would following ranging from crimes such as murder to petty theft

Most prisoners died in the hold of the ships during the 8 month voyage.

The convicts were forced into laborious chain gangs Upon completion of their sentence most became

settlers on the eastern coastal rim.

Impact of European Settlement

Most settlers herded merino sheep and sold their wool.

1851 – Australian gold rush led to thousands of new settlers

People began to settle the west coast along the city of Perth.

The settlers brought the English language over along with ideas of government and customs

Impact on the Aborigines and Maoris

The Aborigines easily lost to the English because they used stone age weapons.

Most died from smallpox and measles Today only 200,000 Aborigines exist which is

about 1% of the Australian population. Wars in New Zealand between settlers and

Maoris also led to a dramatic reduction in their population

Political Development

Australia and New Zealand had gained independence by the early 1900s

Both countries are part of the British Commonwealth of Nations

Australia and New Zealand borrowed government ideas from the US and England

They have a Prime Minister and Parliament but refer to their bicameral houses as the Senate and House of Representatives

Australia and New Zealand invented the secret ballot and were the first nations to grant women suffrage

Economic Development

Australia is a leader in the production of wool, coal, and iron ore

Both nations have a high standard of living Australia faces the problem of overgrazing Water is scarce and causes frequent shortages Mining has caused pollution, loss of resources,

and the destruction of Aborigines homes

Regional and Global Issues

Australia and New Zealand fought along the British in WWI and WWII

During the cold war they sided with the United States. Australia has fought against the communists in Korea

and in Vietnam Today, their biggest trading partner is Japan Despite discrimination many Southeastern Asian

immigrants (Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia) are settling Australia

New Zealand has adopted a nuclear free zone which has caused friction with the US; no US warship with nuclear weapons may dock at a New Zealand port