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About This Quiz
If you travel to Australia, you will find that it has a long and rich history. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about this country's past!
Who first occupied Australia?
British
Aborigines
The Aborigines were hunter-gatherers who moved into the region tens of thousands of years ago. They are believed to have arrived after a glacial period which shortened their sea travel from the continent.
Dutch
Spanish
What do the Aborigines call stories that describe their creation?
The Gospel
The Creation
The Dreaming
The Dreaming are stories passed down by an Aborigine, or a group of Aborigines, that describe their Creation. These stories often involve dance, song, and artwork. Their word for it is Tjukurpa.
Animism
Where were the earliest human remains found in Australia?
Lake Mungo
The oldest remains from Australia date back to between 40,000 and 68,000 years ago. The remains were found alongside another cremated body, which is believed to be one of the earliest signs of cremation in the world.
Coast of the Coral Sea
Great Dividing Range
Tanami Desert
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Which is the first known Europeans to reach Australia?
British
Dutch
Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon reached the coast of Australia in 1606. He accomplished this while serving as a member of the Dutch East Indies.
French
Spanish
What did the Dutch originally call Australia?
Australia
New Guinea
New South Wales
New Holland
Though they hadn't explored the interior of the continent, the Dutch named the entire region New Holland. This name was given by Abel Tasman, a Dutch seafarer.
Who claimed the east coast of Australia for Britain?
Henry Hudson
James Cook
1770 marked the height of European colonization. Britain was at the forefront of this movement, and quickly claimed Australia without consent from the local population.
William Dampier
Alexander Mackenzie
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What was the name of the first British colony in Australia?
New South Wales
The New South Wales Colony existed from 1788 until 1901. Today the colony is a state of the Commonwealth of Australia.
New Zealand
East Australian Colony
South Australian Colony
Who was the first Governor of New South Wales?
Joseph Banks
James Cook
Arthur Phillip
Before serving as the Governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip was a British Navy officer. He completed several expeditions and missions assigned by the British during his years in service.
George Arthur
For what was the New South Wales colony first used?
Missions to China
A Navy Base for the entire Pacific
Convicts
Britain hoped convicts would settle the land in Australia, which in turn would help boost the British economy. However, instead of using the land as a prison camp, a legal system was established and the prisoners were given rights and the ability to gain their freedom.
A Refuge for Protestants
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How were most of the Aborigines killed after the Europeans arrived?
Prison Camps
Disease
European disease spread across Australia like wildfire, wiping out a large portion of the Aborigine population. This helped minimize war for the British, as they sought to expand their territory.
War with Britain
Civil War
After which massacre were seven colonists hanged for killing Aborigines?
New South Wales Massacre
Tasmania Massacre
Sydney Massacre
Myall Creek Massacre
In 1838, ten unarmed Aborigines were killed by a group of convicts and freed convicts from the colonies. These men were tried, and seven of them were convicted and hanged.
Who was the first Roman Catholic bishop in Sydney?
Albert McColl
Donald Thompson
John Polding
Polding became the first bishop of Sydney in 1842, and only a few weeks later, he was ordained Archbishop of Sydney. During his time in Australia, he fought for the rights of the Aboriginal people living there.
George Robinson
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From where were the fishermen killed during the Caledon Bay crisis?
Japan
Yolngu men, an indigenous tribe from Australia, killed Japanese fisherman who they believed raped Yolngu women. After the death of the Japanese fishermen, people began to fear the situation would escalate into a Yolngu uprising.
China
Taiwan
Korea
Who helped ease relationships with the Yolgnu after the Caledon Bay crisis?
Dirk Hartog
Donald Thomson
Thomson was an anthropologist who offered to go into Yolngu territory and study the people so that the Australian government might have a better understanding of them. His efforts greatly improved relationships with the indigenous population.
Noel Pearson
Charles Sturt
Who was the police officer killed by Yolngu in 1932, while investigating the deaths of the Japanese fishermen?
Noel Pearson
James Cook
Charles Sturt
Albert McColl
McColl was in charge of investigating the murders of the Japanese fishermen who were killed by Yolngu men. However, when he handcuffed a Yolngu woman to lure them out, the men killed the police officer as well.
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Who was the first Aborigine to be knighted?
Douglas Nicholis
Nicholis was a member of the Yorta Yorta people. He worked his way through the Australian government to eventually become Governor of South Australia.
Jackey Jackey
Augustus Robinson
Noel Pearson
Which office was set to protect the Aborigines?
Office of Aborigines
Protector of Aborigines
George Robinson was the first Chief Protector. Four other protectors served under him.
Commissioner of Aborigines
Peace Negotiator
From where was Philip Cunningham?
England
Spain
Ireland
Cunningham led a rebellion in New South Wales in 1804. His goal was to capture ships and sail back to Ireland.
Italy
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What happened to Philip Cunningham?
He moved to the U.S.
He died in prison
He was forgiven
He was hung
Cunningham and a few other leaders of the rebellion were executed for their crimes. Many of the other rebels were sent to the coal mines, while some were simply allowed to return to their previous jobs.
During which rebellion was the Australian government taken over?
Rum Rebellion
After taking over as Governor, William Bligh set himself against the army. Unable to gain enough support, Bligh was forced to step down once he was put under house arrest.
Whisky Rebellion
Sydney Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion
Who led the army during the Rum Rebellion?
Noel Pearson
Billy Hughes
George Johnston
Before traveling to Australia, Johnston fought in the American Revolution and against the French in the East Indies under the British flag. His military career ended after the Rum Rebellion when he was removed from his position by court-martials in Britain.
Henry Hudson
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Who was the Governor after William Bligh?
Edward Hargraves
Lachlan Macquarie
Macquarie was the last Governor of New South Wales with complete power over the region. Many historians credit him with turning Australia into a free settlement.
Henry Hudson
Donald Thompson
Where was the first free colony of Australia?
New South Wales
Tasmania
Western Australia
South Australia
The push for the establishment of a free colony in South Australia was made by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a politician in Britain. He believed it would be better to sell the land in Australia and send free workers there to live and work, so the country would turn into a productive producer for the British Empire.
Where was the colony of South Australia located?
Sydney
Tasmania
Kangaroo Island
Off the coast of Australia, Kangaroo Island is the third largest island belonging to the country. Aborigines call the island Karta or Island of the Dead.
Darling Range
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What happened to the explorers on the Burke and Wills expedition?
The traveled all of Australia
They each received deadly snake bites
They discovered New Guinea
They died of hunger
Robert Burke and William Wills were the first European explorers to travel the inland of Australia. However, they had little knowledge of the land and died of starvation before they could return.
Who was credited with starting the Australian Gold Rush?
Edward Hargraves
Hargraves spent time in the United States during the California Gold Rush, but he was unsuccessful in his findings. However, he later invigorated people in Australia to search for gold after finding gold there himself.
Henry Hudson
William Bligh
Billy Hughes
When was the Commonwealth of Australia officially formed?
1864
1778
1945
1901
Before the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia, Australia was divided into territories ruled by governors of the British crown. Although these territories were unified in 1901, they still answered to Britain.
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Who did Australia side with in World War I?
Britain
World War I was a major turning point for Australia as a nation. This was mainly because it was the young nation's first military action on the global scene.
Germany
Spain
India
Which famous commander was in control of the Australian Corps during World War I?
Gough Whitlam
Robert Menzies
John Monash
Monash played a huge part in defining strategy in modern warfare. He believed machinery and technology should be used to protect infantry as much as possible.
Thomas Blamey
Who formed the National Labor Party in Australia?
George Johnston
Billy Hughes
The National Labor Party was formed mainly because of a dispute in Australia over conscription. Hughes' predecessor, Andrew Fisher, did not support conscription, but Hughes was for it.
Noel Pearson
Henry Hudson
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When was the Communist Party of Australia formed?
1890
1901
1920
Inspired by the Russian Revolution, socialists in Australia formed the Communist Party in 1920. Though they never became a prominent party, the members did help push for labor rights in the country.
1945
Which Act helped Australia develop independently as a state separate from Britain?
Seat of Government Act
Statute of Westminster Act
The Act took away Britain's ability to pass legislation in Australia. However, it maintained that Australia would remain loyal to the Crown.
Distillation Act
Commonwealth Franchise Act
Which country sank the HMAS Sydney?
Japan
China
Russia
Germany
The HMAS Sydney was sunk by a German auxiliary cruiser in 1941. All of the men aboard the ship were killed.
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Where did Australian forces defeat the Japanese Army for Japan's first land defeat of World War II?
Sydney
Melbourne
Milne Bay
Japanese forces hoped to push closer to Australia by taking Allied airfields at Milne Bay. However, Australian forces were able to defeat them and forced Japan to retreat, which was the first defeat of a Japanese land army during the war.
Singapore
What happened to immigration in Australia after World War II?
It increased
Leaders in Australia knew they needed to increase the Australian population to defend the vast region they occupied. The country started promoting immigration, and many people from the war-torn Europe decided to make the voyage.
It decreased
It remained the same
It increased, but only from Asian countries
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