History of Australia (1851-1900)

History Of Australia (1851-1900)

The History of Australia (1851–1900) refers to the history of the indigenous and colonial peoples of the Australian continent during the 50 year period which preceded the foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

Gold rushes and agricultural industries brought prosperity and autonomous Parliamentary democracies began to be established throughout the colonies from the mid-19th century. British settlers continued their expansion across the continent into the lands of the Indigenous Australians and European explorers were sent deep into the interior. The development of railways and the telegraph brought the disparate settlements closer together and a stronger sense of national identity emerged, evidenced in the writings of the bush balladeers and painters of the Heidelberg School. A movement for the six colonies to come together in a federation gathered strength and by the close of the century the colonies had voted to unite.