Australia Information

Introduction and Methodology

This section provides a general overview of Australian society and government. The majority of this information was gathered simply through traveling through the city of Melbourne, by reading the locally published newspapers, and by watching the local news broadcasts. Some research was also done at the State Library of Victoria.

History

The first traces of human beings date back 70,000 years. These first Aboriginal settlers came across a land bridge that joined the north of Australia and the mainland of Asia. They found a land that was much greener than the Australia of today. The countryside was filled with vast forests and with many lakes and streams. In this tropical climate, the new human population thrived and evolved culturally independent of the rest of humanity. After the last Ice Age ended 15,000 years ago, the land bridge was flooded along with a large part of Australia, and the species and people were isolated from the world (Finlay, 1996).

This isolation ended with the first Europeans who made landfall in Australia some time in the 1600's. Dutch and Portuguese explorers, bent on establishing trade routes to the Orient, probed the coasts of Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. However, the official discovery of Australia was credited to Captain James Cook, who landed in Botany Bay on April 19, 1770. Captain Cook quickly ran up the Union Jack over this new land and claimed it for the Royal Crown of England (Bahr, 1992).

This new continent quickly became very important in the evolving British Imperial Empire. With the loss of the American Colonies, the British, needing a new place to send convicted prisoners, deemed Australia the new location for a penal colony. (Rickard, 1988) .

Those who wished to truly establish a viable colony in Australia were aware that a convict population was not the way to proceed. Therefore, efforts were made to attract a higher class of people to settle in Australia. The best advertisement to attract new settlers was nothing that authorities could come up with but was the discovery of the largest gold deposits in history, within the borders of Victoria.

In the heart of these gold rushes of the 1850's was the Victorian capital of Melbourne, which had been established in 1835 by Tasmanian settlers who were looking to expand. The gold rush brought floods of settlers from Ireland, England, and China who were all seeking their fortunes in the hills and streams of Victoria. This spurred the establishment of a strong Chinese population in Melbourne that is still very visible today (Finlay, 1996).

Australia's constitutional history dates back to the 1850's and 60's, when talk of federation first began to spread throughout the land. Concerned about other European powers developing a presence in the Australasian region, many began to push for a federal government and a unified defense.

It took another thirty years though before the Commonwealth of Australia was finally established. First, a convention was held in the city of Adelaide to develop a model for federation. This model was then voted on by the Australians in a countrywide referendum. It was next approved by the British Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlin, who approved it with the provision that verdicts by the Australian High Court could appeal to the British Privy Council. Finally, the Commonwealth of Australia was established on January 1, 1901 by royal proclamation. (Bahr, 1992)

Government

The current government of Australia is based on the parliamentary model developed by Great Britain and on the U.S. federal system where power is divided between the nation and state authorities. Each of these states has its own Parliament where the majority of power is concentrated in their system. State organizations control the major environmental, regulatory, and educational programs of Australia.

The country also has a Parliament at the national level which directs the countries foreign affairs and other issues which face the Australian public as a whole. The figurehead of the Australian government at the national level is, however, the Queen of England, in the form of a governor-general that acts in the name of the Crown.

Politics

This entire structure of government described above has come under fire over the years, and the debate has come to a head in 1998. A Constitutional Convention is currently being held this year to reevaluate this entire system of government. At the lead of this push are the Republicans, who represent the majority of Australians. The overall goal of the Republicans is the establishment of Australia as an independent power in name, as they have been such in fact for many years now. However, Republicans are divided into two separate schools of thought as to how a republic should take shape. The first group, the direct election Republicans, believes that an Australian president should be chosen through a popular election. Though polls indicate that this is the position most Australians support, direct-election Republicans have met fierce opposition in the Convention and any hope of this model being adopted by the convention have almost been completely abandoned.

The second group of Republicans favor a model where the President is chosen by a vote put to the Parliament. This idea, which would be considered totally unacceptable to most Americans, does not seem to bother too many Australians.

Joining the Republicans is a large patchwork of special interests that are all yelling at the top of their lungs for the advancement of their specific issue. Aboriginal representatives are stressing the need for any constitutional changes to consider the native Australians. They have been pushing for mention of natives in any alterations that are made to the Preamble, and pushing for acknowledgement of native claims to land. This is a claim that has been legitimized through the rulings of the high courts.

Furthermore, the convention also has a number of monarchists, led by the conservative Prime Minister John Howard, who believe the old model has served Australia well in the past and should be preserved in the future. Whatever these representatives decide, the changes which they conclude upon will be put to the Australian people in the form of a referendum. They are the ones who will eventually decide whether Australia shall affirm its independence as a republic.

Such changes can most likely be expected before the year 2001, or even as early as 2000. Many believe that 2000 should be the deadline since the Australian head of state will open the Summer Olympic Games to be held in Sydney. If no changes are made, the Queen of England shall be seen as the Australian head of state.

Economy

Australia has a strong, developing economy which, though dominated by agriculture and mining, is becoming more competitive in the manufacturing sectors. These manufacturing industries have traditionally been strongly protected by tariffs. However, Australia has become a major trader on the world market, maintaining extensive trade relations with China, Korea and Vietnam. Australia has sought to change this policy and to adopt a broader economic stance with the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group, which is tasked with advancing economic interests in the Pacific Rim. (Bahr, 1992)

Geography of Victoria

The state of Victoria is located in the south east part of the continent. Bordering to the north of the state is New South Wales, home to the capital of Canberra, and is where the major city of Sydney is found. To the west of Victoria is Southern Australia, and to the south is the island of Tasmania. The remaining states that make up Australia are the expansive Western Australia, Queensland to the northwest, where Australian's go to relax, and the Northwestern Territory that is heavily populated by Aborigines.

The geography of the state of Victoria is one that possesses much diversity and beauty compared to other Australian states. Spreading across central and eastern Victoria is the rugged peaks of the Great Dividing Range. This is contrasted remarkably by the flat plains found to the northwest of Melbourne. Here is where the outback of the state can be found, and is just a few hours drive from the city. By far though, the most striking feature that Victoria offers is the endless miles of coastline located along the south of the state. To the east the majestic beauty of the coastal mountains in the Gippsland area. This is starkly contrasted by the miles of beaches to the west where some of the best surfing in the world can be found.

Population:

18,322,231 (2,900,000 in Melbourne)

Religion:

26.1% Anglican
26.0% Roman Catholic
24.3% Other Christian

Climate:

Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Click here for Melbourne's 5-day forecast.

Legal system:

Based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.

Tidbit:

Australia hosts the largest beer drinking population next to Germany.

Quicklinks to info:

- Overview of the continent and its people
- Almanac of vital statistics for Australia
- Geography of Australia