A History of Australia

This episode, we discuss the first rise and fall of NSW Premier Jack Lang. We also talk about the Berkley Street gangster shootout, the launching of the 2nd HMAS Australia, the formation of the ACTU (Australasian Council of Trade Unions), and a couple state elections.

This episode, we examine the 1925 Federated Seaman's Union Strike. We also discuss some key state elections, such as the 1925 NSW election which saw Jack Lang become Premier for the first time and the Communist Party of Australia contest its first election. Finally, we talk about the 1925 Federal election, the splitting of the Northern Territory, and more across 1925 and 1926.

This episode, we discuss significant milestones in the evolution of technology in Australia, from the arrival of Holden onto the car manufacturing scene to the establishment of radio stations across Australia. We also talk about the establishment of compulsory voting at a federal level, political chaos in Victoria, and the Big Brother Movement.

This episode we examine the Victorian Police Strike of 1923, alongside Tasmania's financial crisis, the beginning of construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Marble Bar Heatwave, and (potentially) the first ANZAC Day dawn service.

This episode, we discuss Queensland becoming the first and only state in Australia's history to abolish its upper house. We also talk about the New States Movements for the first time, the Empire Settlement Scheme, 2 State Elections, and the 1922 Federal Election which sees the arrival of the Bruce-Page government.

This episode we discuss the Group Settlement Schemes, the Barnardo's Boys, the Gun Alley Murder, the Murder of MP Percy Brookfield, and plenty of state politics in an episode packed with many events.

This episode, we discuss the formation of the Communist Party of Australia. In addition, we talk about two key legal cases which significantly changed Australian federalism, R v Licensing Court of Brisbane and the Amalgamated Society of Engineers v Adelaide Steamships Co Ltd, as well as 3 major state elections (one has minor parties galore in it!)

This week, we discuss the many instances of post-war unrest throughout Australia in 1919. These include the Red Flag Riots, the Battle of the Barricades/Fremantle Wharf Strike, the Townsville Meatworkers Strike, the HMAS Australia Mutiny, and the 1919 Peace Day Riots. We also discuss the 1919 federal election and the arrival of the Country Party in Australian politics.

This episode, we discuss the aftermath of WW1 in Australia. We look at the Spanish Flu's effects on Australia, Australia's involvement in the Paris Peace Conference, the Deportation of Paul Freeman, the Soldier Settlement Schemes, and Australia's Involvement in the Russian Civil War.

This episode, we witness the end of the First World War, with Australians fighting during the German Spring Offensives, in the Middle East, and during key moments in the Hundred Days Offensive. We also discuss Henry Lawson becoming Victorian premier and the Darwin Rebellion.

This episode, we examine World War One in 1917 from the Australian point of view. We discuss the battles of Passchendaele, Third Ypres, Messines, and Bullecourt, as well as the capture of Jerusalem, and the efforts of Frank McNamara which led to him getting his Victorian Cross.

This episode, we discuss the 2nd plebiscite on conscription during WW1, as well as the 1917 federal election, the connection of the Trans-Australian railway, multiple state elections, the 1917 attempt to abolition the Queensland Legislative Council, and, most importantly, the time someone threw an egg at Prime Minister Billy Hughes.

This episode, we discuss Australia's contribution to the Battle of the Somme in World War One, specifically its fighting at the Battles of Pozieres, Mouquet Farm, and Fromelles. We also talk about the ANZACs in the Sinai Peninsula, with the battles of Romani and Magdhaba.

This episode, we discuss the 1916 Conscription plebiscite and the debate which surrounded it, as well as the first Labor split which it led to. We also talk about the Liverpool Riot, and Mowla Bluff Massacre, another instance of frontier conflict and violence in the 20th century.

This episode, we discuss Australia's involvement in World War One during 1915, and more specifically, the Gallipoli Campaign. At the heart of Australia's national story, we discuss it, the Battle at Lone Pine, the Anzac Legend, and talk about the myths that have come to be associated with the Anzacs at Gallipoli.

This episode, focusing on the home front during 1915, we take a look at the violent attack known as the Battle of Broken Hill. We also discuss the recruitment drives for World War One known as Snowball Marches and talk about the resignation of Prime Minister Andrew Fisher for Billy Hughes.

This episode, we begin our journey into Australia's participation into World War One. We discuss the battle of the Cocos Islands, the Australian takeover of German New Guinea, and the fact that an Australian fort may have fired the first shot of the war for the entire British Empire.

This week, we discuss the end of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition! We also talk about the 1913 federal election and some state politics in the lead up to World War One.   Note: I mentioned there would be no episode until the 7th of January in this episode, I meant the 14th! Sorry for the confusion.

This week, we examine the 1912 Brisbane General Strike and the event known as Black Friday. We also discuss the Fairbridge Farm School and its child migrants, some political history, and continue the story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

This week, we're discussing some of the first national referendums in Australia's history. We also talk about the 1910 federal election (the first post-fusion one), the start of the Australasia Antarctic Expedition led by Douglas Mawson, the expansion of Australia's military with the HMAS Australia, and even more!

This week, we're discussing one of the most prominent political events in Australia's history, the Fusion. The event which started the two party system in Australia as we know it now, this episode is perhaps one of the most relevant to the rest of Australia's history going forward. In addition, we discuss the end of the Nimrod Expedition, Douglas Mawson's first trip to Antarctica, as well as the 1909 Broken Hill Miners Strike.

This week, we discuss the role Australians played in the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration. We also discuss the Sunshine rail disaster, Andrew Fisher becoming prime minister, the choice of Canberra over Dalgety for the national capital, and much more! This is the podcast's 100th episode, thank you all so much for listening to 100 episodes of australian history, and here's to atleast 100 more! G. Sherington's PhD Thesis on Dalgety and Canberra: https://web.archive.org/web/20200620152620/https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/fapi/datastream/unsworks:42439/SOURCE01?view=true

This week, we discuss perhaps one of the most significant legal cases in Australia's history, the Harvester case. Its legacy, that of a fair and reasonable wage for all Australians, is one that is still felt to this day. In addition, we also talk about multiple changes in government, the arrival of Rugby League in Australia, and the establishment of the International Workers of the World (the Wobblies) as well!

This week, we witness the rise of the anti-socialist movement across 1905 and 1906. This movement affects much of Australia's political history across the next century, so this episode is key to understanding what comes next. In addition, we also discuss the deportation of Pacific Islanders from Queensland, and some more political moments!

This week, we've got an episode for all you political history lovers out there. From two changes of Prime Minister in one year, the one of the only times this ever happens, to a premier change in every state besides Queensland and South Australia, 1904 is packed with political shifts and changes.

This week, we discuss the end of the 2nd Boer War and the 1903 Federal Election. We also talk about political changes in multiple states, the Federation Drought, the post office's ban on a lottery business, and the 1903 Victorian Railway strike.

This week, we witness Australia as a federated Commonwealth for the first time. We discuss the first Federal election and reckon with the reality of the White Australia policy. We also discuss Australia's continuing role in the 2nd Boer War, and significant political instability in Western Australia.

This week, we examine the final step towards Federation, the event known as the Hopetoun Blunder, and see how WA finally joins in with the rest of the colonies. We also discuss Australia's involvement in the 2nd Boer War and the Boxer Rebellion. Finally, I give a retrospective on 1800s Australia, as an ode and reflection on what has come throughout the podcast.

This week, we examine the second round of referendums for Federation, and see whether the Australian colonies finally vote to federate. On top of this, we take a look at the Australians who volunteers in the Second Boer War, and what they did, as well as 7 premier changes in a packed episode!

This episode, we overview the first attempt at finalising Federation, the 1898 referendums!

This week, we look over the Federal Convention of 1897, and see what delegates are elected from each colony and what key issues they believe will affect Australia's Federation as we gear up for the referendums of 1898 and 1899.

This episode, we discuss the death and legacy of the man often considered the father of federation, Henry Parkes. We also talk about the 1896 VFA/VFL split, as well as many other events.

This week, we discuss the women's suffrage movement in South Australia, and witness women fight for and gain the right to vote in the colony. In addition, we discuss multiple political conflicts, as well as the foundation of the AWU. Finally, we return to Paraguay, and see whether William Lane's New Australia survives the year.

This episode, we overview the climactic end of the 1890s Depression in Australia, with the massive banking collapse of 1893. We also take some time to discuss one of Australia's most peculiar historical episodes, William Lane's socialist utopia in Paraguay.

This week, we discuss the ongoing depression that is striking the Australian colonies. We also see strikes occur in Broken Hill, political changes galore, and true crime as we talk about the murders of Frederick Bailey Deeming.

This week, we discuss the Queensland Shearers' Strike of 1891, one of the Great Strikes of the 1890s, and the one credited for transitioning Labour politics from strikes and activism to parliament and elections. In addition, we talk about the National Australasian Convention, where Australia's constitution was first decided upon, and the formation of Labor parties across the colonies. There is even more in this hefty episode, so be sure to listen!

This week, we delve into Western Australia's struggle for responsible government, 30+ years after Australia's other colonies had achieved such a milestone.

This week, we discuss the first of the great strikes of the 1890s and the beginning of grand shifts in labour in Australia, the Maritime Strike of 1890. Furthermore, we talk about the first federation conference as well the importation of the Single Tax/Georgism ideology. We also discuss a few important premier changes.

This week, we examine the beginnings of both the Liberal Party of Australia and the Australian Labor Party. We also discuss the continued move towards Federation, local colonial politics, and the first ever grand final in Australian Rules Football. We end by noting the fall of the Premier's Permanent Building Association, whose collapse signals the end of the Long Boom and the start of the 1890s Depression.

This week, we discuss the roots of the White Australia policy, as the forebearers of this most infamous policy begin to appear in the late 1880s. We also discuss the 1887 London Colonial Conference, the establishment of the Australian Socialist League, and so much more. Finally, we reflect on the fact that this episode represents 100 years from the start of white colonisation of New South Wales.

This episode, we discuss the first Federal Council of Australasia, as we examine the year 1886. In addition, we see major political changes in NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania, as well as some significant moment's in Australia's labour history.

This week, we examine the NSW colony's involvement in the Mahdist War in Sudan, one of the first times colonial Australians fought in a war outside their continent. We also discuss the naval expansions of many of the colonies this week, in what seems like a very military-focused episode. To round this out, we talk about the case of the Hopeful in the ongoing issue that is Blackbirding in Queensland. And to finish, we discuss both premier changes and strikes around the colonies.

This week, we dive into one of the first international moves an Australian colony makes, Queensland's annexation of New Guinea. We also discuss the 1883 Intercolonial Conference and the finalising of the Federal Council of Australasia. Furthermore, we take some time to look over the Kalkadoon wars of Queensland, as well as colonial politics in New South Wales and Victoria.

This week, we examine the first major inter-colonial conferences to take the idea of federation seriously. Do such ideas succeed? Unlikely! We also discuss the start of Australia's most major cricketing tradition, the Ashes. Finally, we also talk about the beginning of major strikes in the 1880s, a trend that continued over the coming decades.

The culmination of what is now an audio documentary of Ned Kelly's life (at over 1.5hrs of content), this episode examines the Kelly Gang's last stand at Glenrowan, and the legacy of Ned Kelly.

This week we'll be looking towards the Bushranger's life, as he goes from small-time criminal to well-known highwayman, and discuss what Ned did throughout the years that he was a Bushranger, from 1876 to 1879.

In this episode, the first part of three, we look at the beginning of Ned Kelly's life, and his upbringing as part of the massive Kelly clan. We'll see how he grew up, and his first forays into a life of crime and bushranging, working to understand what led him to be the person he'd become.

This week, we discuss the events of 1879-1880, as they occurred around Ned Kelly. From a riot over cricket which would include Australia's future first prime minister, to another bushranger whose life has been overshadowed by Kelly, this week is incredibly interesting!   Next week, we'll be diving straight into Ned Kelly and his gang!

This week, we examine the Victorian political event known as Black Wednesday, as well as a year of political chaos and strife for New South Wales. In addition, we discuss the first-ever Australian and English test cricket match.

This week, we discuss perhaps Australia's most infamous prison escape, the Catalpa Rescue. In addition, we talk about political changes, the New Zealand to Australia submarine telegraph line, and the death of Truganini.

Merry Christmas! In this episode, we discuss the unlikely combo which led to the fall of Henry Parkes' first government. In addition, we talk about the SS Gothenburg wreck, the Running Waters Massacre, and the time SA decided to stray past the Goyder Line, with disastrous results.

This week, we discuss three explorers who attempt to make their way from the centre of Australia all the way to the west coast, battling Australia's great deserts along the way. In addition, we discuss the Clunes miner's strike, little Eureka as it were, as well as the Intercolonial conferences which create the groundwork for Federation.

This week, we examine the creation of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line and see how Australia finally connects to the rest of the world. Furthermore, we discuss Mary Mackillop's excommunication, the rise of Henry Parkes to the role of Premier, and recap a bushranger who was missing from last weeks episode!   The Overland Telegraph Line: A Transcultural History | https://otlhistory.sa.gov.au/   A History of Australia @ Bluesky | https://bsky.app/profile/ahistoryofaus.bsky.social

This episode, we examine the life and death of the last Aboriginal Tasmanian man of full-descent, Billy Lanne. We also discuss prison breaks from Western Australia, gold finds in Victoria, and politics throughout the colonies.

This week, we discuss the first political assassination attempt in Australia's colonial history, as Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, is shot at a Sydney beachfront. In addition, frontier conflict, politics, and Blackbirding are all on the docket for this episode. Also, the podcast is now on Bluesky! Check it out here: https://bsky.app/profile/ahistoryofaus.bsky.social

This week, we discuss the final, no caveats, end of convict transportation to Western Australia and Australia. In addition, we talk about the Clarke Brothers bushrangers, gold in Queensland, and politics throughout the country, as well the largest ever flood of the Hawkesbury River.

This week, we discuss Queensland economical crisis of 1866 and the subsequent Blood or Bread Riots. In addition, we also talk about Mary Mackillop, Australia's first and only Roman Catholic Saint. Finally, we look over the 1866 Victorian election as well as a few other political moments.

This episode, we take a look at Australia in 1864-5, and discuss the lives and deaths of bushrangers Mad Dan Morgan and Ben Hall. In addition, politics and disaster are on the table, as well as a small cameo from the American Civil War.

In this episode, we discuss the practice of Blackbirding, coerced and kidnapped slave labour, in the Queensland colony. We also talk about bushrangers, politics, and the hanging of Elizabeth Scott, the first woman to be hung in the Victorian colony.

This week, we examine the precursor to the White Australian policy in the Lambing Flat Riots. In addition, we discuss land reform in NSWs with the Robertson land acts, and the first ever Melbourne Cup!

This week, we look at the three major expeditions attempting to cross Australia in 1860-1861, John McDouall Stuart's fourth and fifth expeditions, and the disastrous Burke and Wills expedition. On top of this, we discuss the topic of land reform as the colonies finally attempt to take down the Squatters.

This week, we look at the separation of Queensland from the NSW colony. We'll discuss both the process leading up to it, and what happened afterwards, to fully understand how Queensland was colonised.

In this episode focusing on the year 1859, we talk about how rabbits first arrived on the continent now known for its infamous rabbit-proof fence. We also discuss the shipwreck of the Admella, the United Confederacy of the Chinese, and the Hospital Creek Massacre. Finally, we discuss two elections in the NSW colony, and one in the Victorian colony.

An Introduction to the A History of Australia podcast.

This episode of the A History of Australia podcast discusses Sahul as it was 60,000 years ago, the Megafauna that existed on it prior to human habitation, and how the first Indigenous Australians arrived on the continent.

This episode of the A History of Australia podcast examines how Indigenous Australians spread around the continent once they arrived in Australia, the extinction of the Megafauna and whether humans were the cause, and how Indigenous Australians utilised fire to manipulate the environment.

This episode of the A History of Australia podcast focuses on Pre-Contact Indigenous Australia's material culture. In this episode, the tools/watercraft/shelters of Indigenous Australia will be overviewed and examined with how they changed across the continent. This episode will also overview pre-contact Indigenous conflict/warfare.   Website: https://ahistoryofaustraliapodcast.wordpress.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahistoryofaustraliapodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryofAust Mastodon: https://historians.social/@AHistoryofAustralia

This episode of the A History of Australia podcast will overview Pre-Contact Indigenous Australia's society, culture, and spiritual beliefs. We'll look at how concepts such as the Dreamtime, Sacred Ceremony, and Food changed across the continent, and what each of those meant for the Indigenous people who had them as a part of their lives. If you liked this episode or found it informative, feel free to leave a comment here or on one of the links below!   Website: https://ahistoryofaustraliapodcast.wordpress.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahistoryofaustraliapodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryofAust Mastodon: https://historians.social/@AHistoryofAustralia

This episode of the A History of Australia discusses the arrival of the Dingo to Australia, how the outside world first contacted the Indigenous Australians through the Makassar peoples, and the manner in which the Europeans perceived Australia before they had ever found it.

In this episode of the A History of Australia podcast, we will overview both the more fanciful and legendary explorations of Australia, as well the as the first European exploration of Australia by the Dutch.

This episode of the A History of Australia examines the British and French explorations of Australia. We look at the explorers who made their way to Australia's shores, and how they viewed both the continent and its people, during the 1600s and 1700s.

In this episode of the A History of Australia podcast, we delve into the reasons as to why the British decided to colonise Australia, and whether it is just the same story you've known since you were a child (trust us, it likely is not). We also discuss Terra Nullius, and what it meant for how the British justified their colonisation of the continent.

This episode of the A History of Australia Podcast will look at who the convicts were and how they have been understood throughout the shifting phases of Australian history. We will also look at the First Fleet, and its journey from England to Botany Bay.

In this episode, we put a magnifying glass to the first weeks of the colonisation of Australia, and examine how Arthur Phillip and the convicts went about putting the process into motion.

In this episode, we'll be overviewing the first two years of the colony, picking up right where we left off last episode. We'll discuss the crime and famine which affected the colony, as well as how the 1789 Smallpox outbreak affect the Indigenous Australians.

This week, we continue to explore how the colony of Sydney and Governor Arthur dealt with and were affected by the food crisis. We also start to see the first instances of frontier warfare, as Pemulwuy leads the first attack against the Europeans in 1790.

In this episode of the A History of Australia Podcast, we overview how the 1790 Food Crisis ended. We also take a look at the historical events of 1791-1792, and end with a retrospective on the Governorship of Arthur Phillip, looking to answer the question, was he competent and effective as a leader?

In this episode of the A History of Australia Podcast, we examine how Australia, and the colony of Sydney were affected by Francis Grose's rule. Will he continue Phillip's practices, or will he enable corruption and alcoholism across the colony?

This week's episode will take a magnifying glass to the battle/massacre of Richmond Hill, and discuss how it relates to the greater concept of Frontier Wars across Australia's History. We'll also take a quick look at Governor Hunter's arrival in the colony of NSW.

In this week's episode, we overview how newly minted Governor John Hunter attempts to fix the issues of war, corruption, and rum. We also look at how John Macarthur sets a record by igniting three public feuds in two months, and at Pemulwuy dueling against Australia's first bushranger.

In this episode, we overview the substantial Battle of Parramatta, as well as the wreck of the ship, the Sydney Cove. We will also overview the start of an exploration boom led by George Bass and Matthew Flinders.

In this week's episode, we analyse the end of John Hunter's time as Governor, as well as the journey Bass and Flinders took to establish the existence of the Bass Strait. We'll also undertake a brief retrospective on Hunter, to see if he compares to Governor Phillip or if he falls short.

In this episode we overview the first years of Governor King, as well as the duel between William Paterson and John Macarthur, the meeting of Baudin and Flinders, and the death of a recurring individual. Will King be a better Governor than Hunter? Only time will tell.

This week, we overview the Irish Rebellion/Castle Hill Convict rebellion of 1804. We also take a look at the expansion of colony across Australia, as well as the events at Risdon Cove in 1804 and how they tie in to Australia's History Wars.

This week, we overview the last years of Governor King, the return of John Macarthur, and the arrival of Governor Bligh. In essence, we take a look at the prelude to the Rum Rebellion!

This week, we explore the start of the Rum Rebellion, and examine how the personalities of John Macarthur, George Johnston, Richard Atkins, and Governor William Bligh clashed to create the circumstances which led to the coup. Part 1 of a 2 part overview.

This week, we analyse the events of January 26th 1808, as Johnston and Macarthur finally launch their coup against Governor Bligh.

This episode, we examine the aftermath of the Rum Rebellion/Macarthur's Coup. Will Macarthur and Johnston hold onto power, or will the colony of NSW extend into chaos?

In this episode, we finally step out of the shadow of Macarthur's Coup, and enter the period of Macquarie's Governorship. Will he deal with similar issues as his predecessors? Or will he prosper without Macarthur in the colony?

This week, we overview the establishment of Australia's first currency, the first crossing of the Blue Mountains, and Thomas Davey's time as Van Dieman's Land's Lieutenant Governor. Will he be able to prosper, or will bushrangers and insults from Governor Macquarie bring him down?

In the first minisode of the podcast, we explore the colonists who lived beyond the colonial frontier by 1814, including Sealers on Kangaroo Island, and two supposed 'Wild White Men'.

In this episode, we explore the 1814-1816 Hawkesbury-Nepean War. Part of the ongoing frontier wars in Australia's colonial history, this war sees one of the biggest military actions up until this point, as well as the most controversial parts of Macquarie's time as governor.

In this episode, we overview the final years of Governor Macquarie, and examine how the Exclusives played a part in his resignation. We also take the time to overview the Bigge Report, which will have major ramifications down the road, and to briefly retrospect on Macquarie's time as Governor.

In this episode of the A History of Australia podcast, we focus in on Governor Brisbane's first years as Governor. And more specifically, we analyse the introduction of colonial Australia's first democratic institution in the 1823 Legislative Council, but is it really anything more than just a token gesture in an autocracy?

In this episode we overview the last years of Governor Brisbane's time in charge, and take an eye to the frontier war against the Wiradjuri in the Bathurst region. We also take some time to discuss the bushranging mixed with frontier war in Tasmania, as well as the spread of colony across the country in the mid-1820s.

In this episode, we overview the struggle between Governor Darling and the Newspapers of the colony, as well as discuss the the separation of Van Diemen's Land from NSW. We also take a quick second to discuss an Australian ghost story.

In this episode, we explore the colonisation of the Swan River Colony (Western Australia) under Captain James Stirling. In addition, we follow the conflict between Governor Darling and the "Freer" Press to its conclusion, examine Australia's first, and possibly largest, bank robbery, and discuss the expansion of the Legislative Council.

In this episode, we overview Frontier Warfare in Van Dieman's Land during 1826-1831, and discuss the most prominent event of it all, the Black Line.

In this week's episode, we overview the Bathurst Rebellion of 1830. We also take the time to discuss Charles Sturt's exploration of the Darling and Murray Rivers, and the end of Governor Darling's period of leadership.