Trace Australia's journey from its beginnings as a British penal colony to its establishment as a federated nation with its own distinct identity.
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A Fleet of Chains Reaches Shore
This series, From Convicts to Commonwealth, traces how Australia went from a remote penal settlement to a federated nation in just over a century.
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1
Convicts Who Built a Continent
Over eighty years, roughly 161,700 convicts were shipped from Britain to Australian shores, making it one of the largest forced migrations in modern history.
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Gold Changed Everything in a Decade
In just ten years, Australia's population tripled.
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Six Colonies Become One Nation
Australia's constitution was actually put to a public vote before it took effect — one of the first times in history a nation was literally voted into existence by its…
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4
Women Voted Here Before Almost Anywhere
Just one year after federation, Australia became the second country on Earth to grant women the right to vote in national elections, following New Zealand's lead from…
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