Difference between revisions of "Tasmania"
(Remove reference to Tassie being a "small" island.) |
(→European Colonisation: Remove definite and likely misinformation.) |
||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
== European Colonisation == | == European Colonisation == | ||
| − | Tasmania was first discovered by [[ | + | Tasmania was first discovered by [[Holland|Dutch]] explorer [[Abel Tasman]]. It wasn't claimed until Captain [[James Cook]] of [[Great Britain]] explored the coast of Australia. It was settled as Australia's second [[penal colony]]. |
== Gold Rush == | == Gold Rush == | ||
Revision as of 08:09, May 6, 2007
Tasmania is an island state of Australia. Its population is approximately half a million[1] and its capital, Hobart, has a population of around 200 000 people.[2]
Early History
Prior to contact from Europe, Tasmania was home to a number of indigenous groups. It is estimated that when Europeans arrived in Tasmania there were between 4000 and 10,000 Tasmanian Aborigines, in 9 tribes.[3] Most of these were systematically killed by the white colonists in the first 50 years of colonisation.[4]
European Colonisation
Tasmania was first discovered by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. It wasn't claimed until Captain James Cook of Great Britain explored the coast of Australia. It was settled as Australia's second penal colony.
Gold Rush
The colony of Tasmania declined further shipments of convicts after gold was found west of Hobart in 1835. The discovery of gold caused a rush of immigrants from the mainland and overseas. At one time, there were 10 times as many males as females in the colony—a situation which Governor L Patterson attempted to correct by paying females to immigrate to the new colony. Unfortunately, the payment of females was not a complete success with cases of immigrants providing false passports and accepting payments under false claims.
Modern Era
Tasmania joined the Australian federation at its inception in 1901, a move that was not supported by a significant minority of the voting population.
References
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics, Population by Age and Sex, Tasmania, 2005.
- ↑ Geoscience Australia, Hobart, Tasmania quoting the 1996 census.
- ↑ 1384.6 - Statistics - Tasmania, 2005 >> History >> Aboriginal occupation Australian Bureau of Statistics. Accessed 21 March 2007.
- ↑ 1384.6 - Statistics - Tasmania, 2005 >> History >> 1803-1850s, British outpost Australian Bureau of Statistics. Accessed 21 March 2007.