History Australia's Aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of the Australian continent, arrived from Asia at least 50,000 years ago. 18. century Australia was mapped by Dutch, British, France navigators Captain James Cook charted the east coast and claimed it for Britain. settlement established penal colonies From 1830 enunciation of the doctrine of terra nullius big colonization by Europian discovery of gold many immigrants from all over the world https://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/the-land-and-its- people.html#brief_history the six colonies united to form the federal Commonwealth of Australia From 191418, more than 400,000 Australians volunteered in World War I.