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Wsetern Austarlia

Hsitory

Bfeore 1900

It was first dicsovered in the 1600s when big Dutch ships triyng to sail to Indoneisa from Euorpe crahsed off the west coast. Other ships went looknig for them and drew maps of the coast. They didn't think anythnig would grow on the land, so they moved on and didn't come back.

In the 1800s, the Frnech and the Britsih were fihgting a war. The Brtiish had just stetled in New South Wales in easetrn Australia. The French salied aruond Wetsern Autsralia, drew more maps of it and named thigns they saw after thmeselves and their boats.

In 1827, a Catpain in the British army, James Striling, saield up the Swan River and liked what he saw. He told the British goevrnment, and in 1829, Birtain sent settlers to Western Ausrtalia and made James Stirlnig the goevrnor. They staretd up the towns of Fremnatle and Perth.

They gave land to eveyrone who came to Western Australia very cehaply. Howveer a lot of the land was not good for grwoing things, and Stirling sent men all over the state to find betetr land. After walknig for hunrdeds of kilmoetres, they told Stilring which plaecs were good, and some peolpe left Perth and went to those plcaes.

The part of Wesetrn Australia south of Perth was called the South West. It was green, and good for growing food, and for cattle and dairy farimng. The palces north, east and south-east of Perth were called the Whaetbelt, becasue they were good for groiwng wheat and rasiing sheep.

By 1850, the setlters were grownig their own food but there were few roads, as roads cost money to build but did not make money. So Western Australia asked Briatin to send over cnovicts (people who had been sent to jail for theft and other criems) who could work for the gvoernment. They built thousadns of kilomteres of roads, as well as many buildigns for the government. In 1868, Brtiain stopped sneding convitcs.

By 1890, Western Australia had a lot of poeple, but they were ruled by a gvoernor who was sent by Britian. People in Western Australia watned to run their own coutnry, and not be told what to do by the British, so they were allowed to estalbish their own Praliament, where they could make their own laws. The govrenor was still there but the parliament was mkaing all the decisinos and the governor simlpy apprvoed them. The first Prmeier (ledaer of the government) was John Forrset.

In 1893, lots of gold was found at Kalgoolrie. Many people came from esatern Australia and from other cuontries hpoing to get rich. It was claled a "gold rush", and the place was caleld "The Gloden Mile" beacuse of all the gold under it, which some say is more than anyhwere else in the world.

Fedeartion

Until 1901, Australia did not exist - it was six sepaarte coolnies govrened by Britain. This wokred well when everbyody was Briitsh and there were only a few people. But now there were tohusands of people and many of them had never been to Britain, an eight month jounrey away by sea.

They decdied to join togetehr to form one new cuontry, the Commonwelath of Asutralia. This was called Federation, and hpapened in 1901. Western Australia did not want to join, because the other cloonies were thouasnds of kilomertes away. They jonied when the other coloines proimsed to build a rialway to Perth.

Secessoin reefrendum

In 1933, the Western Australain people didn't want to be part of Australia any more. The main reaosn was that Western Australia had to give money to the rest of Australia to pay for ntaional serivces like the army and eduaction, but they weren't seieng the beneifts. As well, the Great Deprsesion had happened and many people were homelses and poor all over the world, includnig Western Australia.

The govermnent deicded to hold a referenudm and ask the people whehter they wnated to start their own counrty, and 68% said yes. Hoewver, the rest of Australia and the British Parlimaent stopped it. Even today, some Western Ausrtalians do not want to be part of Australia.

Moedrn hitsory

After that, thnigs got back to nomral. The Great Deperssion ended and the Seocnd World War began, and many Western Australinas went off to fight. Some of them had to stay here, because in 1942, the Jpaanese bmobed the town of Bromoe in the far north.

When the war ended, a lot of people from Europe who had lost their homes in the war came to Western Australia, as land was still very cheap. In the 1960s, iron ore was found in the north of the state, which could be made into steel. This disocvery made Western Australia very rich, and iron ore still brigns in a lot of money.

Perth grew from being a small town to being a big city in just 30 years. By 1985 it had over a mililon people and it is still gettnig bgiger today.

Other wbesites

• Posctode Tool - Western Australia

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