Events in Australian History Trivia Quiz

Answer: They are the earliest known human remains to be found in Australia

Mungo Man (properly called Lake Mungo 3 or LM3) was discovered in a dry bed along Lake Mungo in 1974. The remains belonged to a thin man of about 50 years of age who had lived nearly 50,000 years ago. The body structure is actually very different from those of present-day Aborigines. Archaeologists uncovered some of the world's earliest known religious rituals when Mungo Man was found. Mungo Man had been given a ritual burial and other remains found nearby had been cremated, the oldest known instances of funerary cremations.

In 2015, Mungo Man was returned to Aboriginal leaders who reburied him in a similar way as he was found - in a red gum casket.

Answer: Willem Janszoon

Willem Janszoon arrived in Australia at the Pennefather River near the location where the town of Weipa, Queensland now stands. Originally, Janszoon believed he was actually in a previously unencountered part of New Guinea. He mapped part of the coastline but found the swampy terrain difficult to cross. Janszoon also had trouble dealing with the native Aboriginal people who killed several of his men forcing him and the remainder of his crew to leave in June 1606.

Answer: Sydney

The First Fleet was a group of eleven ships commanded by Arthur Phillip that carried the first prisoners and whose crew established the first permanent European settlement in Australia at Port Jackson in Sydney. On January 26, 1778, the First Fleet raised the British flag at Port Jackson, signifying the dawn of British control of eastern Australia. Today, January 26 is Australia Day, the country's national holiday. Australia Day is sometimes called Foundation Day. Aboriginal people sometimes call it Invasion Day or Survival Day and use the holiday to raise awareness of Aboriginal hardship and history.

Answer: Yagan

Tensions between white settlers and the Aborigines were hot and cold. Attempts at friendship and understanding were made but rarely honored and often totally unsuccessful. One of the most notorious incidents between European settlers and Aborigines occurred in 1833 in Perth.

A group of Noongar people had raided a European camp searching for food and supplies when they were attacked and one was killed. Yagan sought revenge and killed a maid. The British put a bounty on Yagan's head and he became a much sought after target by the British men hoping to claim the reward. William Keats killed Yagan and then cut his head off to claim the bounty. Yagan became a symbol of Aboriginal resistance against British rule. Yagan's head became part of an exhibit and was displayed in a museum as a curio until it was returned to Aboriginal leaders in 2010.

Answer: They were the locations of gold rushes

Victoria experienced a series of gold rushes in the 1850s. Gold was not a new discovery there as gold had been found as early as 1823, although that discovery did not bring any attention as gold was not considered useful. However by 1850, people from all over Australia and the world flocked to Victoria to try their hand at gold prospecting.

These gold rushes were important to the development of the city of Melbourne which was called Marvelous Melbourne in those days because it symbolized wealth and prosperity. Prior to the gold rushes, Melbourne was a relatively small city but its population nearly doubled from 1851 to 1860.

Answer: Lack of government regulation of gold mines

The Eureka Rebellion, also called the Battle of Eureka Stockade, was a clash between gold miners and government officials. The main cause was the tripling of the cost of a miner's license that was required to mine for gold. Many miners thought the fee was exorbitant and was simply a ploy to limit who could mine for gold. Many prospective miners simply refused to buy a license but the government conducted frequent searches. Miners were also taxed at very high rates. Dozens of miners rebelled seeking an end to the oppressive government fees and taxation. Another point of controversy was the lack of voting rights. Miners had little to no say in how the local government was run and what policies would be instituted.

The local Victorian government quashed the rebellion though the rebels were acquitted because they enjoyed the vast support of the public. Ultimately, the Eureka Rebellion did lead to some reforms including the expansion of voting rights to some male miners and miners being given seats in the state parliament.

Answer: Mary MacKillop

Mary MacKillop was an Australian nun who founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart with Father Julian Woods in 1867. The Josephites, as they are commonly called, were dedicated to both Catholic and general education in Australia. At the time of the groups founding, there were very few strong and stable educational facilities in South Australia and no Catholic education organizations.

The Josephites sought to change that as the Catholic population increased. The organization was success and they expanded their good works to orphans and the poverty-stricken. Mary MacKillop was canonized as the first Australian Catholic saint in 2010.

She is the patron saint of Australia.

Answer: Edmund Barton

Edmund Barton was one of the first prominent voices for Australian federation. He was active at the constitutional conventions and helped write the Australian Constitution. Barton was an influential force in getting the Constitution approved via referendums.

After he became Prime Minister in 1901, Barton established a number of important institutions in Australian history including the Australian Defense Force. His administration also paved the women's suffrage in Australia. Barton resigned in 1903 to found and serve on the High Court of Australia.

Answer: Darwin

Darwin in Northern Territory was attacked repeatedly by the Japanese during World War II. It's location as a port city near Japanese controlled territories in Indonesia made it a prime and easy target for Japan. Darwin was not heavily protected or defended, despite Darwin being both being an important port and having airfields used by Allied Powers. On February 19, 1942, marked the Battle for Darwin in which the Japanese dropped over 600 bombs on the city and killed 236 people, injured hundreds of others, destroyed most of the city and forced half of the population to flee the city.

Answer: Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is an iconic landmark in Australia. It is designed to look like ship sails along Bennelong Point. The Sydney Opera House was designed by Jorn Utzon, a Danish architect. Utzon was at the time a controversial figure. Utzon and the local government repeatedly butted heads on the design and cost of the building with plans constantly changing. Utzon blamed the government for not realizing its demands and changes were expensive while Joseph Cahill, the Premier of New South Wales, blamed Utzon as being a spendthrift and wasting taxpayer money. Unable to put up with the tensions any longer, Utzon resigned as the chief architect.

He was not invited to the opening of the building nor was he even mentioned.