The Land Down Under Trivia Quiz

Answer: 40,000 to 60,000 years ago

Archeological evidence dates human habitation around the Upper Swan River near Perth to around 40,000 years ago. There is other evidence elsewhere that suggests humans may have arrived up to 70,000 years ago but that evidence is unsubstantiated. The general consensus is that man first reached Australia 40,000 to 60,000 years ago.

Answer: Dutch

After first discovering what was then referred to as 'New Holland' in 1606, the Dutch charted most of the northern and western part of the continent during the 17th and 18th centuries. This work was helped, in large part, by the number of ships that were blown off course or miscalculated their position on their way to the East Indies and/or the Spice Islands.

The Dutch did not lay claim to the country because, according to the Dutch East India Company, there was "no good to be done there".

Answer: 21/22 August, 1770

Captain Cook was careful to lay claim only to the land that he had discovered (i.e. the east coast of New Holland). In 1772 Louis Aleno de St Aloüarn claimed the west coast of Australia on behalf of France but the claim was never secured by a permanent settlement.

Answer: Van Diemen's Land

In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman named the land (still thought to be part of mainland Australia at the time) after Anthony van Diemen, the then Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. The name was changed to Tasmania when it became a self-governing colony in 1856.

Answer: All of these.

The initial proposal to colonise Botany Bay suggested the land was suitable for plantations of cotton, sugar and tobacco and as such could provide compensation for displaced American Loyalists. The addition of convicts as an "Economy to the Publick, & Humanity to the Individual" was after a consultation with Lord Sydney. Also, a civil war in Holland at the time threatened a new opportunity for an old three-way alliance against Britain and a southern port would provide a base from where to attack Spanish colonies in South America and the Philippines.

Answer: 11

There were two naval escorts (HMS 'Sirius', HMS 'Supply'), 6 convict transports ('Alexander', 'Friendship', 'Charlotte', 'Lady Penrhyn', 'Prince of Wales', 'Scarborough') and three food and supply transports ('Golden Grove', 'Fishburn', 'Borrowdale'). They arrived over a period of three days from 18th to 20th January with a total of 1332 surviving men, women and children on board.

Answer: Circumnavigate and map the entire coastline of mainland Australia

Captain Flinders is also credited with being the first to popularise the name Australia. Among other references of his to the name, a chart he made for Sir Joseph Banks in 1804 was the first to use the term Australia for the landmass.

Answer: Captain William Bligh

Fifteen years after the HMAV "Bounty" mutiny, Bligh was appointed Governor of New South Wales specifically to 'rein in' the troops and wealthy landowners who were profiteering from the use of rum as a trading commodity. His confrontational style led to the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia's history in what became known as the 'Rum Rebellion' of 1808. Bligh eventually was promoted to Vice Admiral and died of an illness at the age of 63 in 1817.

Answer: South Australia

Edward Gibbon Wakefield proposed a theory of 'systematic colonisation' with the aim of establishing the province as a centre of civilisation for free immigrants, promising civil liberties and religious tolerance. When the 'South Australia Act (1834)' was proclaimed the policy of transportation of criminals was being slowly phased out and it was decided that the colony would be convict free and it remained so.

Answer: 1st January 1901

Western Australia was the last colony to hold a referendum, early in 1900. The referendum would not have passed without the support of the Eastern Goldfields in that colony, whose residents were the majority proportion of the colony's population and who were mainly from the other colonies and overseas.

The 'Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (UK)' was finally passed in Britain's parliament on 5th July, 1900 and given Royal Assent by Queen Victoria on 9th July, 1900. The proclamation ceremony was held in Centennial Park in Sydney on 1st January, 1901.