Can You Ace This Australian History Quiz?

HISTORY

By: Olivia Cantor

6 Min Quiz

Image: YouTube

About This Quiz

This island continent, which is situated in the geographical region of Oceania is referred to Sahul, Australinea, and Meganesia. It is part of the Indo-Australian plate, one of the Earth’s oldest landmasses, as well as the smallest of the seven continents. In addition to the mainland, the region is also composed of Tasmania, New Guinea, New Britain and several small neighboring islands.

Europeans made contact with the continent as early as 1606, but colonization didn’t take place until 1788. Prior to this, the continent was inhabited by the indigenous people, who were believed to have migrated there between 30,000 and 50,000 years ago. These people are categorized into two main groups; the Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islander people. Much of their population was drastically declined due to conflict with the British and lack of immunity to their diseases.

Today, Australia experiences a generally positive economy, much of its income is generated from its natural resources. Tourism is also another major economic factor, as millions of people every year are drawn to the country for various reasons – whether it be its beaches, coral reefs, or the unique biodiversity of the region. But a place is nothing without its history and today, we want to see how much you know about Australia's humble beginnings.

What is the term used for the indigenous people of Australia, deemed as the early settlers in the land?

The Aborigines are the recognized early settlers who occupied the land to be named later as Australia. The Aborigines are the indigenous people of Australia said to have one of the longest-running ancient cultures still present today.

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This very Australian “toy” and sports item historically started as an Aboriginal hunting weapon which gets thrown and returns to the hunter. What’s it called?

The boomerang is like a flat wood that looks like a slightly curved flat stick. Its aerodynamic feature enables it to be swung to hit a target and it comes back to where the thrower is standing.

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From which continent did the early explorers and colonizers of Australia come from?

Europeans were the ones who set sail around the globe to find new territories to settle in, or colonize. It’s no accident they were the ones who “found” the land to be dubbed as Australia.

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The infamous first settlers of Australia as a British colony were this kind of people.

The first wave of people sent to live in the new British colony was made up of convicts. The newly-discovered Australian land was meant to become a penal colony.

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Which Australian city was the first to host the Summer Olympics in 1956?

Melbourne was the site of the 1956 Summer Olympics. Australia hosted the games a second time in 2000 in Sydney.

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In 1911, the Australian capital was finally identified. Which city holds this distinction?

Canberra was chosen as the country’s capital on January 1, 1911. A contest was even conducted which called on designers to create the capital city.

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April 25 is celebrated in Australia as Anzac Day. What kind of chaotic event is being commemorated here?

Anzac Day is celebrated every April 25 in Australia. It’s a throwback to honor men who fought in wars.

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Who became the first female prime minister in Australia's history?

Julia Gillard became the first female prime minister of Australia in 2010. She was the 27th Primer Minister of the country, whose rule ended in 2013.

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What is the nationality of Willem Janszoon, one of the first European navigators who sighted part of Australia’s land?

Willem Janszoon, also known as Willem Jansz, is believed to be the first man from Europe to discover the land of Australia. He was a Dutch man.

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When talking about the Stolen Generation, what kind of people were greatly affected by this?

The Stolen Generation refers to the numerous children removed from their mothers, mostly those who are half-Aborigines or half-castes as they were termed. Children from around 1905 to 1969 belonged to this generation-victimized practice, which was eventually abolished.

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Which Australian city was historically named after a place in Scotland?

Perth is a city located in Western Australia. It isnamed after Perth, Scotland, which is the where Sir George Murray, the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, was born.

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In 1606, this European sailed through the area to be named after him later on, called Torres Strait. Who is this second European to make contact in Australia?

Louis Vaes de Torres also sailed near Australia the same year Willem Janszoon discovered it. Torres was part of the Portuguese explorers who were also active in searching for new lands to discover during that century.

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Which Australian city was originally founded as the penal colony?

Sydney is in New South Wales. This was the destination of the first ships with convicts deployed from Britain to found the penal colony in Australia.

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Abel Tasman was the Dutch explorer who discovered Tasmania. What name did they give to that area before it was named after him?

Van Diemen’s Land was Tasmania’s original name. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman documented this part of Australia, as well as the lands of New Zealand and Fiji which he sighted first.

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What important mineral was unearthed in Victoria and New South Wales during the mid-1800s?

Gold was discovered during the 1850s in Australia. This set a new wave of migrants seeking to make a fortune out of this discovery.

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What is the term used by the Aboriginal culture which refers to their creation myths and stories?

Dreaming stories revolve around how the spirits forged the creation of the universe and established its systems and structures that make every living being exist and thrive. This is the collective belief of the Aborigines.

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Which famous captain discovered and claimed part of Australia for the UK?

Captain James Cook was the one who claimed Australia in 1770. Technically, it was the New South Wales territory that he proudly claimed for Britain.

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Since Australian lands began flourishing due to the early colonies, many people migrated there, who ended up usurping Aboriginal land areas. What term was used for these kinds of migrants?

Squatters is the term used for migrants during the early 1800s. They had a huge negative impact on the Aboriginal people since they squatted on ancient land, often bringing conflict and violence.

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What does Anzac in Anzac Day stand for?

ANZAC is short for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers belonging under this original grouping fought during World War I.

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Before Australia was “discovered” by the Western world, was it uninhabited or occupied?

Australia was already occupied by early indigenous people numbering somewhere from 300,000 to 700,000, according to varied archaeological and historical studies.

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Which city in South Australia is rather proud to have settlers without convict roots?

Adelaide prides itself of being established by so-called “free settlers.” This means that they’re not part of the original convict population that arrived there.

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If you still want to see the historical Aboriginal art today, which place is a good area to visit to see a lot of these very ancient records?

Kakadu National Park is located in northern Australia. The site has around 5,000 kinds of rock art carefully preserved. It was made as far back as 20,000 years or so.

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Anzac soldiers of World War I also went by another name. What term was used to refer to them?

Anzac diggers is also a term used to refer to the Anzac soldiers of World War I. While they faced many horrors, these diggers are still being honored today.

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How many colonies made up the whole of Australia before it became one commonwealth nation?

Australia had six colonies in all. These colonies later became the country’s founding states.

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What was the Eureka Stockade all about?

The Eureka Stockade is also known as the Eureka Rebellion. This happened in Victoria in 1854, when gold miners were finally fed up with oppressive and limiting standards that the colonizers imposed on the industry.

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The incredible stories of the Anzac digger personas were created due to a losing battle in Gallipoli. In which modern-day country was Gallipoli located?

The Gallipoli campaign involved different Allied forces gathering together against the Ottoman Empire to hopefully take down Constantinople, their enemy’s capital. Constantinople is now Istanbul, located in modern-day Turkey.

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What year did Australia unite to become one nation, with one recognized constitution?

In 1901, one constitution finally united all of the existing states of Australia. This eventually led in the formation of the commonwealth.

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British army officer John Macarthur and his businesswoman wife, Elizabeth, were credited to have brought this industry to the vast meadows of Australian land.

The wool industry flourished in early Australia because of the Macarthurs. It is recorded that the introduction of the merino sheep was an important development in the country’s industry and commerce.

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During the 1960s, this mineral played a big part in a rise and crash incident at the Australian stock market. What was it?

Nickel was said to have been discovered in Western Australia in 1969, the time when demand for it was very high due to the current war/s of the era. Speculation made its value rise, but its actual value made the price plummet and crash. This was known as the Poseidon bubble, named after Poseidon NL, the Australian company that discovered the nickel deposit.

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In 1974, Australia joined the ASEAN as a dialogue partner, having trade and diplomatic relations with countries that make up this grouping. What does ASEAN stand for?

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN is made up of 10 countries from the Southeast Asian Region. However, due to the ASEAN Plus Six revision, six other countries were included in the list, which now includes Australia.

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This English humanitarian advocated for the rights and welfare of women during the colonial period in Australia. What’s her name?

Caroline Chisholm is a recognized advocate of women in the colonies. She advocated for migration reform policies and also helped Aboriginal communities.

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This military takeover of the Australian government is touted as the only successful one of that kind in the country’s history. What’s it called?

The Rum Rebellion happened in 1808. It was also known as the Great Rebellion where Governor William Bligh of New South Wales was overthrown by the concerted efforts of the New South Wales Corps of soldiers and officers.

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One of the earliest evidence of ritualistic cremations is found in New South Wales. In what body of water was this found?

It was in Lake Mungo where the oldest evidence of cremations was found. This states that early humans already developed religious structures and formed rituals, which humans continue to do up to this day.

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The land mass of Australia was once believed to be a part of a larger land mass, just like Laurasia, which grouped major land masses before they separated into smaller continents. What’s the major land mass that subsumed Australia?

The land mass of the earth was believed to be divided into two super continents called Laurasia and Gondwana. The ones at the “bottom” of the globe, where Australia was originally connected, was Gondwana.

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