Early days of European settlement

Test yourself on this topic

11 questions on this topic, each with the answer explained.

1. 1. Convicts from Britain were transported to which new colony?

   • Victoria
   • Queensland
   • Tasmania
   • New South Wales

   Explanation: New South Wales was the first colony set up to receive transported convicts; other colonies came later.

2. 2. In which colonies was gold discovered when the gold rush began?

   • South Australia and New South Wales
   • Queensland and Western Australia
   • New South Wales and Victoria
   • Victoria and Tasmania

   Explanation: The gold discoveries that started the rush were made in the colonies of New South Wales and Victoria.

3. 3. In which year did the 'gold rush' begin in Australia?

   • 1788
   • 1901
   • 1851
   • 1967

   Explanation: Gold was found in 1851, and people from many countries hurried to the colonies hoping to become rich.

4. 4. On what date did the First Fleet arrive in Australia?

   • 1 January 1901
   • 26 June 1770
   • 26 January 1851
   • 26 January 1788

   Explanation: European settlement began on this date, when the convict ships from Great Britain reached Australia.

5. 5. What became known as the 'First Fleet'?

   • The first 11 convict ships that arrived in 1788
   • The first 11 navy ships built in Australia
   • The first 11 gold ships that sailed to Victoria
   • The first 11 trading ships sent to China

   Explanation: The eleven ships that brought the first convicts from Great Britain were given the name the First Fleet.

6. 6. What happened to Australia's population in the 10 years after the gold rush started?

   • It grew by only a few hundred
   • It slowly fell by about half
   • It stayed at about the same level
   • It more than doubled in size

   Explanation: So many people came from around the world to look for gold that the population grew to more than twice its earlier size.

7. 7. Which TWO of these did Australia's early free settlers come from?

   • China
   • Great Britain
   • Ireland
   • Germany

   Explanation: The first free settlers, who were not convicts, came from Great Britain and from Ireland.

8. 8. Which heritage has had a major influence on Australia's recent history, culture and politics?

   • Its Spanish and Portuguese heritage
   • Its African and Caribbean heritage
   • Its British and Irish heritage
   • Its Chinese and Japanese heritage

   Explanation: Because the early settlers came from Britain and Ireland, their traditions shaped Australian culture, law and politics.

9. 9. Which people were the first large group of migrants to Australia who did not come from Europe?

   • Indian people who arrived with the First Fleet
   • American people who came after the world wars
   • African people who came with the free settlers
   • Chinese people who arrived during the gold rush

   Explanation: Chinese people came in large numbers to look for gold, making them the first big group of non-European migrants.

10. 10. Who was the first Governor of the colony of New South Wales?

    • Captain James Cook
    • Governor Lachlan Macquarie
    • Sir Henry Parkes
    • Captain Arthur Phillip

    Explanation: Captain Arthur Phillip led the new colony as its first Governor after the First Fleet arrived.

11. 11. Why did the British Government decide to transport convicts to the other side of the world?

    • The new colony needed skilled workers for its farms
    • British courts had stopped sending people to jail
    • British jails could not hold all the people imprisoned
    • Convicts had asked to be sent to a new colony

    Explanation: Harsh laws meant very many people were sent to prison, and the jails in Britain were full, so convicts were sent far away instead.