Australia in the past

The continent of Australia was first discovered by Europeans about 350 years ago, in 1606, when a small Dutch yacht is believed to have sighted the northern coast. Almost two hundred years after that, British settlers first established a colony there. There was trouble in England at the time. Prisons were crowded, especially since a man could be put in jail for debt—something that can no longer be done in any civilized country. The British decided to establish a colony in Australia for the prisoners who could not be accommodated in England.

Many of the earliest settlements were colonies of former prisoners. They were good settlers. Prosperous towns and cities grew up, and the great sheep-raising industry attracted more people to Australia. The wealth and population have kept growing constantly. Throughout the history of Australia, her soldiers have been noted for their courage and bravery in time of war. It was never necessary to draft men for service in the armed forces.Volunteers enlisted in great numbers for both World War I and World War II. Not until 1942 did Australia enact military service legislation, and then only because the enemy had overrun the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, and part of New Guinea, all of which were practically at the very door of Australia. Australians fought in every theater of war, and earned the respect of all who fought with them. Australia became a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1901, and was one of the original members of the United Nations. Australia can grow almost indefinitely. There are thousands of square miles as yet undeveloped and uncultivated, simply because there are not enough people to work on them. Australia encourages immigration of young men and women of good character