1988 Australia QEII $10 Johnston/Fraser Bicentennial in NPA Folder

European Settlement in Australia, 1788

Arrival and Ambition

When the First Fleet sailed into Port Jackson in January 1788, Britain effectively launched one of history’s most ambitious social experiments. The new colony promised a fresh start for convicts, although the term “fresh” remained debatable once they met the sweltering heat, stubborn soil and wildlife with an attitude. Nevertheless, the settlers pressed forward. Officers carved out a township, labourers wrestled the land into submission and, gradually, the fledgling colony began to hold its shape.

Encounters and Consequences

Although Britain viewed the continent as terra nullius, the reality looked entirely different. Aboriginal peoples had lived across the land for tens of thousands of years, and they responded to the newcomers with a mixture of caution, curiosity and, understandably, concern. Moreover, early encounters frequently strained relations, since European expansion steadily disrupted traditional hunting grounds and sacred sites. Even so, occasional moments of cooperation emerged, often fuelled by necessity rather than diplomacy. Consequently, both cultures influenced each other in surprising ways, shaping Australia’s long and complex social story.

Growth, Hardship and Opportunity

As the colony expanded, new settlements sprang up along the coast. Farmers experimented with crops, explorers pushed inland and traders eyed the continent’s raw potential. Meanwhile, the harsh environment tested everyone’s patience and, quite often, their sanity. Yet people adapted. Livestock thrived, wheat fields spread and, eventually, the colony transformed from a penal outpost into a bustling society. Furthermore, the discovery of gold in the 1850s accelerated everything, since fortune-seekers poured in from around the world and completely reshaped Australia’s cultural landscape.

The Bicentennial Year: Celebrations and Controversy, 1988

Two centuries later, Australians approached the Bicentennial year with both excitement and reflection. Naturally, the nation rolled out parades, tall ships, festivals and enough souvenirs to fill a warehouse. However, many people—especially Indigenous communities—used the anniversary to highlight ongoing injustices, thus prompting vital national conversations. Even so, the year delivered an important moment of collective self-examination. Ultimately, 1988 invited Australians to celebrate progress while acknowledging the profound costs borne by the First Peoples, ensuring the story of 1788 remained vivid, complex and impossible to ignore.

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