A brief history
Australia has been inhabited by its aboriginal population for thousands of years, however, the majority of its population today have European ancestry. Europeans first made contact with the island as early as 1606, and increased colonization from the 19th century saw ethnic Europeans become the majority, as much of the aboriginal population was wiped out through conflict, smallpox, and other diseases. The continent's mainland was claimed by the British Empire in 1826, and inward expansion in the middle of the century resulted in the discovery of abundant natural resources, such as gold, which then led to waves of migration from Asia. Australia changed its status to a British dominion in 1901, the same year it implemented its White Australia Policy, restricting non-white migration and cementing ethnic-European dominance in Australian politics and society. A dispute over whether Melbourne or Sydney should be named as the nations capital eventually resulted in a compromise, where a new city, Canberra, was purpose built for the role by 1913.Australia became independent in 1931 but remains a part of the British Commonwealth to this day. It fought on the side of the Allies in both World Wars, and the Second World War in particular left a lasting legacy on the country’s population, economy, and foreign policy. In the second half of the 20th century, Australia became one of the world’s leading industrial economies, and developed strong trading ties with its Pacific neighbors and the U.S., while maintaining its connection with its traditional partners in Europe. The White Australia Policy was gradually dismantled by 1973, which resulted in increased migration from other parts of the Asia-Pacific region, and the population has diversified significantly since then.