1860 National Party founded

1927 Federal Government is moved to Canberra.

1944 Liberal Party founded.

About 45000BC the first Aboriginals settled the country arriving from India and south east Asia. Unmolested by western man they lived an isolated tribal existence. The Dutch arrived (Willem Jansz Duyfken discovered Cape York 1606AD) but did not settle and colonise the island. In the 17th century (1770) Captain James Cook claimed New South Wales for the British Crown but it was not until the 18th and 19th centuries that coastal and interior surveys were made. The Prison colony of Sydney was created in 1778, the actual prisoners may have been convicted and transported over the most trivial `crimes`, you could say that many were no more than a form of `free` slave labour for the new country, created by the British judicial system. Free settlers arrived around 1781. In 1829 Western Australia was colonised and 1836 South Australia was colonised. The British allowed Australian colonies to right to their own constitution and controlled self government in 1850.The last prison transports ended in 1868. The colonies were gradually granted self government and eventually evolved into states. In 1901 the Commonwealth Of Australia was formed by the states of Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia. (Prime minister, Sir Edmund Barton). The Northern Territory joined the group in 1911 and the capital city of Canberra was founded in 1927.