Australia in 20th century

On January 1, 1901, the six states that made up Australia proclaimed themselves to be part of one nation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. In 1914, Australia joined the mother country in war. In April the following year, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) formed a beachhead on the peninsula of Gallipoli in Turkey. The Turkish troops had been warned, and eight months of fighting ended with 8,587 Australian dead and more than 19,000 wounded. Australians fought in World War II in North Africa, Greece, and the Middle East. In March 1942, Japanese aircraft bombed Broome in Western Australia and Darwin in the Northern Territory. In May 1942, Japanese midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour and torpedoed a ferry before being destroyed.
Later that year, Australian volunteers fought an incredibly brave retreat through the jungles of Papua New Guinea on the Kokoda Track against much larger Japanese forces. Australian troops fought alongside Americans in subsequent wars in Korea and Vietnam and sent military support to the Persian Gulf conflicts. Following World War II, mass immigration to Australia, primarily from Europe, boosted the population. In 1974 the left-of-center Whitlam government put an end to the White Australia policy that had largely restricted black and Asian immigration since 1901. In 1986, the Australian Constitution was separated from that of England. In 1992, the High Court handed down the “Mabo” decision that ruled that Aborigines had a right to claim government-owned land if they could prove a continued connection with it. The 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney put medal-winning Australian athletes Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe in the spotlight, and spurred a new wave of interest and tourism in the Land Down Under. Australia is a modern nation coming to terms with its identity. The umbilical cord with Mother England has been cut, and the nation is still trying to find its position within Asia.
One thing Australia realized early on was the importance of tourism to its economy. Millions flock here every year. Factor in the landscape, the native Australian culture, the sunshine, the animals, and some of the world’s best cities, and you’ve got a fascinating, accessible destination full of amazing diversity and variety.