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| 1813 |
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| Gregory Blaxland with two companions (William Lawson and William C. Wentworth) first succeeded in penetrating the mass of mountains along the coast, thus paving the way for the advance to the plateau of the interior. | 1 |
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| 1815 |
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| Bathurst, the first town in the interior, was founded and a road built to it from Sydney. | 2 |
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| 1817–18 |
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| John Oxley began the exploration of the interior, following the Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers. He found the country more or less flooded, but the discovery of great grassy regions stimulated settlement. The government granted land freely to immigrants and to emancipists, in addition to whom large numbers of squatters began to occupy grazing lands. Brutal and rapid extermination of the native people, who had become aggressive after many outrages by the whites (kidnapping of women and children, etc.). Rapid development of bushranging (lawlessness of escaped convicts and other bandits, who terrorized the more remote areas). | 3 |
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| 1819–21 |
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| Inquiry of John T. Bigge, a London barrister sent out to investigate the government and the general condition of the colony. Bigge, having collected much material, recommended liberal land grants to settlers and extensive use of convict labor to open up the country. | 4 |
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| 1821–25 |
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| SIR THOMAS BRISBANE, the eminent astronomer, served as governor after the recall of Macquarie. The period of his rule was marked by an acceleration of development. Land was granted generously on condition that the grantee take over one convict for every 100 acres. Sale of Crown lands ensued, but not more than 4,000 acres to any one person. Systematic clearing of lands was performed by convict gangs, at fixed prices. Organization of large syndicates took place: the Australian Agricultural Company received a grant of 1 million acres and a monopoly of the coal mining near Newcastle. The Van Diemen's Land Company was given a grant of 400,000 acres in Tasmania. | 5 |
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| 1823 |
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| Brisbane's administration was distinguished also by the establishment of a legislative council, the first step in the development of representative government. The council consisted of five to seven nominated members, who could act on measures submitted by the governor. In 1828 the council was enlarged by the addition of seven nonofficial members. Beginning of the agitation for representative government, inspired by William C. Wentworth, editor of The Australian (1824). | 6 |
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| 1824 |
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| New convict settlements were opened, to take care of the most dangerous elements. One was established at Moreton Bay, and the town of Brisbane was founded. In 1842 free settlers were allowed into this district. In 1825 (June) Norfolk Island was reoccupied and the worst felons were transported there. Brutal treatment led to several serious uprisings, and in 1853 the penal colony on Norfolk was given up. | 7 |
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| 1824–25 |
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| Explorations of Hamilton Hume and William Hovel beyond the mountains west of Sydney. They crossed the upper Murray River and ultimately reached the south coast near Geelong. The rich country discovered by them was soon penetrated by settlers. | 8 |
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| 1825 |
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| Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) was separated from New South Wales and was thenceforth administered by a lieutenant governor and a legislative council. Horrible conditions prevailed in the island, with its large convict population. The bushrangers, under leaders like Matthew Brady, were well organized in bands and attacked settlers and native people. In 1828 martial law was declared against Aborigines in the settled districts, leading to the Black War, which cost many lives. The lieutenant governor, Col. George Arthur, finally managed to track down the bushrangers, many of whom were hanged, but his efforts to corral the native people (the Black Line, 1830) failed. George Robinson, a Methodist settler, offered to serve as conciliator. He succeeded in getting the remnants of the native tribes to submit and in 1832–34, the 123 who remained were established on Flinders Island, where efforts were made to “civilize” them. The experiment failed. By 1847 only 47 Aborigines remained, and these were moved back to Tasmania. The last man of full blood in Tasmania died in 1869 and the last woman in 1876. | 9 |
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| 1825–31 |
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| RALPH DARLING, governor of New South Wales. He was much more vigorous and autocratic than his predecessor and much less favorable to the emancipists. Conflict with Wentworth occurred over freedom of the press, drastic suppression of disorder, and the Bushranging Act (1830)—suspects were to be arrested without warrant and held until proved innocent. On the other hand, Darling's rule was distinguished by the extension of the council and by the introduction of trial by jury for criminal cases. Emancipists were permitted to serve on juries, except in special cases. Darling continued the policy of generous land grants, and by the end of his period some 4 million acres had been granted in New South Wales, much of it in large blocks. | 10 |
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| 1825–27 |
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| The government, alarmed by the explorations of the Frenchman Dumont d'Urville along the coasts, established posts at Westernport, at Albany on the southwest coast, and at Melville Island on the north coast, but none of these thrived. In 1829 the British government, however, laid claim to the whole of the continent. | 11 |
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| 1827–30 |
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| Progress of exploration. Allan Cunningham in 1827 discovered the rich Darling Downs, in the hinterland of Brisbane. In 1829 (Feb. 2) Charles Sturt, seeking for the great inland sea, which he was convinced existed, discovered the Darling River. On a second journey (1829–30) he descended the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers to the sea, returning via the same route to Sydney. | 12 |
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