Portal:Australia

The AUSTRALIAN Portal Wikipedia portals: Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Natural sciences People Philosophy Religion Society Technology For a topic outline on this subject, see Outline of Australia. Main   Indices   Projects The Commonwealth of Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the world's smallest continent and a number of islands in the Southern, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Australia's neighbouring countries are Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east. The continent of Australia has been inhabited for more than 42,000 years by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. After sporadic visits by European explorers and merchants from the 17th century onwards, the eastern half of the continent was claimed by the British in 1770, and officially settled as the penal colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were successively established over the course of the 19th century. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth Realm. The current population of around 21 million is concentrated mainly in the coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Selected article - The Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) is a ground-dwelling tree frog native to eastern Australia. It is also known as the Green Bell Frog, Green and Golden Swamp Frog and Green Frog. Measuring 11 centimetres (4.3 in) in length, the Green and Golden Bell Frog is one of the largest Australian frogs. Many populations, particularly in the Sydney region, are in areas of frequent disturbance, including golf courses, disused industrial land, brick pits and landfill areas. Once one of the most common frogs in south-east Australia, the Green and Golden Bell Frog has undergone major population declines, leading to its current classification as globally vulnerable. Population numbers have continued to decline and major threats include habitat loss and degradation, pollution, introduced species, parasites and pathogens, such as the amphibian chytrid fungus. Selected picture - The Pinnacles Desert is an area of unique limestone formations within within the Nambung National Park in Western Australia. The desert contains many thousands of pillars, which rise up to five metres, with shape and texture having been defined by calcification processes and erosion. Since the The Pinnacles was incorporated into the national park in the 1960s, the area has become significant tourist attraction. Photo credit: Sean Mack Subportals   New South Wales Queensland Western Australia Northern Territory South Australia Victoria Tasmania Australian Capital Territory Other Australia portals Related portals   Oceania New Zealand Antarctica Commonwealth realms British Empire In the news   2 Mar : It is announced that Bob Carr is to become a Senator for New South Wales and the Minister for Foreign Affairs 27 Feb : Julia Gillard survives a leadership spill 71-31 against Kevin Rudd. 22 Feb : Kevin Rudd resigns as Minister for Foreign Affairs. 21 Feb : The largest pink diamond found in Australia, the Argyle Pink Jubilee begins its cutting in Perth. 25 Jan : Geoffrey Rush is named Australian of the Year, Marita Cheng is Young Australian of the Year and Laurie Baymarrwangga is Senior Australian of the Year. 13 Dec : Initial findings from a review of the Collins class submarines finds significant problems with the submarines and their management. On this day... - 3 March: 1911 – The city of Palmerston in the Northern Territory is renamed Darwin in honour of Charles Darwin. 1942 – Japanese forces carry out air-raids on Broome. 1986 – The Australia Act 1986, which completes Australia's independence from the United Kingdom, is proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony in Canberra. More Australian anniversaries Did you know... - ... that Troughman is mythically famous in Sydney, Australia for lying down in urinals? ... that Jordan Rankin, at 16 years and 238 days, is the youngest player to make his first-grade debut in Australian rugby league in over 70 years? ... that Reg Lindsay was an Australian Country and Western singer who won three Golden Guitars Awards and wrote more than five hundred songs in his fifty year music career? ... that the murder of Celia Douty was the first murder in Australia to be solved using DNA profiling, after remaining unsolved for 18 years? ...that the town of Bismarck in Tasmania was renamed Collinsvale due to anti-German sentiment during World War I? ...that Indigenous Australian activist Michael Mansell convinced Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi to officially recognise a separate Aboriginal Australian passport in order to draw international attention to the issue of native land rights? ...that Wally Koochew was the first VFL player of Chinese background? ...that Wing Commander Stanley Goble and Flying Officer Ivor McIntyre, piloting a single-engined seaplane (pictured), became the first men to circumnavigate Australia by air in 1924? ...that a series of storms in south-east Queensland spawned two of the most powerful supercells and tornadoes in recorded Australian history? ...that the lamington cake is believed to have been named after Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, the Governor of Queensland at the time of its invention? ...that during the first seven years of the Australian edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? nobody won the top prize of one million dollars?

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