Australia-An Collab Alternate History

TaintedTamt

So I was thinking with a POD of 1770 where Britain sends over real colonists instead of convicts, how different can we make Australia?
Here are the first three:
- 1779: Sir Joseph Banks' plan to colonize Australia with American Loyalists and British Colonist at Botany Bay goes unchanged and it's well accepted by the British Government
-1788: The British First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay led by Governer Arthur Phillip
-1803: Matthew Flinders completes the first circumnavigation of the continent (still known as "New Holland")
 

TaintedTamt

I was thinking that something similar to the American Revolution would happen. Shatters the British Empire and Australia becomes a republic or something.
 

TaintedTamt

Yeah go ahead anyone can join in and add what they like whether it be Austrlian History or world history affected by what had heppaned in Australia.
 

Atomicwalrus

Rightyo this is my first contribution so be kind i may have gone over the top.:D


1804:
New South Wales.
Population 7040
With poor soil conditions and its unreliable sources of fresh water the colony of Botany Bay is abandoned and moved up the coast one inlet further north and christened New Albion. (OTL Sydney)

1805:
New South Wales.
Population: 6950
While conditions in New Albion are better than the old colony of Botany Bay but the soil quality is still terribly low for crops forcing the colonies governor Captain Philip King to send exploratory missions inland in search of better soil. These exploratory missions lead to the discovery of a fertile river catchment known as the Parramatta region by natives. Over the course of the year a township will be constructed in the area populated by the majority of the colonies settlers becoming the main economic centre for the colony, leaving New Albion as a seldom used port and small fishing village for the foreseeable future.

1806:
Van Diemen's Land.
Population: 757
With the arrival of a new fleet of settlers a new settlement is established on the north cost of Van Diemen's Land at the mouth of the Tamar river (OTL George Town) christened Patersonia, named after the settlements founder William Paterson to help secure Bass Strait and exploit the abundant timber in the area.

New South Wales.
Population: 7162
While conditions are better in New South Wales for the Europeans, smallpox sweeps the indigenous population killing hundreds of natives. Tensions between natives and Europeans start to rise following the smallpox out break after a meeting of aboriginal elders in late December determine that it was a curse brought by British settlers.

1807:
Van Diemen's Land.
Population 748
The new settlement of Patersonia celebrates the first children born in the colony. A young entrepreneur William Collins discovers a small populations of dog sized creatures with unique stripped pelts near the colony christening them Van Diemen Dogs (OTL Tasmanian Tigers). Seeing an opportunity for profit Collins plans to capture and breed these creatures to sell their pups and unusual pelts.

New South Wales.
Population 7948
Tensions between European Settlers and locals reach breaking point as some tribes start to attack travellers between the as yet unnamed township at Parramatta and New Albion. Settlers start to call for reprisal attacks as travellers start to go missing.
 
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Atomicwalrus

Does anyone protest in me going again, its just I find this topic pretty interesting and I'm bubbling with ideas lol.

Atomicwalrus
 
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Atomicwalrus

1808:
New South Wales
Population: 8105
Conflict turns to outright hostilities when a coordinated attack from multiple aboriginal tribes is launched on the township of New Albion; the attack is eventually repelled with moderate casualties taken on both sides. The attack on New Albion is often marked by historians as the beginnings of the First Australian Frontier War, resulting in the demoralised and pox stricken natives being driven out of the New Albion area spreading small pox across the continent.

Van Demines Land
Population: 1158
The settlement of Patersonia makes peacefully contact with local indigenous this year though colonists’ still remain fearful due to conflict on mainland.
William Collins breeding sees success with the first pups bred in captivity. It’s discovered that the pups make good pets if raised from birth but act more like a cat then a dog. Collins also makes his first profit from his dogs selling skins from those he has hunted to sailors heading back to the UK.

1809:
New South Wales
Population: 9105
Long serving Governor Philip King dies from heart failure and is buried in the New Albion cemetery hailed as a hero in the First Australian Frontier War and honoured for his contribution to the colony. In honour of his services as governor the township at Parramatta is named Phillipstown. Until a new governor is sent the settlement will be run by the military under the command of Major George Johnston, with the colony run officially by William Paterson in Patersonia.

Van Diemen’s Land
Population: 1298
The settlement of Patersonia continues to expand peacefully under the leadership of William Paterson. This year also seen the first official mapping of the Tamar river with numerous locations for future settlement found downstream.

1810:

The last dedicated settler fleet until the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars is sent to bringing the new governor captain William Bligh of the infamous bounty mutiny.

New South Wales
Population: 10096
Colony continues to grow under the military administration of Major George Johnston. Attempts to explore west though are halted as no path over the nearby Blue Mountains can be found.

Van Demines Land
Population: 1470
A spate of measles sweeps the colony causing one death in the colonists but devastating the local tribes which it trades with it.
Collins Van Diemen dogs are swiftly starting to grow in popularity as pets due to most dogs in the colony being wiped out from a mysterious disease, while Collins dogs are harder to train they do act as good ratters and companions if raised from birth.

1811:
New South Wales
Population: 10902
Governor William Bligh arrives in New Albion in November, relieving Major George Johnston of duty. Some of the new settlers brought are Spanish and Portuguese refugees from the Napoleonic wars they chiefly settle around the city of New Albion.

Van Demines Land
Population: 1694
New settlers from the recent settler fleet bring the first livestock to the settlement until then the colonist relied on seafood and anything they could hunt for their protein needs. The area around Patersonia is found unsuitable for livestock and so a new settlement is made downstream christened Launceston in honour of the late governor Phillip king who was born in Launceston Cornwall.


While I don’t expect anyone else to post population (its more just for me so that I can get things straight in my head) I got my information from the Australian bureau of statistics if anyone is interested.
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3105.0.65.0012008?OpenDocument
 

TaintedTamt

1812: When the ships return from the colony of Van Dieman's Land the bring back with them a large amount of Collins' Van Dieman's Dog's. The quickly become very popular amongst the wealthy of Britain.

1813: The high popularity of Collins' Van Dieman's Dog's make Collin's very wealthy prompting him to expand his operation in Van Dieman's Land and buy a large amount of land. Large amounts of interest in moving to New Holland (Australia) amongst Britain's wealthy becomes apparant after rumors of large amounts of land and great oppertunities. People in Britain and Europe are calling Australia the 'New America'.

(As a note I'm doing this from school and hope to explore the effect of a high increase of wealthy colonists to Australia will make. I also want to create a need for a independent Australia that controls New Zealand as well. Maybe a war with Britain? But let's see how the timeline moves on first)
 
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pompejus

Are there any plans for west Australia to become French? I know there were serious ideas in France to colonise it, but the English prevented it by colonising it first.
 

TaintedTamt

No there isn't. You can add that if you would like. Maybe leads to a war between the French and British. There is a large interest in Australia all over Europe as said in my last post.
 

TaintedTamt

Go ahead Atomic just add when you have stuff. We will keep going and flesh the timeline out as we go we dont need to post stuff in order either.
 

Atomicwalrus

OK here is my version of the Rum Rebellion for this TL. Reading up on the OTL Rum Rebellion makes you think that Bligh was either real unlucky or deserved two mutinies.

1814:
For the first time New Holland is referred to as Australia in an official document

New South Wales:

Throughout the year Governor Bligh brought in reforms limiting the distribution of liquors across the colony and making the importation of stills illegal. Bligh’s reforms angered many wealth landowners many of whose wealth came from selling cheap rum to the New South Wales Marine Corps.

Bligh’s plans for the colony required the compulsory acquisition of lands around New Albion including properties owned by the ex soldier and now wealthy wool tycoon John Macarthur. The taking of Macarthur’s lands will be seen in the future as one of the main catalysts which started the Rum Rebellion.

1814 also sees the first crossing of the Blue Mountains unlocking the interior of the continent for settlement.

Van Demines land:
The first organised attempts to convert the local indigenous population are conducted this year though little progress is made.
With the competition between sealers rising in the colony due to sealing grounds depleting some sealers turn to whaling as American and French whalers are having much success whaling around New Zealand.
Motivated by Collins growing wealth settlers start to trap and hunt Van Diemen dogs though very few attempt to breed them like Collins. Hunting of Van Demine dogs becomes the most popular around Launceston were wild dogs are often blamed for taking the colonists livestock.


1815:

With the ending of the Napoleonic wars thousands of settlers descend on Australia during the following decades.

The UK’s over populated prisons still pose a problem which cannot be ignored, search for a suitable penal colony commence with New Zealand a likely choice.

New South Wales:

The growing unpopularity of Bligh reforms in the previous year and his harsh treatment of the New South Wales Marine Corps lead to murmuring of rebellion.

Dissent in the colony grows to fever pitch in June due to the harsh treatment of settlers and marines working on clearing a road over the Blue Mountains, culminating in a military coup led by John Macarthur and Major George Johnston. The defeated Bligh flees to the UK as Major Johnston is appointed acting governor.

Van Demines Land:
News of the coup in New Albion shocks the settlements dubbed the Rum Rebellion by colonists, most declare neutrality until word is sent from Brittan.
Tin is discovered in the hills near Launceston launching a small minerals boom in the area.

Whaling in the area starts to increase in popularity while the remaining sealers look for new sealing grounds.

1816:
Bligh arrives in Brittan to inform the government of his betrayal he is met by the son of John Macarthur who tells his father’s side of the story. It is decided that Major George Johnson will be court marshalled in England while John Macarthur will be tried in New Albion. Major General Lachlan Macquarie is selected to become the new Governor of New South Wales.

Van Demines Land.
The first new settlers following the Napoleonic wars arrive in Patersonia upon learning of the coup from its leader it leader William Paterson; many opt for settling in Van demines Land rather than New South Wales swelling the population.

New South Wales.
News of the settlers remaining in Van demines land does not go over well in New South Wales, with many thinking old man William Paterson is over stepping his bounds.

Some of the settlers bring Van Diemen dogs gifted to them in Patersonia, bringing the first thylacines to the continent in 3000 years.

Under acting Governor George Johnston lands are given to those who helped during the coup with the lands taken by Bligh returned to their original owners.

With the pass over the Blue Mountains cleared the first inland settlement named Bathurst is constructed. Many settlers note that the rivers on this side of the Blue Mountains flow west fuelling rumours of an inland sea.
 
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Julius Vogel

Julius Vogel

You would need to put the Penal Colony in the South Island, if you must put one in NZ, as the North would be a pretty risky place, given that the Maori would not take too kindly to being asked to give land for prisons. NIMBY etc ;)
 

Atomicwalrus

I don't really like double posting but since there have been no claims. I attempted to make it more likely at federation for New Zealand to be included via making it apart of a Tasmanian colony though I can see it easily splitting away. Would be interesting though to see if this timeline has a version of the Treaty of Waitangi and how that would affect an independent Australia's Constitution if New Zealand joined.

Also does anyone know much about the gold rush around Bathurst in the 1850's, what would be the likely hood of it happening sooner and the affects of an earlier gold rush in the 20's or 30's.

Rightyo enough rambling here ya go.


1817
New South Wales.
Upon the arrival of Governor Macquarie to New Albion his first task was to restore order and arrest Major George Johnson and John Macarthur only to find that they had already left for Brittan to defend themselves. The ship carrying Johnson and Macarthur would never reach Brittan going down with all hands during a storm in the Indian Ocean.

Macquarie immediately cracked down on those who supported the rebellion, cancelling all land leaves and grants gifted by the rebel administration and deporting the NSW garrison replacing it with one loyal to him.
During the first year of his administration Macquarie promoted exploration of the interior offering a reward of £2000 to anyone who could discover the theorised inland sea.

Van Demines land.
Settlements in Van Diemen’s Land continue to flourish over the year with the whaling and mining industry booming.

With Van Diemen’s Land flourishing and its position as a potential stopover for ships from the west heading to New Zealand, movements are made to split it and New Zealand from New South Wales forming the colony of Three Islands in preparation for convicts to be sent to New Zealand.

While the mining and whaling industries are booming William Collins monopoly on breeding Van Diemen dogs has all but evaporated. With the Collins families main source of income shrinking they decide to sell up and move to the mainland squatting near the newly founded Bathurst Township.
 

TaintedTamt

Sorry but I'm unable to contribute until tomorrow but I will add stuff about the British bourgeosie coming to Australia and the Eureka Stockade and how that's going to be different in this timeline. I'm thinking of making it the point in which Australia unites and becomes a Republic. Any thoughts on that?

Also we need to talk about foreign animals like foxes and rabbits which become a real pest in the end. Will definatley post tomorrow.
 
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