Cook Surveys an Iron Australia

From the report of Captain James Cook, 1772:


Our Survey of the east coast of the land mass has confirmed earlier Dutch voyages. Where the climate and soil permit, the native Kingdoms are numerous and are engaged in agriculture and warfare amongst themselves. Several of the larger kingdoms are served by vassal states.

On each landing, we were met by delegations of chiefs accompanied by warriors armed with well made bows, spears and knives. Many of these implements had iron tips. Our muskets, though they commanded respect, did not inspire awe.

Aston Astute, the ethnographer who accompanied me identified coins issued by various Javanese sultanates worn as jewelry by the natives. He believes that the natives had obtained these coins and possibly the bow designs from other black kingdoms to the west and that likewise, they had heard stories of fire arms from these sources.

-How would a more densely populated and more technologically advanced Australia impact European settlement attempts?

- How does this impact the future Australian nation or... perhaps nations?
 
More populous and more belligerent natives are going to make Australia a lot more like New Zealand. Expect it to take a long time to subjugate the continent and possibly a large autonomous region in the interior.
 
I would say the Australia becomes more like India.
Firstly traders come, they bring troops to protect their goods from local thieves etc. If the French are there also (unlikely but even so) then their will be rivalry between the French and English influenced kingdoms.

The native rulers then make use of the more advanced weapons and tactics of the English to fight eachother. Slowly the English become more influential, as they have the administration know how as well as the military muscle. Assuming they defeat the French influenced kingdoms they may take on a rruling role rather than handing it to a native puppet.

Over time the English slowly take control of areas of the country, their influence slowly creaping into every native kingdom.

Following behind the soldiers and the administrators are the missionaries, and they start the process inposing Christian belief on the "savages". Since the missionaries also brought doctors, and presuming that dieses followed the English, this would be a faster process than in Africa.

In a century or so the English would control (normally via puppets) most of the population and resources. So by the time Victoria died Australia would be another "jewel in the crown" of the greatest empire the world has ever seen.

The English would be far more active in the Pacific / Indian Ocean, as they would now have major trading centres in India, Hong Kong and Australia. I can see them extending their reach to Japan (more so than in OTL) and Indonesia.

Of course this will have a major effect on Africa, for the missionaries and entreprenaries would propably head to Australia and the Pacific rather than the Dark Continant.
 
Over time the English slowly take control of areas of the country, their influence slowly creaping into every native kingdom.

In a century or so the English would control (normally via puppets) most of the population and resources. So by the time Victoria died Australia would be another "jewel in the crown" of the greatest empire the world has ever seen.

I can see the French and Dutch simply refusing to allow the British to obtain another economic crown jewel after India. The Dutch were early explorers in area and had a natural jumping off point from Indonesia.

Once French and Dutch colonies / protectorates were "seeded", their remoteness and combined local and European military abilites would make these colonies difficult for the British to sieze.

In short, I don't see an Australian nation, but rather nations. Some of which would be Francophone and others Dutch. The British may well of ended up with 50% and the French and Dutch splitting the rest.
 
Anyway, my two cents:

As others have said, this simply makes Australia a lot harder to subjugate, and it is likely other powers will be nosing around in a mini Africa-like scenario. However, as with the Maori, the intrusion of Europeans will eventually force the warring tribes to choose sides and unify.

I don't honestly believe the existence of 'native protectorates' is inevitable - there's no reason the Europeans won't just keep pushing and pushing, like what happened in the Americas. European diseases as always take their toll.

The Maori were almost wiped out, but experienced a cultural renaissance of sorts that allowed their language and population to be boosted. This might happen with the native Australians as well. However, as with OTL, expect the population of Tasmania to be wiped out, more or less entirely.

All in all, I expect the Europeans to only hold firm control over the coasts - the interiors will be considered 'theirs' but the natives will be the true rulers, subject to European authority only when it's convenient for the Europeans.
 
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