Most probable alternate colonization of Australia?
- Thread starter Starforce
- Start date
Lands of Red and Gold shows an alt world with alt colonization if you're interested.
The most probably alternate colonisation of Australia is probably going to start in Western Australia and be related to trade with the Indies. Later they would explore the eastern half of the continent and settle there.
Of those I think the Dutch or Portuguese are the most likely since both had interests in the Indies and southern Africa, although both might have trouble holding onto the entire continent for themselves since OTL both Britain and France were interested as well.
Of those I think the Dutch or Portuguese are the most likely since both had interests in the Indies and southern Africa, although both might have trouble holding onto the entire continent for themselves since OTL both Britain and France were interested as well.
The best coffee and sugar zones in Australia (southern Queensland) aren't too far north of the best land in the temperate areas and as Brazil shows, they'd eventually push into the temperate zones in pursuit of gold which would lead to plenty of cattle ranching and farming.
Personally, I find a sandalwood harvesting colony in Southwestern Australia far more likely than sugarcane plantations in the north, although the later is of course a possibility once the colony begins to expand.
For more thoughts on the possibility of a Portuguese Australia see this thread: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/ruminations-on-a-portuguese-australia.493963/
The Dutch and the Portuguese were already colonial powers in that region,so why not split the difference? Dutch get's the northern part of Australia,Portuguese southern part and when it comes time for independence,Australia'll be two nations with two different Creole languages and customs.
I doubt it since Northern Australia is mostly worthless. It's agriculturally marginal land at best so won't be able to support many settlers (be they European or more like Malay) so the main industry would be harvesting sandalwood and supporting fishing/trepanging operations. Queensland could have sugar but it's very distant from markets and requires a sizable labour force that you might as well just use elsewhere. The south of Australia also has sandalwood alongside actually decent land so will be more developed meaning they'll get more gold and snowball in development.
As people have already mentioned, the Dutch and Portuguese are the most likely candidates. I would fully agree with that.
Crazy Boris
Banned
I’m gonna say Portugal, just because of Timor’s closeness to Australia
Dutch are also good possibility though, especially more south.
For non-European colonizers, Polynesians are a obvious choice. All it would take is a bunch of Maori canoes headed west to change the course of Australian history.
There’s some evidence of Kilwa making contact with Australia in the Middle Ages, if they had set up an outpost there, it could be the beginning of a Swahili colony in the northwest.
Dutch are also good possibility though, especially more south.
For non-European colonizers, Polynesians are a obvious choice. All it would take is a bunch of Maori canoes headed west to change the course of Australian history.
There’s some evidence of Kilwa making contact with Australia in the Middle Ages, if they had set up an outpost there, it could be the beginning of a Swahili colony in the northwest.
French colonization is one of the most likely, and it was the French explorations in the region at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries that motivated the British to take the lead.
There is also the story of Lapérouse which is quite incredible.
There is also the story of Lapérouse which is quite incredible.