ABSTRACT
Australian history and society First settled by Europeans in 1788, Australia is the youngest of the Englishspeaking countries. The first phase of its history was taken up with major developmental tasks such as clearing farmland and building cities. At first settlement, sex ratios were markedly skewed in favour of men because of its origins as a convict colony. Australia is a vast country geographically, consisting of eight States or Territories with a population of approximately 20 million people. Most Australians live in five large coastal cities. Each state has its own government, but despite this, the country is reasonably homo geneous; movement across state boundaries is free and most qualifications are nationally recognized. There are two major political parties: Liberal Coalition and the Labour party. Although the majority of Australians are nominally Christians, organized religion plays only a minor role in cultural life. Although Australian culture has historically emphasized the impor tance of equality and a 'fair go', other conflicting values have included male bonding in the form of 'mateship', freedom of choice and hard work.
