Hobart, the capital of Tasmania was founded as a penal colony for settlers in 1804, on the Derwent River. Australia's 2nd oldest city after Sydney, it was named after the British Secretary of State for War, and currently is the base for French Antarctic campaigns.
Perth is nicknamed the "City of Lights" after all it's residents lit up their homes and street lights as astronaut John Glenn, passed over the city while orbiting the Earth in Friendship 7.
Canberra, the Australian capital, gets it's name from an aborginal word meaning "meeting place".
The Blue Mountains in New South Wales, get their name from the rather bluish tinge, you get, when you see them from a distance. This tinge is believed to be due to scattering of ultraviolet radiation by particles in the atmosphere.
Mt.Kosciuszko the highest mountain in Australia located in the Snowy Mountains range, is named in honor of Tadeusz Kościuszko, who is a national hero in Poland,Lithuania as well as the United States. He was recognized for his contribution to the American Revolutionary War, fighting as part of the Continental Army.
Australia is one of the few places, where you have the largest concentration of venomous snakes, which outnumber the non venomous ones. Out of the 10 most venomous snakes in the world, 5 are found in Australia, Inland taipan, Eastern brown snake,Costal taipan, Peninsula Tiger Snake, Western Tiger Snake.
Capt James Cook discovered the eastern part of Australia in 1770, he would name it New South Wales, and claim the territory for Britain. The first settlement here was made in 1788 by Capt Arthur Philip who led the First Fleet.
The Gurindji tribe led by Vincent Lingiari began the Wave Hill walk-off in 1975 demanding return of their native lands. It lasted for 9 years, before the Australian PM Gough Whitlam symbolically returned their lands to them.
The protest and the handover was a key moment in the Aboriginal Land rights movement and led to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976, that gave those residing in Northern Territory to claim rights to the land based on traditional occupation.
This event was later celebrated in the 1991 song From Little Things Big Things Grow by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody. And August 16 is celebrated as Freedom Day at Kalkarindji annually with aboriginal songs and dance.
Uluru also known as the Ayers Rock was handed back to the Pitjantjatjara tribe in 1985. One of Australia's most famous landmarks, known for it's natural springs, cave paintings, the site was sacred to the native Aboriginals.
The first narrow gauge main line railway in the world was opened at Grandchester, Queensland, Australia in 1865 till Bigges Camp before it was extended to Gatton. The railway station is a heritage site now.
Story Bridge, one of Brisbane's most popular landmarks was opened to public in 1940. The bridge connects Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point, and is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia. Named after the civil servant John Story, road across is called Bradfield Highway.
Australia's national airline Qantas was founded in 1920, as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services by Paul McGinness, Sir Hudson Fysh and Sir Fergus McMaster. Their first international flight was from Darwin to Singapore in 1935.
The Duigan pusher biplane constructed by John Duigan was the first flight designed and constructed in Austrlia, by John Duigan and his brother Reginald, on their family farm at Mia Mia, Victoria. It made it's first flight on this date in 1910.
The brothers built this plane entirely by themselves, without much inputs from the aviation community, just the theory from Sir Hiram Maxim's book Artificial and Natural Flight and a photo postcard of the Wright Flyer.