The Aboriginal people of Australia have lived on this land for over 60 000 years. They do not have 'one' culture or history; before colonisation, more than 600 tribes inhabited, travelled, fought and traded here. Dreamtime stories, cave paintings and etchings reveal cultures remarkable in their complexity and richness. Subsistence was based on hunting, fishing and seed gathering.

The colonisation of Australia by Anglo-Saxon settlers officially began in 1788. Anglo settlers included a mix of British and Irish convicts, British military guards, and free settlers.

The presence of Anglo settlers in Australia from this date has impacted greatly on the lives of the Aboriginal population. The University of Adelaide has a webpage presenting the official statement on reconciliation.

Australia's identity and population makeup has developed throughout the twentieth century, influenced by two world wars, the British Commonwealth, and its emerging Asia-Pacific and global partnerships and responsibilities. Non-indigenous Australian culture was originally British-influenced, but is now one of the most ethnically diverse cultures in the world.

Adelaide was settled in 1836, and South Australia was a free settler colony. Today, Australia continues to operate as an independent democratic country under a British head-of-state, but its future lies increasingly in its geographical location, and its links with the nations of the Asia-Pacific region.