Australian Explorers
Sunday, October 18, 1818. : Oxley loses a valuable horse crossing Camden Haven, New South Wales.
Following the successful expedition during which Oxley discovered the rich Liverpool Plains, he returned to the coast. He arrived at the mouth of the Hastings River, at the present site of Port Macquarie, and was especially pleased with the excellent countryside he found. Heading south towards Sydney, he came across a large inlet which he named Camden Haven after Lord Camden. On 18 October 1818, after constructing a canoe by which to take across the men and supplies, the party attempted to swim the horses across. Two of the horses appeared to be overcome with cramps whilst swimming: while one of them managed, after a struggle, to reach the opposite shore, but the other sank out of sight. This was a great loss to Oxley’s expedition, as the horse had been one of their best and strongest.
Australian History
Monday, October 18, 1909. : New South Wales agrees to surrender 2400 square kilometres of land for the creation of the Australian Capital Territory.
On 1 January 1901, following federation of the six colonies in Australia, arose the need to build a federal capital. It was decided that the national capital would not be one of the existing state capitals, in order to prevent rivalry between the cities. It would, however, be positioned between Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.
Numerous sites were evaluated by members of Parliament. The site for the national capital could not be on the coast, as this could cause it to be susceptible to enemy bombardment. The necessity for a naval port was satisfied by the acquisition of federal land at Jervis Bay. The climate needed to be “bracing”, to ensure clear minds for political decision-making. There could be no established urban development or industry already, and access to sufficient water was a necessity. It needed to be in an elevated position, aesthetically pleasing and preferably surrounded by picturesque mountains.
Locations raised for consideration were Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bombala, Dalgety, Delegate, Goulburn, Lake George, Lyndhurst, Orange, Queanbeyan, Tumut, Wagga Wagga and Yass. After the initial ballot in the House of Representatives in 1903, Bombala emerged as the favoured site. Following a change of government in 1904, Dalgety was selected as the site of Australia’s future Federal Capital Territory (later the Australian Capital Territory). When the government changed again in 1905, another ballot was held, and the Yass-Canberra site won by six votes. The territory was defined as a triangle, with Yass in the top corner, the Murrumbidgee River forming the western border and Lake George being in the east.
On 18 October 1909, New South Wales agreed to transfer 2400 square kilometres of land to the Commonwealth for the purpose of establishing the Federal Capital Territory. The deal was signed by Australian Prime Minister Alfred Deakin and the Premier of New South Wales, Charles Wade. The land was formally transferred from New South Wales in January 1911.
Australian History
Thursday, October 18, 1928. : Constable William Murray returns to Alice Springs after massacring Aborigines at Coniston Station.
The Coniston Massacre was the last known massacre of Australian Aborigines. Occurring at Coniston cattle station, Northern Territory, Australia, it was a revenge killing for the death of dingo hunter Frederick Brooks, who was believed to have been killed by Aborigines in August 1928. Constable William Murray, officer in charge at Barrow Creek, investigated and concluded that the killing had been done by members of the Warlpiri, Anmatyerre and Kaytetye people. There were no witnesses, and apparent inconsistencies in Murray’s report were never questioned.
Murray took matters into his own hand. Over the next few days, up until 30 August, he shot 17 members of the Aboriginal tribes he believed were responsible, and claimed his actions were made in self-defence and that each tribal member he had killed was in possession of some item belonging to Brooks.
In the ensuing weeks, Murray again encountered several groups of Aborigines while investigating another non-fatal attack on a settler named Nugget Morton at Broadmeadows Station. Together with Morton, one other white man and an aboriginal boy, Murray embarked on a campaign of revenge, during which another 14 Aborigines were killed. He returned to Alice Springs with his report on 18 October 1928.
Murray was never punished for his actions. On the contrary, the Board of Enquiry members were selected to maximise damage-control. It was believed at the time that Murray’s actions were appropriate for the circumstances. The Central Land Council organised the seventy-fifth anniversary of the massacre, commemorated near Yuendumu on 24 September 2003.
World History
Friday, October 18, 1867. : The United States purchases Alaska for $7.2 million, the equivalent of about 2 cents an acre.
Russia, the original “owners” of Alaska, held the territory from 1741. As British and American settlers encroached upon Alaska’s southern border in the mid nineteenth century, increasing the likelihood of territorial disputes, the financially-strapped Russia offered to sell the territory to the United States. The formal transfer of Alaska from the ownership of Russia to the United States of America took place on 18 October 1867. Alaska was sold for $7.2 million in gold, which equated to about 2 cents an acre.
Initially, President Andrew Johnson was derided for the purchase, as Alaska was seen as too remote to be of any real value. However, following the great Klondike gold strike in 1896, Alaska came to be seen as a valuable and strategic addition to American territory.
World History
Friday, October 18, 1912. : The First Balkan War breaks out between the members of the Balkan League and the Ottoman Empire.
The Balkan League was comprised of Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro. The Ottoman Empire, also known as the Turkish Empire, was an imperial power which existed from the late 1200s through to 1923, with its focus around the borders of the Mediterranean Sea. In March 1912, Serbia arranged a treaty of alliance with Bulgaria. However, Greece settled a military convention with Bulgaria two months later. Tension increased steadily in the Balkan Peninsula following this, especially after August 14, when Bulgaria sent a demand to the Turks that the Turkish province of Macedonia be granted autonomy. The Balkan states began to mobilise their armies in late September, and early in October Montenegro declared war on the Ottoman Empire.
On 18 October 1912, the Balkan allies entered the war on the side of Montenegro, generating the First Balkan War. Before the year was out, the Balkan League had won several sure victories over the Turkish Empire. The Turks were forced to surrender Albania, Macedonia, and most of their other territories around the Mediterranean.