100+ Best Australian History Trivia Questions & Answers

Question: In which year did New Zealand become a separate colony from New South Wales?

Answer: 1841

Question: How many ships made up the 'First Fleet' of British vessels which arrived in Sydney in 1788?

Answer: 11

Question: ANZAC forces in WW1 were drawn from Australia and which other country?

Answer: New Zealand

Question: In which year did the first free immigrants arrive in Australia from the UK?

Answer: 1793

Question: In which year did the First Fleet of British ships arrive in Sydney Harbour?

Answer: 1788

Question: Transportation of convicts to New South Wales was stopped in which decade?

Answer: 1840s

Question: How many convicts in total were sent to Australia in the 19th century?

Answer: 160,000

Question: In which year was the colony of Western Australia founded at Perth?

Answer: 1829

Question: In which decade did laws first pass to protect rights of Aboriginal people?

Answer: 1960s

Question: In which year was the name of the first inland European settlement, founded in 1815?

Answer: Bathurst

Question: Who was the first European explorer to sail along the eastern coast of Australia?

Answer: James Cook

Question: Which city hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia?

Answer: Sydney

Question: In which year did Australia become a federation and gain independence from Britain?

Answer: 1901

Question: Who was the first Prime Minister of Australia?

Answer: Edmund Barton

Question: What was the original name of Melbourne before it was changed?

Answer: Batmania

Question: Who was the first European to explore and map the coastline of Australia?

Answer: Willem Janszoon

Question: In which year did the Eureka Stockade rebellion take place in Ballarat, Victoria?

Answer: 1854

Question: What was the name of the famous female outlaw who operated in the Australian bushranger era?

Answer: Ned Kelly

Question: Which group of islands in the Pacific Ocean are territories of Australia?

Answer: The Torres Strait Islands

Question: What was the name of the famous Australian woman who fought for women's suffrage?

Answer: Vida Goldstein

Question: In which year did the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a large-scale hydroelectricity and irrigation project, commence?

Answer: 1949

Question: Who was the first Aboriginal Australian to be elected to the Australian Parliament?

Answer: Neville Bonner

Question: What was the name of the controversial policy that aimed to assimilate Indigenous Australians into mainstream society?

Answer: The Stolen Generations

Question: Which Australian city experienced a major earthquake in 1989?

Answer: Newcastle

Question: In which year was the Australian national anthem "Advance Australia Fair" officially adopted?

Answer: 1984

Question: In which century did bushranger Ned Kelly live?

Answer: 19th

Question: In which century did James Cook first land at Botany Bay?

Answer: 18th

Question: Dirk Hartog explored Western Australia in which century?

Answer: 17th

Question: Which city became the capital of Australia in 1911?

Answer: Canberra

Question: What killed Heath Ledger in 2008?

Answer: Overdose

Question: In which year did Australia vote yes to marriage equality?

Answer: 2017

Question: In which year did Australia become an independent nation?

Answer: 1901

Question: Bombings in which holiday area killed 88 Australians in 2002?

Answer: Bali

Question: The 1960s Konfrontasi conflict took place in which country?

Answer: Indonesia

Question: What was the name of the first Australian saint?

Answer: Mary MacKillop

Question: In which year did Australia gain complete legislative independence from the British Parliament?

Answer: 1986

Question: What is the official national day of Australia that commemorates its independence?

Answer: Australia Day (January 26th)

Question: Prior to gaining independence, what was the legal status of Australia within the British Empire?

Answer: It was a collection of British colonies.

Question: Who was the British monarch at the time of Australia's independence?

Answer: Queen Elizabeth II

Question: Which act of the British Parliament granted Australia the power to amend its own Constitution without British involvement?

Answer: Australia Act 1986

Question: Which Australian Prime Minister played a significant role in advocating for Australia's independence from Britain?

Answer: Gough Whitlam

Question: Which Australian state was the first to achieve responsible government, a step towards independence?

Answer: New South Wales

Question: In which year did the Australian flag officially become the national flag of Australia?

Answer: 1954

Question: What is the significance of the 1967 referendum in relation to Australian independence?

Answer: It granted the Australian government the power to legislate for Indigenous Australians, removing discriminatory laws.

Question: What was the name of the report published in 1986 that recommended Australia's full legislative independence?

Answer: The Australia Acts Review Report

Question: A famous bridge over which harbor opened in 1932?

Answer: Sydney

Question: What structure was designed by John Job Crew Bradfield?

Answer: Sydney Harbour Bridge

Question: What is the logo of Qantas, founded in 1920?

Answer: Kangaroo

Question: What is the iconic rock formation in the Northern Territory that is sacred to the Anangu Aboriginal people?

Answer: Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Question: Which architectural marvel in Sydney is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Australia?

Answer: Sydney Opera House

Question: What is the name of the natural wonder located in Queensland that is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs?

Answer: Great Barrier Reef

Question: Which bridge in Sydney is nicknamed "The Coathanger" due to its distinctive shape?

Answer: Sydney Harbour Bridge

Question: Which natural rock formation in Tasmania is known for its unique columnar jointing and hexagonal pillars?

Answer: The Organ Pipes

Question: What is the famous rock formation located on the coastline of Victoria that resembles a shipwreck?

Answer: Twelve Apostles

Question: Which natural landmark in the Australian Outback is often referred to as "The Red Centre"?

Answer: Alice Springs

Question: What is the name of the iconic sandstone monolith in Western Australia known for its wave-like formations?

Answer: Wave Rock

Question: Which famous white sand beach in Queensland stretches over 75 miles (120 kilometers)?

Answer: Whitehaven Beach

Question: What is the name of the national park in Western Australia that features the horizontal-striped Bungle Bungle Range?

Answer: Purnululu National Park

Question: Phar Lap was a 1930s champion in which sport?

Answer: Horse racing

Question: Which sport in the 1930s saw the Bodyline Tour?

Answer: Cricket

Question: Dennis Lillee was famous in which sport in the 1970s?

Answer: Cricket

Question: Rod Laver was from which part of Australia?

Answer: Queensland

Question: What sport did Margaret Court play in the 1960s and 1970s?

Answer: Tennis

Question: In which sport did Dawn Fraser compete in the 1960s?

Answer: Swimming

Question: Duke Kahanamoku introduced which sport to Australia in 1915?

Answer: Surfing

Question: In which month of the year is Australia Day?

Answer: January

Question: How many times did Rod Laver win the tennis Grand Slam?

Answer: 2

Question: Rock band AC/DC formed in which decade?

Answer: 1970s

Question: Botany Bay, home to Australia's first colony, is near which modern city?

Answer: Sydney

Question: What was the name of the island between Australia and New Zealand founded as a penal colony in 1788?

Answer: Norfolk Island

Question: There is archaeological evidence for people in Australia how many years ago?

Answer: 65,000

Question: In which city was the first Australia-England cricket test match played in 1877?

Answer: Melbourne

Question: In which city is Edith Cowan University named after Australia's first woman MP?

Answer: Perth

Question: Which part of Australia was originally called Van Diemen's Land?

Answer: Tasmania

Question: There are how many feral rabbits in Australia?

Answer: 150 million

Question: Australia's first live-saving club was founded at which beach in 1907?

Answer: Bondi

Question: 12,000 years ago, rising sea levels turned which part of Australia into an island?

Answer: Tasmania

Question: In which city did Ian Thorpe win his first Olympic gold medals?

Answer: Sydney

Question: Lawrence Hargrave was a pioneer in which field?

Answer: Aviation

Question: Fred Hollows was a specialist in which field?

Answer: Medicine

Question: Herbert Vere Evatt helped write the Constitution of which body?

Answer: United Nations

Question: John Curtin was Australian Prime Minister during which conflict?

Answer: World War 2

Question: Gough Whitlam became Prime Minister of Australia in which decade?

Answer: 1970s

Question: Elizabeth Blackburn won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in which decade?

Answer: 2000s

Question: What Scottish town completed the name of the Paul Hogan character, Crocodile?

Answer: Dundee

Question: What was the first name of actor and Crocodile Dundee star Mr. Hogan?

Answer: Paul

Question: Hieu Van Le, a former refugee from which country became governor of which state in 2014?

Answer: South Australia

Question: In which decade was Sydney University founded?

Answer: 1850s

Question: What is the nickname of poet Andrew Paterson?

Answer: Banjo

Question: Andrew 'Banjo' Paterson is famous in which field?

Answer: Poetry

Question: Reg Grundy was a famous Australian in which field?

Answer: Television

Question: Nellie Melba made her name in which field?

Answer: Singing

Question: Richie Benaud was best known for commenting on which sport?

Answer: Cricket

Question: Sir Joseph Banks explored which aspect of Australia?

Answer: Botany

Question: Greg Norman made his name playing which sport?

Answer: Golf

Question: Errol Flynn was famous in which field?

Answer: Acting

Question: Michael Hutchence made his name in which field?

Answer: Music

Question: Robert Murray was famous in which field of the Arts?

Answer: Ballet

Question: In which year was 'Neighbors' first broadcast?

Answer: 1985

Question: Quintus Servinton, the first Australian novel, was written in which decade?

Answer: 1830s

Question: In which year did the Sydney Opera House open?

Answer: 1973

Question: Elizabeth Macarthur was instrumental in developing which industry?

Answer: Sheep

Question: What was the surname of Edmund, the first Australian Prime Minister?

Answer: Barton

Question: What was the name of the ship in which Captain Cook explored Australia in 1770?

Answer: Endeavour

Question: What nationality was Luis Vaez de Torres, after whom the Torres Strait is named?

Answer: Spanish

Question: In which decade were the Wiggles children's entertainment group founded?

Answer: 1990s

Question: What was the first name of Flinders, who charted most of the Australian coast?

Answer: Matthew

Question: In which decade did Olivia Newton-John rise to fame in the music industry?

Answer: 1970s