Documenting A Democracy

The National Archives of Australia has recently created this website which explores the various documents that tell about the creation and formation of their country as a commonwealth. The homepage presents a map of the country, divided into its contemporary political divisions, allowing visitors to click on each area to read primary documents that provide insight into each locale. Areas such as New South Wales include transcripts and original documents, such as the secret instructions to Captain James Cook on what to do if he finds land and the New South Wales Courts Act of 1787. Other sections of the site include “Pathways”, which allow users to delve into these documents in a thematic fashion (related to issues surrounding land and the like) and a basic timeline that begins in 60,000 BC and continues to 1836.