Why go
Australia's economic history helps explain why inland transport, port links and resource regions matter alongside its coastal cities. British investment supported pastoralism, mining and major infrastructure. Later mineral development, especially iron ore and gold in Western Australia, helped drive growth around Perth and regional centres. The 1983 currency float marks a later shift toward a more open financial system.
The full story
Pastoralism and mining drew large amounts of British capital to Australia. Expansion also depended on public spending on transport, communications and urban infrastructure, much of it financed from Britain. These investments connected production areas with towns and ports and helped create demand for workers. Migration grew as the economy expanded, especially after convict transportation to the eastern mainland ended in 1840. Mining continued to shape the country after the Second World War. In Western Australia, iron ore and gold development from the 1960s and 1970s supported the growth of Perth's suburbs and regional centres. It is a useful backdrop to the long links between inland resource areas and the coast. A different shift came in the early 1980s: under Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating, Australia floated its dollar in 1983 and deregulated finance. The country visible today reflects both the physical networks built for land and minerals and those later changes to the national economy.