How The Australian Continent plus New Zealand would be if they were Colonized By Portuguese_

[alnortedelsur]

Following the last forum trend...

Since Portuguese are the first Europeans who spotted Australia, how do you think the Australian continent would be if it was colonized by Portuguese?

Also, how New Zealand would be if it was also colonized by Portuguese?

Discuss...

[catgeorge]

Just a small correction - Dutch found Australia first and called it New Holland in 1770.

British then claimed the Eastern half and made it a penal colony in 1788 in New South Wales.

Well if Portuguese found Australia, then first Europeans wouldnt be criminals with criminal ancestry. Probably would have established trading routes with SE Asia and sped up the process of Asianisation of Australia some 100 years earlier.

[alnortedelsur]

Just a small correction - Dutch found Australia first and called it New Holland in 1770.

British then claimed the Eastern half and made it a penal colony in 1788 in New South Wales.

Well if Portuguese found Australia, then first Europeans wouldnt be criminals with criminal ancestry. Probably would have established trading routes with SE Asia and sped up the process of Asianisation of Australia some 100 years earlier.

How do you think Australia and NZ would be today?

[catgeorge]

How do you think Australia and NZ would be today?

Not much different to be honest any idiot with half a brain could exploit natural resources which makes Australia a high income nation like Canada who also has plenty of natural resources.

except I guess early Portuguese would be strictly Catholic and be speaking Portuguese instead - probably would have been forced to forge close ties with Brazil.

[alnortedelsur]

Not much different to be honest any idiot with half a brain could exploit natural resources which makes Australia a high income nation like Canada who also has plenty of natural resources.

except I guess early Portuguese would be strictly Catholic and be speaking Portuguese instead - probably would have been forced to forge close ties with Brazil.

So, do you think it would be mostly white of Portuguese descent? Same for New Zealand?

[catgeorge]

So, do you think it would be mostly white of Portuguese descent? Same for New Zealand?

Hypothetically yes, Realistically Portugal would have had to fought off half of Europe to claim it and English are damn good on the sea.

[alnortedelsur]

Hypothetically yes, Realistically Portugal would have had to fought off half of Europe to claim it and English are damn good on the sea.

True, but you never know. Australia and NZ are very far away from British Isles, and Portuguese were well established in East Timor. I think Dutch would have been more serious rivals, for being very present in Indonesia. If British finally colonized it, is because of the lack of interest in Australia from Dutch and Portuguese.

[catgeorge]

True, but you never know. Australia and NZ are very far away from British Isles, and Portuguese were well established in East Timor. I think Dutch would have been more serious rivals, for being very present in Indonesia. If British finally colonized it, is because of the lack of interest in Australia from Dutch and Portuguese.

If that's the case then English were far more intelligent - Australia is megadiverse from tropical rainforests, mountainous regions, farming regions, and in the middle there was a desert. So for the British to claim it, means they were simply more intelligent or got very lucky

[Morena]

Different language, mostly catholic, better food and music, and darker med people as opposed to lighter British types. Also, perhaps more SSA.

[Óttar]

On fire.