1788
| The First Fleet brings cottonseed to Australia
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1830
| First shipment of cotton exported to England, consisting of three bags
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1857
| Small quantities of dryland cotton grown in Queensland
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1861-65
| American Civil War causes American cotton production to fall. Australia attempts to fill the gap
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1870s
| Australian cotton production peaks then falls as world prices decline
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1926
| The Queensland Cotton Marketing Board is established. Government subsidy introduced to promote production in central Queensland
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1934
| Cotton production reaches 17,000 bales
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1954
| Cotton industry almost non-existent
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1958
| Keepit Dam is completed on the Namoi River in NSW, providing irrigation water to the Namoi Valley
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1960
| Limited irrigated cotton production commences in south-west Queensland
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1961
| Commercial crop planted at Wee Waa, using water from Keepit Dam
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1966
| Cotton established in the Macquarie Valley following completion of the Burrendong Dam. Cotton production also begins at Bourke
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1968
| Emerald Irrigation Area produces first exportable surplus
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1971
| Raw Cotton Bounty removed at the request of the cotton industry. Cotton production reaches 87,000 bales
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1973
| Cotton production on the Ord River Scheme ceases, mainly due to insect resistance to pesticides
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1975
| Cotton production reaches 110,000 bales
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1976
| Cotton established in Gwydir Valley at Moree using water from the newly constructed Copeton Dam
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1977
| The construction of the Pindari and Glenlyon Dams allows cotton to be grown in the Macintyre Valley in Southern Queensland
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1980
| Cotton production reaches 435,000 bales
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1985
| Cotton production reaches 1.1 million bales
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1990
| Cotton industry self-funds First Environmental Audit, leading to introduction of Best Management Practices (BMP)
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1992
| World record yields in Australia lead to record 2.2 million bale crop
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1995
| Drought causes harvest to fall to 1.5 million bales
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1996
| The first transgenic cotton variety (Ingard®) introduced to Australia
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1997
| Cotton production reaches 2.7 million bales
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2001
| Crop reaches record high of 3.4 million bales
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2001
| World cotton price reaches lowest level in nearly 30 years
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2002
| Roundup Ready® cotton introduced to Australia
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2002-2004
| Worst drought in 100 years results in 60 per cent reduction in crop size
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2003
| Cotton industry undertakes Second Environmental Audit
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2003
| Transgenic Bollgard II® variety introduced to Australia, replacing Ingard®
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2005
| Australian crop sets new world record yield, leading to a 2.9 million bale crop
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2005/06
| 95 per cent of Australia’s cotton growers plant transgenic varieties, accounting for 80 per cent of total cotton crop
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2007/08
| Australian cotton industry severely impacted by drought, leading to smallest crop in 30 years
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