KidZone History: Australia

Australia took a long and slow road to extract itself from British politics and influence. This began with the federalisation of the country in 1901. As the unified commonwealth of Australia, the states of Australia had a formal relationship for the first time. Prior to this, the states had had no real interactions, instead concentrating inwards at their own affairs.

For many years, Australian affairs mirrored those of Britain and America, as wars were declared on common enemies. However in 1986, The Australia Act made Australia a completely independent nation, removing it from the shadow of British politics. This was almost taken one step further in 1999 as Australia held a referendum on becoming a republic and moving away from the English monarchy. This motion was defeated however 55 to 45%.