Australia's Path to Nationhood from British Colony to Independent Country
1. Australia’s On Its Own(Well, sort of) On January 1, 1901, the colonies were federated. This was the birth of the Commonwealth of Australia, a Dominion of the British Empire.
2. Aborigines in the New Australia In 1901, the British made laws against the Aborigines They limited where Aborigines could live and work. The government took some Aboriginal children from their homes. Some of them were raised by European settlers. The children lost contact with their parents and Aboriginal culture. The goal was to end Aboriginal culture because the British feared the Aboriginal people.
3. Australia’s On Its Own(Well, sort of) The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was created from New South Wales in 1911 for the new capital of Canberra.
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6. Australia’s On Its Own(Well, sort of) Australia willingly participated in World War I as a member of the British Empire. Many Australians consider the defeat of the ANZACs in Gallipoli during World War I to be the true birth of the nation.
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8. Oceania in WWII The Kokoda Track campaign was the first time that Australia’s security was threatened. Japan invaded Papua New Guinea, then a territory of Australia. This was the first time Australians fought and died repelling an invader on Australian soil without the support or presence of the United Kingdom.
9. Oceania in WWII Oceania was the sight of the Pacific Campaign fought between American and Japanese forces, using a technique called island-hopping. The most important battles of the Pacific Campaign included: Midway (June 1942) Iwo Jima (February - March 1945) Manila (March 1945) Okinawa (April - June 1945)
10. Australia Today Prior to the 1970s, Australia promoted a policy called “White Australia.” They would not allow non-Caucasians to immigrate to Australia. That has since changed.
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12. Australia today In 1986, all legal ties with the British Empire were severed with the passing of the Australia Act. Today, Australia is a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as queen. In 1999, 55% of voters rejected the idea of becoming a republic.
