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The history of Australia from 1901 to 1945 begins with the federation of the six colonies to create the Commonwealth of Australia. The young nation joined Britain in the First World War, suffered through the Great Depression in Australia as part of the global Great Depression and again joined Britain in the Second World War against Nazi Germany in 1939.
Australia fought as part of British Empire and later Commonwealth in the two world wars and was to become a long-standing ally of the United States through the Cold War to the present. Trade with Asia increased and a post-war immigration program received more than 7 million migrants from every continent.
The Australia Act 1986 made Australia completely independent of the United Kingdom. [86] no change to map: 11 May 1989 Jervis Bay Territory was split from the Australian Capital Territory to become its own territory. [87] 7 July 1997 Elizabeth Reef and Middleton Reef were transferred from New South Wales to the Coral Sea Islands Territory. [88]
Queensland became a self-governing colony with its own Governor, a nominated Legislative Council and an elected Legislative Assembly. [20] South Australia was founded as a "free province"—it was never a penal colony. [21] Victoria and Western Australia were also founded "free", but later accepted transported convicts.
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, [17] is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. [18] Australia has a total area of 7,688,287 km 2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania .
These countries operate as independent nations, and are known as Commonwealth realms. The history of the Australian monarchy has involved a shifting relationship with both the monarch and also the British government. The east coast of Australia was claimed in 1770, by Captain James Cook, in the name of and under instruction from King George III ...
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western Australia agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in ...
Papua New Guinea becomes formally independent from Australia 9 October 1942: Statute of Westminster adopted – Britain loses the power to legislate for Australia except by request 3 March 1986: Australia Act 1986 – Remaining legal ties between Britain aг d Australia are abolished, including the ability for the UK to legislate with effect in ...