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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]
The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun on 1 January 1901, and Edmund Barton was sworn in as Australia's first prime minister. [1] The new Commonwealth was a federation of the six former British colonies of Australia, which now became states.
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 .
Australian Forces are again deployed to East Timor to help stabilize the country. 2007: Australia avoids recession amidst Global Financial Crisis (to 2010). 24 November: 2007 Australian federal election: Kevin Rudd (Australian Labor Party) defeats John Howard (Liberal-National Coalition) to become the 26th Prime Minister of Australia. 2008: 22 ...
From 1816, penal transportation to Australia increased rapidly and the number of free settlers grew steadily. Van Diemen's Land became a separate colony in 1825, and free settlements were established at the Swan River Colony in Western Australia (1829), the Province of South Australia (1836), and in the Port Philip District (1836). The grazing ...
A proposal in Australia to recognize the country’s Indigenous people in the constitution has created division, including among Indigenous people themselves.
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.