HISTORY AND PRESENT GOVERNMENT

The settlement of Australia dates back thousands of years.

Prior to British colonisation in 1788, it is estimated that there were at least 300,000 Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia and over 500 different clan groups or ‘nations’ around the continent, many with distinctive cultures and beliefs. There is evidence of Aboriginal life in Australia dating back at least 50,000 years.

Captain James Cook claimed the east coast of Australia for the British Crown in 1770 under instruction from King George III, naming it New South Wales.

British colonisation commenced with the arrival of the First Fleet to establish a penal colony at what became Sydney in January 1788.

The modern Commonwealth of Australia dates from 1901. In January of that year the former British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania joined under the name of the Commonwealth of Australia, which became an independent dominion of the British Empire. Other territories joined later to form the ten territories in today’s Commonwealth of Australia.

In 1926 the Imperial Conference held in London confirmed the fully autonomous status of Australia, together with Canada, New Zealand and the other overseas dominions, while stressing that they remained united by a common allegiance to the Crown.

From that point the Governor-General became solely the representative of the Sovereign, and not, as before, the Government of the United Kingdom as well.

In 1931, the Statute of Westminster applied the term ‘dominion’ to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State.

This meant it was a country of the British Empire and later the Commonwealth, with autonomy in domestic and foreign affairs. The term fell into disuse after World War II.

The Statute of Westminster gave legal form to the new status of the overseas dominions. It removed any remaining restrictions on legislative autonomy in those realms, except regarding legislation about succession to the throne.

In 1986, the Australia Acts removed the residual powers of the British government to intervene in the government of Australia or the individual states.

In 1999, a referendum was held to decide whether Australia would remain a constitutional monarchy or become a republic headed by a president. A majority of voters expressed a preference to retain the monarchy.

In the following year, during a visit to Australia, The Queen reaffirmed her pledge to serve as The Queen of Australia for as long as Australians want her: “I have always made it clear that the future of the monarchy in Australia is an issue for you, the Australian people, and you alone, to decide by democratic and constitutional means. It should not be otherwise.”

Today, under the Australian Constitution, legislative power is vested in a Federal Parliament consisting of The Queen, a Senate and a House of Representatives. Executive power is vested in The Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as The Queen’s representative.

In addition, in each of the six states there is a state government, whose constitutions, powers and laws have existed continuously since before federation.

The Commonwealth of Australia now includes ten territories, some of which were surrendered by the States and some of which were transferred by Britain to Australian jurisdiction.

The Commonwealth Parliament has conferred a large measure of self-government on three of the Territories, namely the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and Norfolk Island.