Australia — a republic
Historical background
It could be said that the seeds of an Australian republic — a country ruled independently of Britain — were laid down in
1788. For a start the Indigenous people dispossessed by the arrival of the first Europeans in that year had nothing
whatsoever to do with Britain. Secondly, the bulk of early arrivals were convicts, many if not all of whom would have been
pleased to be free of the burden of British rule and law.
Nonetheless, white settlement of Australia during the nineteenth century was very much a British initiative — with six
separate British colonies (later to become the six Australian states) established by 1859. Immigration from Britain
flourished during this period, as did trade between the colonies and Britain in goods such as whale oil initially and, later
on, wool and wheat.
But along with the influx of British immigrants were those from other countries, particularly those in Europe. The gold
rushes of the 1850s and beyond attracted a surge of nationalities, including many Chinese. These new immigrants
brought with them new ideas and ways of living that were different from the dominant British culture in Australia at this
time.
Origin of diggers on
the Victorian goldfields
Some of the sources of immigrants to Australia during the nineteenth-century gold rushes
Early stirrings
The beginnings of independent activity in the colonies (i.e. independent of authorities that represented British law and
order) can be traced back to events such as:
• the Eureka Stockade (3 November 1854), when defiant gold diggers took on the troopers in defence of what they
believed were their rights as miners
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• the activities of bushrangers such as Ned Kelly (1855–1880), whose illegal activities were often prompted by anger
against the police authorities for their unjust treatment
• the political activism of immigrant unionists who progressively helped to secure the right to vote for adult (European)
males in the colonies by 1900 and helped to establish political unions here.
Pushes for unity
During the late nineteenth century, the six colonies drew closer, pulled together by a number of common concerns. These
included the need for a common railway gauge (as its width varied from colony to colony) and for reliable
communications, as well as worries about defence and the need to reduce the number of unwanted (i.e. non-European)
immigrants who were then flooding into the colonies.
After much debate and legal and political wrangling between representatives of the colonies, Australia was declared a
Federation in 1901 (the Australian Constitution having been passed and given Royal Assent by the then British monarch,
Queen Victoria, in September 1900).
The way Australia is governed today (illustrated simply in the diagram below) reflects provisions made in that
Constitution over 100 years ago. Then, Australia was part of the British Empire. It is no longer, with the last legal ties
between the two countries severed in 1986. Then, too, the Governor-General was a direct appointee of the British
Government. Now the Governor-General is appointed by the British monarch, but only on the advice of the Australian
Prime Minister. He or she represents the British monarch — our Head of State — in Australia. Hence the role, over time,
has become more symbolic.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
• Prime Minister
• Ministers
• Cabinet
• Executive Council
• Queen
• House of
Representatives
• Senate
• High Court
• Federal Courts
• Family Court of
Responsibilities include:
Employment • Trade • Defence • Airports
• Federal taxation • Shipping • Aboriginal
welfare • Foreign affairs • Health
(Medicare) • Education (universities,
colleges, grants to schools)
Australia
STATE GOVERNMENTS
• Queen
• Legislative Assembly
•
(House of Assembly
in SA and Tas.)
Legislative Council
• Premier/Chief Minister
• Ministers
• Cabinet
• Executive Council
• Supreme Courts
• District or County Courts
• Magistrates Courts
• Small Claims Court
• Special courts
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
• Local governing bodies service the needs of cities, towns and communities
in municipalities and shires
Responsibilities include:
Health (hospitals) • Police
services • Tourism • Housing
• State roads • Education
(primary and secondary)
schools • Aboriginal welfare
• Environmental protection
Key
Legislature
Executive
Judiciary
Responsibilities include:
Town planning •Streets and bridges •Sewerage • Water supply •Swimming
pools •Public libraries • Education (kindergartens) • Rubbish collection
Australia’s changing identity
There have been many significant changes in Australia over the last 50 or so years that have loosened the strong links it
(and the colonies beforehand) had with Britain. World War II saw a dramatic shift in Australia’s foreign policy, with the
growing realisation that Britain could no longer be relied on as Australia’s protector. The fall of Singapore in 1942 proved
that. Instead, Australia was becoming strategically dependent on the United States for its defence. With Britain’s decision
to join the European Economic Community in 1973 (now the European Union), Australia needed to seek new trade
alliances to offset this shift.
The flood of non-British immigrants that poured into Australia after World War II, together with the rising awareness and
activism of Australian Indigenous people in the 1960s and beyond, were weakening Australia’s ‘British to the bootstraps’
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mentality. The country was becoming more of a multi-cultural community, supporting a wide variety of cultural, social,
political and religious practices and opinions. This continues to be reflected in the media, the arts, in business, in schools
and universities and in the social calendar of cities and towns.
It is not that Australia, as a whole, has suddenly become anti-British. It is more that it is ‘growing up’ as a nation,
developing its own unique national character and forging its own separate history. This does not mean, though, that many
Australians still believe very strongly that the political and constitutional links between Australia and Britain should remain.
Many of these monarchists are older Australians for whom the British traditions, and the more personal links forged with
Britain during World War II, and later, are still very meaningful.
The republic referendum
The only way the Constitution can be formally changed is by a referendum, and then only if the majority of voters and the
majority of states vote for the proposed change.
With this in mind, Prime Minister Paul Keating set up a Republican Advisory Committee on 28 April 1993 essentially to
look at what minimal changes to the Australian Constitution would be needed to set up a workable republic. Over
400 written submissions were received. The Committee consulted a very wide range of people during its inquiry, holding
public meetings in all capital cities and major regional centres. The potential changes identified were:
• deletion of all references to the British monarch
• outline of the processes needed to set up the office of an Australian head of state and his/her powers
• reference to the impact such changes might have on the states.
Keating promised that a Constitutional Convention would be held in 1996 to further examine the republic issues. This
promise was matched by the then Opposition leader, John Howard.
Keating lost the election. So, as promised, the incoming Prime Minister, John Howard — a dedicated monarchist —
held the Convention in February 1998. There were a number of potential models to consider for how the Head of State of
an Australian republic could be appointed. (These are illustrated in the following diagram.)
Prime
Minister
appoints
People
elect
Models for appointment of
Head of State (President) of
Australian republic
People
nominate,
Parliament
appoints
Presidential
Assembly
appoints
People elect from
a list drawn up by
Parliament
Concerns that some people had raised about Australia becoming a republic included:
• what would happen to the Australian flag
• how Australia’s relationship with other Commonwealth countries, such as, for example, India and Canada, might be
affected
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• how the states might be affected
• how the role and powers of the Senate might change.
The Convention’s final recommendation was that, as a republic, Australia would sever connections with the British
Crown, and its new Head of State (a President) would be appointed as part of a parliamentary process. This is how it
would work:
• A specialist committee would consider nominations made by the Australian people and decide on one person to
recommend to the Prime Minister.
• If the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition agreed with this nomination, the proposal would be put to the vote
of a full sitting of Parliament (both houses).
• If two-thirds of the voters agreed, the President would be appointed.
This decision angered many committed Republicans who strongly believed any Australian Head of State should be
directly appointed by the people. Many felt so strongly about this that they voted ‘No’ to the subsequent referendum
question (see below) even though they wanted Australia to be a republic.
Following on from the Convention, a proposal was put to the people of Australia in a referendum on 6 November 1999.
The first question asked was as follows:
A proposed law: To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a
republic with the Queen and the Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed
by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament. Do you approve
this proposed alteration?
The referendum was defeated. Some 45.13% of voters said ‘Yes’, but some 54.87% said ‘No’. Furthermore, only the
Australian Capital Territory recorded a majority ‘Yes’ vote (63.27%). The ‘Yes’ vote recorded elsewhere was, respectively,
46.43% (New South Wales), 49.84% (Victoria), 37.44% (Queensland), 43.57% (South Australia), 41.48% (Western
Australia), 40.37% (Tasmania) and 48.77% (Northern Territory).
Where to from here?
Monarchists in Australia were very happy with the referendum outcome. But the republican push continues. On
26 June 2003, the Senate referred another inquiry into an Australian Republic to the Legal and Constitutional References
Committee. Its terms of reference were to look at the most appropriate way for Australia to move towards becoming a
republic and to examine different models that might apply, particularly as they affect the proposed Head of State. The
Committee’s report, The Road to a Republic, was released in 31 August 2004.
Activities
Use the information in this worksheet, and in any sources listed in the References to complete the following activities in
your workbook.
1.
Why has Australia traditionally had such strong links with Britain? List as many points as you can.
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2.
Identify some of the events in Australia’s history (since European settlement) that laid the foundation for its evolution
as a separate and unique nation.
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3.
Suggest in what way each of the following factors may have influenced (or may be continuing to influence)
Australia’s links with Britain:
(a) Britain’s increasing involvement in the European Union
(b) Indigenous activism in Australia and the growing list of civil and political rights Indigenous people have secured
(c) Australia’s multicultural policies and practices
(d) Australia’s isolation in a world increasingly threatened by terrorism
(e) Australia’s proximity to Asia.
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4.
Why do you think the referendum question included such specific details about how the Head of State might be
elected? Consider, for example, why the question was not simply Do you want Australia to become a republic?
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5.
Think about the different models proposed for the appointment of a Head of State of an Australian republic. Discuss
with others who might be completing this worksheet in your class what you think the strengths and weaknesses of
each model might be. Think, too, about who might be advantaged by each, and how. If you are completing this
worksheet on your own, you might like to discuss this issue with someone in your family.
6.
Arrange the voting responses of States and Territories in the referendum in order of their proportion of ‘Yes’ votes.
Based on your general knowledge, can you infer anything from these data? For example, you might suggest that
Northern Territory’s result may reflect its high Indigenous population.
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7.
In what way do you think the republican issue reflects the changing values of many of Australia’s people? Consider,
in your answer, issues such as the way many young Australians today view members of the British royal family, and
the growing influence of American culture on our way of life. Write a short report in your workbook.
8.
Check out the conclusions of the Legal and Constitutional References Committee in the report The Road to a
Republic at the following web site. List two of the conclusions that particularly interested you, and explain why in your
workbook.
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/legcon_ctte/completed_inquiries/2002-04/republic03/report/index.htm
References:
SOSE Alive 3, chapters 1–4 ▪ SOSE Alive History 2, chapters 1–4
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