I believe that would be Federation Day, on January 1st, 1901, if I am not mistaken.

Forrest,

Granted, there should have been a referendum. Also, the Australia Act 1986 should have probably been named the Australia Independence Act 1986, especially when you make comparisons with the Indian Independence Act 1947.

I am not suprised by the Sunday proclamation anomaly, just look at the dog's breakfast we have been left with in Section 15 of the Australian Constitution. The peons replaced the wonderfully concise and simple text, a style which is evident thoughout the constitution, with reams of modern legalistic garbage, thanks to the initial actions of Bjelke-Petersen.

With reference to the Statute of Westminster 1931, are you inferring that the UK Parliament completely lost the power to legislate on behalf of a dominion, even with consent??

In the end the highest court in the land recognises this date as the date of legal independence and law students are taught the same. It makes no sense to use a substitute.

"It makes no sense to use a substitute."
Posted by Sense, Sunday, 25 October 2009 6:35:52 PM

Precisely.

Australia gained the status of Independant Nationhood without having to become a Republic . The ( theoretical ) operating proceedures are still those of a Constitutional Monarchy but the reality is we are already a Republic . We are sometimes called a " concealed Republic " .
Elizabeth is still technicaly our Monarch but in reality it is only a titular position ( meaning powerless ). When the GG ( Kerr ) dismissed the Whitlam government he did not consult the Queen and the Queen stated that she could not intervene !

A " National Day " should celebrate the advent of a Nation not a change in the process of administration .

Remember that already Australians owe no allegiance to the British Monarch only to Elizabeth in the position of " Queen of Australia ".

... and may we say, "God save the Queen!", because nothing else but she would have saved GG Hollingworth.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2002/02/27/queen020227.html

The only valid argument I can see against abolishing Australia Day is that it would stuff up the cricket.