Don't forget we're basically a colony of the USA now. And we don't realise it.

The present Australia Day does not represent the occasion we became an independent country. It does recognise our origins through. Federation was a great leaf forwarded to becoming an independent nation. Others steps were when we created our own flag created our own high courts and introduced our own passports. There is one more step to take before we become an independent nation. We must have our own head of state, not that of England. The date that happens will be truly Australian Day.

Grputland, that is a great idea to hold Reconciliation Day should be on May 27th.

Australia Day - January 1st
Heritage Day - January 26th
Reconciliation Day - May 27th

To those that say Australia Day was not a fully independent - you are correct. You have to bear in mind that there is a difference between political independence and legal independence.

I believe Australia, as a new nation, was politically independent on January 1st, 1901, it just took another 85 years for the legal paper work to catch up.

Sense, it has not fully caught up yet.

Flo,

The Australia Acts 1986, was missing a word in the middle called 'Independence'. It should have been called 'the Australia Independence Act 1986.'

The key phrases in the act are virtually the same as the key phrases in the Indian Independence Act 1947. The Queen is totally powerless since the signing of the act on March 3rd, 1986.

The only role she has now is to sign a commission letter drafted by an Australian PM to appoint our Governor General.

http://vrroom.naa.gov.au/records/?ID=24841

Sense, you are right, but we still do not have an Australian Head of State. The GG represents the Queen. Whitlam found out that the GG can act without the PM giving directives.