Jockey,

When in your view did we become a nation?

Australia was a colony when the British establish European settement in the country. And become a nation on January 1st 1901, but also Anzac day and the 26th is a holiday.That is part of our heritage.

I've thought long and hard about January 1st, 1901. Were we a nation or weren't we? Legally, on paper we were still a colony within the British empire. But, politically and physically we became our own nation on January 1st, 1901. How many colonies have their own navy, army and national government. We made our own decisions from that very first day. Our heritage and that of the aborignal people and all other Australians should be celebrated on January 26th as 'Heritage Day.'

Our 110th birthday as a nation will be coming up in a little over 3 months - I for one will be celebrating it.

“We made our own decisions from that very first day.” Did we, I was under the impression that we still made appeals to the British Privy Council. We did not have our own passports. If was many more years until we had our own flag which still has the Union Jack on it. Aboriginals were not counted. Most of the above stayed in place until the sixties and seventies. There were other things as well that still tied us to England. We still have a foreign head of state.

Flo, you are absolutely right in everything you say. But, let's have a look at what would have happened if Federation had not ocurred on January 1st, 1901.

I look to New Zealand, like all of the Australian States prior to January 1st, 1901 it was a self governing colony. How did New Zealand become a country? A sitting Premier of New Zealand simply changed his title from Premier to 'Prime Minister.'
They ceased to be a colony after applying for dominion status in 1906 or 1907. The Governor of New Zealand was eventually renamed Governor-General by 1917.

A similar path would have been taken by all the separate Australian colonies. Each colony would have become a separate nation, probably at different time scales, with a Prime Minister and separate armies, navies and separate titles for each of its citizens.

Sense, agree with you 100%. What I am saying is that we have not finish the job yet. I believe the last few weeks prove we have a very good constitution.