Australia and the United Kingdom: comparative analysis

Australia & the United Kingdom

Despite being tens of thousands of miles apart, Australia and the United Kingdom are intrinsically linked by history and culture. Although the Dutch explored sections of Australia in the 17th century, it wasn't until 1770 that Captain James Cook formally claimed the eastern coast of the island for Great Britain. Eighteen years later, a penal colony was established, by the British, at Port Jackson, which would eventually become Sydney. Several other penal colonies were established, including those that would eventually become the cities of Brisbane and Hobart ("Commonwealth"). From this beginning, the British bond with the country began.

In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia and the number of free persons settling in the country increased rapidly. Fifty years later, the six British colonies federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia. This early Commonwealth relationship saw Australia "as a loyal member of the empire, established by supplying troops for British conflicts such as the Boer Wars and World Wars I and II" ("Commonwealth"). However, the participation, and the associated harsh experiences, resulted in the development of a national consciousness. This, coupled with an increased diversity of ethnicity of new immigrants, post World War II, further established Australia's independence and separateness from the United Kingdom. On October 9th, 1942, this independence was formalized with the passage of the Statute of Westminster Adoption act, which officially established the complete autonomy of Australia's internal and external affairs. In 1986, the Australia Act "eliminated the last vestiges of British legal authority" ("History"). However, the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, is still the Queen of Australia. The Queen retains a representative in Australia, in the form of the Governor-General ("Australia's Political").

Despite the formal severing of political apron strings from Great Britain, the United Kingdom's historical presence is still felt in every day Australian life, which still connects the two countries. Australia's legal and political systems are based on those in the United Kingdom. The primary political parties found in Australia, the Labor Party, Liberal Party and National Party, are also found in the United Kingdom. Both countries' political heads of state are Prime Ministers.

The primary differences in the two countries, however, are the growing disparities in culture. Australia's native people, the Aboriginees, have increasingly become a cultural factor, especially after the ending of the government's assimilation policy. The large influx of immigrants from Italy, Greece, and a variety of Asian countries has changed the cultural composition of the country. Although the United Kingdom is less homogeneous than it was fifty years ago, the number of immigrants in Australia is far more significant. "Today, nearly 25% of Australians were born overseas, and 40% are immigrants or children of immigrants" ("Commonwealth").