Interesting and quick note here! Australian, until 1949,were citizens of the United Kingdom! However both World Wars left Australians feeling somewhat alone in the world with the motherland being a dubious protector. During the First World War, the sacrifice of 8,000 Aussies during the Gallipoli campaign and the close call brush with the Imperial Japanese, left many Aussies feeling either betrayed and/or vulnerable to the outside world. This convinced many that self reliance and further independence from Britain was necessary for survival in what was an unruly part of the World(i.e Communist Threat in Asia/The Pacific Rim) which Britain had proven itself unable to defend. Thus the Australian Government' threw open the gates to newcomers from across Europe and eventually the world(after 1970) and started a great post war immigration push to expand both the country's population in order to grow the economy as well as the countries military might. This wave of immigration changed the face of Australia forever and would go along way to creating the dynamic and vibrant multicultural-outward looking democracy that exists today.
Thank you Bill Bryson-"In A Sunburned Country". A good read!
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