Australia
 

26 Jan 1788 - 20 Feb 1903	1 Jan 1901 - Sep 1901 (provisional)	Sep 1901 - 4 Jun 1903 (officially from 20 Feb 1903)
4 Jun 1903 - 19 Dec 1908	Adopted 19 Dec 1908	19 Dec 1908 - Nov 1953  Civil Ensign

Map of Australia Hear National Anthem   "Advance Australia Fair" Text of National Anthem Adopted 19 Apr 1984 Constitution (1 Jan 1901) Capital: Canberra (1901-1927 Melbourne) Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD) National Holiday: 26 Jan (1788)  Australia Day Population: 20,434,176 (2007) GDP: $666.3 billion (2006)  Exports: $117 billion (2006) Imports: $127 billion (2006) Ethnic Groups: Caucasian 91.4%, Asian 6.4%, aboriginal 1.5%, other 0.7% (2001) Total Armed Forces: 53, 650 (2003) Merchant marine: 53 ships (2006) Religions: Roman Catholic 26.6%, Anglican 20.7%, other Protestant 15.8% (Uniting Church 6.7%, Presbyterian 3.4%), Orthodox 2.8%, other Christian 2.1%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, Hindu 0.5%, Jewish 0.4%, other/unspecified 12.2%, none 15.5% (2001)  International Organizations/Treaties: ADB, AG, ANT, ANZUS, APEC, APM, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BTWC, C, CP, CTBT, EAS, EBRD, ENMOD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NPT, NSG, NTBT, OECD, OPCW, PC, PCA, PIF, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,  ZC Australia Index Chronology  4 Mar 1606                Discovered by Dutch Capt. Willem Janszoon at                              Cape York; later named New Holland.  6 May 1770                Charted and claimed for Britain by Capt. James Cook 26 Jan 1788                New South Wales, the first British colony in                               Australia, founded (see Australian states).  1 Jan 1901                British colonies in Australia united as a                               dominion (Commonwealth of Australia). 11 Dec 1931                Statute of Westminster (ratified by Australia                              9 Oct 1942 [retroactive to 3 Sep 1939])                               grants sovereignty to the British dominions.  6 Nov 1999                Referendum on adopting republican form of                               government is rejected.  Australian States Ashmore and Carier Islands Coral Sea Islands Australian Antarctic Territory

Kings/Queens¹
 1 Jan 1901 -              the Kings/Queens of the United Kingdom
Governors-general² (representing the British monarch as head of state)
 1 Jan 1901 -  9 Jan 1903  John Adrian Louis Hope,            (b. 1860 - d. 1908)
                             Earl of Hopetoun
                            (from 27 Oct 1902, Marquess of Linlithgow) 
 9 Jan 1903 - 21 Jan 1904  Hallam Tennyson, Baron Tennyson of (b. 1852 - d. 1928)
                             Aldworth
21 Jan 1904 -  9 Sep 1908  Henry Stafford Northcote,          (b. 1846 - d. 1911)
                             Baron Northcote of Exeter
 9 Sep 1908 - 31 Jul 1911  William Humble Ward,               (b. 1867 - d. 1932)
                             Earl of Dudley 
21 Dec 1909 - 27 Jan 1910  Frederick John Napier Thesinger,   (b. 1868 - d. 1933) 
                             Baron Chelmsford (acting for Ward)
31 Jul 1911 - 18 May 1914  Thomas Denman, Baron Denman        (b. 1874 - d. 1954)
18 May 1914 -  6 Oct 1920  Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro-Ferguson (b. 1860 - d. 1934)
 6 Oct 1920 -  8 Oct 1925  Henry William Forster,             (b. 1866 - d. 1936)
                             Baron Forster of Lepe
 8 Oct 1925 - 22 Jan 1931  John Lawrence Baird,               (b. 1874 - d. 1941)
                             Baron Stonehaven of Ury
22 Jan 1931 - 23 Jan 1936  Sir Isaac Isaacs                   (b. 1855 - d. 1948)
23 Jan 1936 - 30 Jan 1945  Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-     (b. 1872 - d. 1955)
                             Ruthven, Baron Gowrie
                             (from 8 Jan 1945, Earl Gowrie of Canberra)
30 Jan 1945 - 11 Mar 1947  Prince Henry William Frederick     (b. 1900 - d. 1974)
                             Albert, Earl of Ulster, 
                             Baron Culloden, Duke of Gloucester 
11 Mar 1947 -  8 May 1953  William John McKell                (b. 1891 - d. 1985)
                             (from 9 Nov 1951, Sir William John McKell) 
 8 May 1953 -  2 Feb 1960  Sir William Joseph Slim            (b. 1891 - d. 1970)
 2 Feb 1960 -  3 Feb 1961  William Shepherd Morrison,         (b. 1893 - d. 1961)
                             Viscount Dunrossil of Vallaquie
 4 Feb 1961 -  3 Aug 1961  Sir Reginald Alexander Dallas      (b. 1896 - d. 1966)
                             Brooks (administrator)
 3 Aug 1961 - 22 Sep 1965  William Philip Sidney,             (b. 1909 - d. 1991)
                             Viscount De L'Isle 
22 Sep 1965 - 30 Apr 1969  Richard Gardiner Casey,            (b. 1890 - d. 1976)
                             Baron Casey of Berwick 
30 Apr 1969 - 11 Jul 1974  Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck (b. 1905 - d. 1993)
11 Jul 1974 -  8 Dec 1977  Sir John Robert Kerr               (b. 1914 - d. 1991)
 8 Dec 1977 - 29 Jul 1982  Sir Zelman Cowen                   (b. 1919)
29 Jul 1982 - 16 Feb 1989  Sir Ninian Martin Stephen          (b. 1923)
16 Feb 1989 - 16 Feb 1996  William "Bill" George Hayden       (b. 1933)
16 Feb 1996 - 29 Jun 2001  Sir William Deane                  (b. 1931)
21 Apr 1999 -  5 May 1999  Philip Michael Jeffery             (b. 1937)
                             (acting for Deane)
29 Jun 2001 - 28 May 2003  Peter John Hollingworth            (b. 1935)
15 May 2003 - 11 Aug 2003  Sir Guy Stephen Montague Green     (b. 1937)
                             (acting [for Hollingworth to 28 May 2003])
11 Aug 2003 -              Philip Michael Jeffery             (s.a.)
 

Prime ministers
 1 Jan 1901 - 24 Sep 1903  Edmund Barton                      (b. 1849 - d. 1920)  PP
                             (from 1902, Sir Edmund Barton) 
24 Sep 1903 - 26 Apr 1904  Alfred Deakin (1st time)           (b. 1856 - d. 1919)  PP
26 Apr 1904 - 18 Aug 1904  John Christian Watson              (b. 1867 - d. 1941)  ALP
18 Aug 1904 -  5 Jul 1905  George Houston Reid                (b. 1845 - d. 1918)  FT
 5 Jul 1905 - 13 Nov 1908  Alfred Deakin (2nd time)           (s.a.)               PP
13 Nov 1908 -  2 Jun 1909  Andrew Fisher (1st time)           (b. 1862 - d. 1928)  ALP
 2 Jun 1909 - 29 Apr 1910  Alfred Deakin (3rd time)           (s.a.)               PP
29 Apr 1910 - 24 Apr 1913  Andrew Fisher (2nd time)           (s.a.)               ALP
24 Apr 1913 - 17 Sep 1914  Joseph Cook                        (b. 1860 - d. 1947)  LP
17 Sep 1914 - 27 Oct 1915  Andrew Fisher (3rd time)           (s.a.)               ALP
27 Oct 1915 -  9 Feb 1923  William Morris Hughes              (b. 1864 - d. 1952)  ALP;
                                                       14 Nov 1916 NLP; 17 Feb 1917 NP
 9 Feb 1923 - 22 Oct 1929  Stanley Melbourne Bruce            (b. 1883 - d. 1967)  NP
22 Oct 1929 -  6 Jan 1932  James Henry Scullin                (b. 1867 - d. 1953)  ALP
 6 Jan 1932 -  7 Apr 1939  Joseph Aloysius Lyons              (b. 1879 - d. 1939)  UAP
 7 Apr 1939 - 26 Apr 1939  Sir Earle Page (acting)            (b. 1880 - d. 1961)  ACP
26 Apr 1939 - 29 Aug 1941  Robert Gordon Menzies (1st time)   (b. 1894 - d. 1978)  LP
29 Aug 1941 -  7 Oct 1941  Arthur William Fadden              (b. 1895 - d. 1973)  ACP
 7 Oct 1941 -  6 Jul 1945  John Curtin                        (b. 1885 - d. 1945)  ALP
 6 Jul 1945 - 13 Jul 1945  Francis Michael Forde              (b. 1890 - d. 1983)  ALP
13 Jul 1945 - 19 Dec 1949  Joseph Benedict Chifley            (b. 1885 - d. 1951)  ALP
19 Dec 1949 - 22 Jan 1966  Robert Gordon Menzies (2nd time)   (s.a.)               LP
                             (from 1963, Sir Robert Gordon Menzies)
22 Jan 1966 - 17 Dec 1967  Harold Edward Holt                 (b. 1908 - d. 1967)  LP
18 Dec 1967 - 10 Jan 1968  John McEwen (acting)               (b. 1900 - d. 1980)  ACP
10 Jan 1968 - 10 Mar 1971  John Grey Gorton                   (b. 1911 - d. 2002)  LP
10 Mar 1971 -  5 Dec 1972  William McMahon                    (b. 1908 - d. 1988)  LP
 5 Dec 1972 - 11 Nov 1975  Edward Gough Whitlam               (b. 1916)            ALP
11 Nov 1975 - 11 Mar 1983  John Malcolm Fraser                (b. 1930)            LP
11 Mar 1983 - 20 Dec 1991  Robert James Lee Hawke             (b. 1929)            ALP
20 Dec 1991 - 11 Mar 1996  Paul John Keating                  (b. 1944)            ALP
11 Mar 1996 -  3 Dec 2007  John Winston Howard                (b. 1939)            LP
 3 Dec 2007 -              Kevin Michael Rudd                 (b. 1957)            ALP

 

12 Sep1971 Aborignal flag;  14 Jul 1995 adopted as "a flag of Australia"

29 May 1992 Torres Strait Islander flag;   14 Jul 1995 adopted as "a flag of Australia"

 ¹The style of the ruler was:
(a) from 1901: "By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India";
(b) from 12 Apr 1927: "By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India"; the title "Emperor of India" was dropped as of 15 Aug 1947 by retroactive proclamation dated 22 Jun 1948;
(c) from 29 May 1953: "By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom, Australia and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith";
(d) from 19 Oct 1973: "By the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth." 

 ²full title:
(a) from 1 Jan 1901: Governor-general and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Commonwealth of Australia;
(f) from 24 Aug 1984: Governor-general of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Territorial Disputes: Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory) since 1933, claim not recognized by the United Nations, U.S., Russia, or by most other countries (other than U.K. and New Zealand); East Timor and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; East Timor dispute hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia (see also Ashmore and Cartier Islands dispute); regional states express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime identification zone; in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margin from both its mainland and Antarctic claims.

Party abbreviations: ALP = Australian Labor Party (social-democratic); LP = Liberal Party
(conservative); NP = National Party (conservative);
- Former Parties: ACP = Australian Country Party; FT = Free Trade Party; NLP = National Labor Party; PP= Protectionist Party; UAP = United Australia Party

 

Map of Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Population: Uninhabited, there are seasonal caretakers (2007)

1800                       Cartier Island discovered by Capt. Nash, aboard the Cartier. 
11 Jun 1811                Ashmore Island discovered by Capt. Samuel Ashmore aboard Hibernia.
1878                       Ashmore Island annexed by Britain.
1909                       Cartier Island annexed by Britain.
23 Jul 1931                Ashmore and Cartier Islands transferred to Australia by Britain
                             (effective 10 May 1934).
1938                       Part of the Northern Territory.
Jul 1978                   Ashmore and Cartier Islands Territory; administered from
                             Canberra by the Department of Home Affairs.
16 Aug 1983                Ashmore Reef made a National Natural Reserve, administered by
                             the Department of Transport and Regional Services (from 29 Nov
                             2007, the Attorney-General's Department) . 
Jun 2001                   Cartier Reef Nature Reserve created.

Territorial Dispute: Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia
closed the surrounding waters to Indonesian traditional fishing and created a national park 
in the region while continuing to prospect for hydrocarbons in the vicinity.

 

Map of Coral Sea Islands

Population: Uninhabited, staff of 3-4 at the meteorological station Willis Island (2007)

30 Sep 1969                Coral Sea Islands Territory established (formerly part of 
                             Queensland [the northwest group includes: Flinders Reefs,
                             Herald Cays, Holmes Reefs, Coringa Islets, Lihou Reef and Cays,
                             Magdelaine Cays, Moore Reefs, Bougainville Reef, Osprey Reef,
                             Marion Reef, the Willis Group, et al.; the southeasterly group
                             includes: Frederick Reefs, Saumarez Reefs, Wreck Reef, Kenn Reef,
                             Swain Reefs, West Island, Bird Islet, and Cato Island]);
                             administered from Canberra by the Attorney-General's Department .