9781422285800

The governor of Queensland reads the proclamation that established the modern nation of Australia on January 1, 1901, at the Treasury Building in Brisbane, Queensland.

In 1891, the time had come to transform the colony to a nation. During that year, the Australians wrote a constitution. Seven years later, they wrote another one, which was approved by voters and the British Parliament. On January 1, 1901, the new Commonwealth of Australia was born, still part of the United Kingdom, but independent in many ways. Thirteen years later, Australians fought alongside the British and their allies during World War I (1914–1918), and later during World War II (1939–1945). World War II was a precarious time as the Japanese threatened the conti- nent. By the spring of 1942, the Japanese had conquered the Philippines, Burma, Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies with little resistance. By the end of April, the Japanese wanted to seize control of the Coral Sea, located between Australia and New Caledonia. They planned on invading Port Moresby in southeastern New Guinea, which would leave Australia isolated and open to attack. Luckily, the Americans had broken the Japanese secret code and learned of the plan. On the morning of May 7, American and Japanese carrier groups faced each other in the Battle of the Coral Sea. When it was over the next day, the Americans had stopped the invasion of Port Moresby and halted any Japa- nese attempt to invade Australia. After the war, Australia became increasingly active in world affairs. It was an original member of the United Nations, and it sent troops to Korea during the Korean War. It also opened up its door to European immigrants displaced by World War II. At the time, the government paid many immigrants to settle in Australia. In return, the newcomers had to work at whatever jobs the Australians gave them for two years. Not only did immigrants come from Germany, but many also escaped Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. Today many of the new arrivals come from Asia, including China, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Some 6.5 million people have immigrated to Australia since 1945. 14 MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: AUSTRALIA