Why is Australia part of the British Commonwealth?

Answer 1

Australia was claimed by Captain James Cook in 1770 for the British and became part of the British Empire at that time. The settling of Convicts at Sydney Cove in 1888 served two purposes it provided a British contingent to occupy the continent (allowing the Empire to expand as it had done in India, Africa and America) and provided a place to settle Convicts who had been building up in numbers in prison hulks since the American war of independence had stopped convicts being deposited there.

Answer 2

Australia as a nation became part of the British Empire when the colonies federated on 1 January 1901 to become the Commonwealth of Australia, as it had been colonised by Great Britain.

However, the continent that is now Australia actually started to become part of the British Empire much earlier, when Lieutenant James Cook (later "Captain Cook") claimed a section of the eastern coast for Great Britain in August 1770.

The process of Australia becoming part of the British Empire was not a single event, but a series of claims.

• Although Cook was not the first European to discover Australia (as he was preceded by numerous Portuguese and Dutch explorers), he was the first to make an official claim on behalf of England, thus incorporating the east coast into the British Empire.
• When Captain Arthur Phillip arrived with the First Fleet of convicts on 26 January 1788, he extended the claim to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) and further west.
• The western half of the continent was only claimed in 1829.

Answer 3

Australia remains part of the British Commonwealth because up to this point the majority of Australians do want to remain part of the British Commonwealth.

Historically, as a British colony, we were part of the British Empire. In 1901 we decided we wanted to rule ourselves and take responsibility for things like defence and foreign relations, but due to the similarity in culture and the strategic ties between ourselves and Britain we naturally became a part of the Commonwealth.

During World War Two our strategic orientation shifted from Britain to the USA, as they were more willing and more capable to defend us from Japanese aggression in the Pacific, and our relationship with Britain has fallen out of relevance as Britain has fallen as a Great Power.

Despite this, many Australians hold nostalgic feelings for Great Britain and the Commonwealth. There are also practical benefits to remaining part of the Commonwealth: participation in the Commonwealth games, more favourable trade terms, and others.

Put simply: it still advantages Australia to remain part of an organisation that it has always been a part of due to history.

Answer 4

I'm pretty sure it was because the British people wanted more land. You can look back to when Britain and France made a deal during the first or second WW to split up the Arab's countries.

Answer 5

they were allready a part of their empire