Your challenge if you choose to accept it is to create an Australia independent of Great Britain before 1900. Be it a Republic, Monarchy or Dictatorship so long as they in no way answer to Britain and preferably won't fall apart at the drop of a hat. Bonus points if this Australia occupies the whole continent and is a regional power.
AHC: Independant Australia
- Thread starter Sidheach
- Start date
Due to the distance needed to travel between Britain and Australia, that alone could make it possible, preferably, i think you would need a successful Eureka, but, it would have to eventually branch out further into the political sphere as opposed to infringement on mining rights and licensees and certain privileges and freedoms.
I had the idea of a giant convict revolt once (as the basis for a South Pacific analogue to the Draka), but at best that'd be an independent SE Australia. There'd be no way they could dispute Britain controlling the rest of the continent.
Cook doesn't "discover" it in 1788, and so on.
There, you don't have a British Australia - now the hard part is independence.
There, you don't have a British Australia - now the hard part is independence.
Cook doesn't "discover" it in 1788, and so on.
There, you don't have a British Australia - now the hard part is independence.
The Dutches or France could have taken it..
Well, considering at one point Australia was basically full of Irish taken from their home country and dumped there, on blistering hot island with lot of upper class Brits bossing them around, I'm sure somekind of "Poor Irish underclass revolts" TL could be constructed.
I'm sure someone could twist a TL based around Ned Kelly.
I'm sure someone could twist a TL based around Ned Kelly.
Riain
Banned
Easy, there is speculation that the Portuguese reached south East Australia in 1523, Torres from Spain passed across the top of Australia in 1605 and the Dutch were very busy around western and southern Australia between 1606 and 1644. The vagaries of wind and weather being what they are in the age of sail before perfection of longitude these near misses and wrecks could have just as easily been good charting voyages that discovered the best bits of Australia and relayed that information back to Europe over 130 years before Cook did so. Settlement may occur before 1700 so independence may occur before 1900.
Technically, if they are a French colony (or Portuguese), which options have already been pointed out, then they could be a colony with even less autonomy than OTL's Australia, and the OP is met.... (France, and all its colonies, are certainly independent of GB.)
Personally I think the most interesting and likely (saying this as someone with little knowledge of Australia) PoD would be a larger and more successful Eureka Rebellion. Though it would be pretty damn cool if you could have something involving Ned Kelly.
Don't forget that Australia only formally unified around 1900 or so IOTL (after decades of talking), prior to that it was a series of separate, self governed provinces, very much run in their own interests, despite being within the Empire.
NZ at the time had consolidated away from the provincial model by the 1870s into one centrally governed governmental unit.
I think the best option for an independent Austrailan state would be taking one of these colonies (Queensland/WA?) and focusing on that.
NZ at the time had consolidated away from the provincial model by the 1870s into one centrally governed governmental unit.
I think the best option for an independent Austrailan state would be taking one of these colonies (Queensland/WA?) and focusing on that.
Hi Guys.
Sorry to come in this one a little late but I do find this topic very interesting.
Early Republicanism in this country was quite robust. A good explaination of this can be found here: http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/republic/a-short-history-of-australian-republicanism/
As you can see the very early revolts were mostly Irish Convicts whose only interests were to sieze ships and return to Ireland. They were hardly interested in establishing a Republic or any other form of armed takeover of the colony.
Looking further afield there was a small uprising near Bathurst around the 1820's that led to pitched battles with police and troopers. But they recieved little in the way of public support and sympathy.
The Eureka Rebellion was probably the most likely of scenarios. Indeed any form of Republican foothold on the continent was in Victoria. However the date of the Rebellion is its achillies heel. 1853 was a time of minimal population, resources and infastructure. If the Battle of Eureka was a success to the Rebels its likely they wouldn't have achieved much more than local control around the Ballarat area and little else.
The most likely scenario of an insurgent rise in Republicanism would be the 'Kelly Uprising' of 1878 - 1880. If theorists are correct and Kelly succeeded at Glenrowan there may have been a declaration of the Republic of North East Victoria.
It's widely believed that Kelly had not only sypathisers but an active support network. This is also evidenced by the thousands petitioning for clemency prior to Kelly's execution.
What I'm looking at here is the possible fall of British controlled Victoria and a 'domino effect' of further colonies either severing ties with Britain or falling to Republican control.
Would this be achievable? Considering the Kelly Uprising happened late in the 19th century and closely followed by the Federation movement and with active Republican sentiments at the time I think it would certainly be possible to see the declaration of the Republic of Australia by 1900 and not the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.
This is very interesting and I might work on a timeline.
Sorry to come in this one a little late but I do find this topic very interesting.
Early Republicanism in this country was quite robust. A good explaination of this can be found here: http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/republic/a-short-history-of-australian-republicanism/
As you can see the very early revolts were mostly Irish Convicts whose only interests were to sieze ships and return to Ireland. They were hardly interested in establishing a Republic or any other form of armed takeover of the colony.
Looking further afield there was a small uprising near Bathurst around the 1820's that led to pitched battles with police and troopers. But they recieved little in the way of public support and sympathy.
The Eureka Rebellion was probably the most likely of scenarios. Indeed any form of Republican foothold on the continent was in Victoria. However the date of the Rebellion is its achillies heel. 1853 was a time of minimal population, resources and infastructure. If the Battle of Eureka was a success to the Rebels its likely they wouldn't have achieved much more than local control around the Ballarat area and little else.
The most likely scenario of an insurgent rise in Republicanism would be the 'Kelly Uprising' of 1878 - 1880. If theorists are correct and Kelly succeeded at Glenrowan there may have been a declaration of the Republic of North East Victoria.
It's widely believed that Kelly had not only sypathisers but an active support network. This is also evidenced by the thousands petitioning for clemency prior to Kelly's execution.
What I'm looking at here is the possible fall of British controlled Victoria and a 'domino effect' of further colonies either severing ties with Britain or falling to Republican control.
Would this be achievable? Considering the Kelly Uprising happened late in the 19th century and closely followed by the Federation movement and with active Republican sentiments at the time I think it would certainly be possible to see the declaration of the Republic of Australia by 1900 and not the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.
This is very interesting and I might work on a timeline.
Cook
Banned
The colony of New Zealand sent delegates to the Australasian Federation Convention in 1890 just like the other colonies.
Remember Eureka! https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=183013 is an interesting and well written timeline that shows a special interest in a developing Australian aircraft industry. While not meeting the requirements of the OP, it is about as far as a successful Eureka rebellion could be carried.
Wow Chucky that's awesome.
Does anyone have a glossary or something that lists alternative Australian histories?
Does anyone have a glossary or something that lists alternative Australian histories?
Sure, but as a unified entity, not as either the original 4 provinces (Otago, Canterbury, Wellington or Auckland) or by island. It would be possible, with a POD, to send delegates to the conferences and convention as these subnational units.
Prior to the late 1870s it was reasonably likely that NZ would have developed along an island, rather than provinces or unitary basis. If two island provinces developed, then I think it highly likely they would join an ATL federation