WI: Western Australia declared independence in 1933..

[Fletch]

There was a referendum which passed for Western Australia leaving the Australian Commonwealth and becoming a new Dominion within the British Empire. The referendum had a yes result, but the British Parliament delcared the result invalid as the state called the poll as opposed to the Commonwealth.

What if Westminster had accepted the result? How would this affect the rest of the 20th century in Australia?

 

[RJ TAYLER]

In the sporting arena, Australian Rules just got international and we all have a new Cricket side to play against.

 

[ColeMercury]

There's probably some complicated economic consequences of all the mines in WA now belonging to a foreign country which would impact history in other ways... but I don't know enough about that.

Oh, and political consequences too. John Curtin was the MP for Fremantle.

 

[Lord Brisbane]

Probably a much weaker federal government overall. Butterflies include: Commonwealth not assuming control over income tax etc during the war, much stronger states as well.

 

[Emperor-of-New-Zealand]

There's probably some complicated economic consequences of all the mines in WA now belonging to a foreign country which would impact history in other ways... but I don't know enough about that.

A lot of the mines wouldn't be able to function. I believe many resevoirs for water in the Northern Territory mines came from rivers in Western Australia. Of course, as a kiwi, Australian history is at the bottom of my to-do list .

 

[mowque]

I did it in my TL, but back in 1918.

Basically it led to East Australia to be less primary market oriented (after the infamous Lake Eyre filling attempt).

 

[Riain]

Then those overpaid arseholes in the mines wouldn't put pressure on the Reserve Bank to raise mortgage interest rates.

 

[Lord Brisbane]

Then those overpaid arseholes in the mines wouldn't put pressure on the Reserve Bank to raise mortgage interest rates.

Maybe clueless suburban wankers shouldn't get massive mortgages they can't pay for and spend money willy-nilly they don't actually have?

 

[Dizcorp]

Maybe you two should both be happy you live in the one fully developed major nation that barely blinked at the global financial crisis, and that your worst worry is a few fractions of an interest rate percentage rise that overburdened urbanites might not like. Lucky buggers.*

As for Western Australian independence... it would certainly be a bit of a bummer for Australian development. Indeed, the industries of the five eastern states would be in competition with the Westralian Dominion, rather than sometimes co-operating with it.

I wonder what the independent country would have been called? Dominion of Western Australia? Westralian Republic? Cygnia? And if the butterflies weren't strong enough to avert or completely change the nature of its occurrence, how deeply would an independent *WA have been involved in *WW2?

Australia's cricket team is slightly weakened overall - perhaps in the information age we would get an Oceanic league (Westralia, Australian states and New Zealand all taking part), as opposed to the state system currently in place. This applies to rugby union, league (?) and soccer already.

Also, visa headaches for the modern multitudes of backpackers if Westralia and Australia don't establish a customs union. Ah well.

* OFF-TOPIC DISCLAIMER: This is all intended in good jest, I'm not intending a flame war by any means and apologise for any offence if somehow caused - I'm highly jealous of you Aussies, and well aware of the deep-seated differences between the miners and the overall urban population - you have a (relatively) well-managed economy, barely any foreign debt, low tax levels and a massive export surplus. Compared to, say, the Old Country. As a backpacking Welshman, I've got to leave your wonderful, overheated, sandy nation and go back to Blighty's charlie foxtrot of a job market in two months, and I'm not happy about it. No sir.

 

[Lord Brisbane]

I suppose it depends on what sort of immigration policy is adopted in Western Australia post-war.

 

[Bookeater]

The thing is ,would the rest of Australia actually let us do it? Forgetting the mines, we also have an enormus wheat growing region as well as almost all of the gold. I reckon the rest of Australia wouldn't easily give away their pound of flesh from us old Sandgroapers

 

[Julius Vogel]

Assuming the independence does happen and is accepted, I would be interested to see if there is the creation of some sort of formal Australian - WA - NZ economy or defence council in order to co-ordinate

 

[Riain]

Maybe clueless suburban wankers shouldn't get massive mortgages they can't pay for and spend money willy-nilly they don't actually have?

I'm not concerned about them, those arseholes distort the economy in their own way. I'm concerned about me, and my modest Geelong unit that I want to pay off so I can buy some acreage in the country.