Quote: "Camerinvs"Thanks for the replies.
I thought that that "analysis" was quite over the top ─playing with word definitions among other things─ and wanted to see what people think about it.
I agree. Someone trying to stir up the pot. Reminded me of one of the later the political follies seen in the latter episodes of "Rake"
I can also mention the fact that Canada used to be identified by its constitutional status as a "dominion", so people would say "the Dominion". Likewise, people who talk about the history of Newfoundland until 1949, when it joined Canada as the 10th province, talk about "the Dominion".
Now, Canada is just... Canada.
By the way, few Canadians know when Canada actually became independent... Most people would probably say 1867, but this is certainly wrong. It's not even easy to point to a specific date, but 1932 is probably it (Ottawa Conference). That date is more significant than 1982 I think (repatriation of the Constitution).
It is still much easier to discuss this issue about Canada than about New Zealand, for which the task is virtually impossible.
As for Australia, anyone knows? I've not looked into it.
Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901, when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern in their own right as the Commonwealth of Australia. It was a remarkable political accomplishment that had taken many years and several referenda to achieve.
The six colonies that became States of the Commonwealth of Australia were, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia & Tasmania.
There were also three Territories, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory & Norfolk Island
In 2001 many commemorative coins were released by both the Royal Australian mint and the Perth Mint to celebrate 100 years since Federation.
I'm reviving this post just to add this article from the Canadian Encyclopedia which seems to apply to all Dominions. The Statute of Westminster of December 11th 1931 is considered the piece of legislation granting formal independence to the Dominions. While Canada had started to assert itself in terms of foreign policy, though technically it still needed assent from the British Crown, now our independence in this and almost all other respects was granted and passed into law.
Australian banknotes had "Commonwealth of Australia" on them until 1973/74 when they were reissued with just "Australia" ($1 - $20 in 1974 and $50 in 1973, when it first came out). The small print still had the full title.
It's a Commonwealth as it was separate states between 1788 and 1900 and each state still has a governor and its own parliament (Except the territories like Northern Territory, ACT and the Islands like Cocos and Keeling, Norfolk Island is now part of New South Wales). Australia is also in the British Commonwealth, so a Commonwealth within a Commonwealth.
New Zealand is NOT a Commonwealth, but in the British Commonwealth. We had provinces between 1853 and 1876 and these were abolished well before we became a Dominion in 1907, yet did not gain full and complete independence until 1947 (NZ citizens born before 1949, can still get a British Passport).
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
The constitutional changes are somewhat more noticeable on stamps than on coins, especially with regard to Australia where each state was issuing its own stamps. Yet this didn't end in 1901 but about a decade later (as you know), at about the same time when an Australian coinage was finally introduced for the entire Commonwealth.
Likewise, in Canada, coinages and stamps were not much affected at the time of the constitutional changes, except for provinces that "disappeared" as they merged with the Dominion of Canada, and therefore stopped issuing coins and stamps in their own right.
I suppose the "Australian" 19th-century sovereign and half-sovereign coinages are actually British coins struck in the mints of the Australian Commonwealths. In Canada, though, the sovereign and ½-sovereign coins (including the Australian ones) were given legal tender status in an edict of the 1850s.
