Why New Zealand did not become an Australian state?

Both countries share a British colonial heritage as antipodean Dominions and settler colonies, and both are part of the wider Anglosphere. New Zealand sent representatives to the constitutional conventions which led to the uniting of the six Australian colonies but opted not to join.

Is New Zealand not a part of Australia?

New Zealand is not part of the continent of Australia, but of the separate, submerged continent of Zealandia. New Zealand and Australia are both part of the Oceanian sub-region known as Australasia, with New Guinea being in Melanesia.

Is New Zealand a state of Australia according to the Constitution?

The States shall mean such of the colonies of New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, including the northern territory of South Australia, as for the time being are parts of the Commonwealth, and such colonies or territories as may be admitted into or …

Was New Zealand connected to Australia?

Eighty million years ago, the landmass that was to become New Zealand, broke away from Gondwana, splitting away from Australia and Antarctica as the Tasman Sea opened up. Full separation took over 20 million years with the Tasman Sea reaching its present width of 2,000 km around 60 million years ago.

Was New Zealand ever connected to Australia?

Today’s New Zealand landmass originated from a marginal sliver of the Southern Hemisphere supercontinent Gondwana. Eighty million years ago, the landmass that was to become New Zealand, broke away from Gondwana, splitting away from Australia and Antarctica as the Tasman Sea opened up.

Why did New Zealand not join Federation?

New Zealanders just weren’t interested in uniting with Australia. The prevailing view was that New Zealanders were of superior stock to their counterparts across the Tasman. In Australia, one of the reasons that had been put forward to federate was the need for a united defence force.

Why is New Zealand not a part of Australia?

New Zealand was not willing to have her finest political minds occupy themselves with federal matters on the continent and to be distant in the federal capital, far from New Zealand for much of the year. New Zealand was geographically not part of Australia, the two being separated by a stormy sea.

How is New Zealand mentioned in the Australian Constitution?

New Zealand is mentioned in the covering clauses of the Australian Constitution when defining the States: The States shall mean such of the colonies of New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia,…

Can New Zealand join Australia at any time?

Its actually in the Australian constitution that NZ can join with Australia at any time. This was rejected in 1901 by the people of NZ. One reason in particular was the issue around they way Australia had (and still does) treat its indigenous people. See the 1901 Royal Commission.

Why doesn’t Britain want to join Australia as a nation?

Dr Barnes says Britain’s growing importance also casts some doubts on one of the most often-cited factors against federation with Australia – the 1200 miles (1930kms) between the two nations. “The 1200 miles between Australia and New Zealand were famously seen as ‘1200 impediments’ to federation,” she says.