263px, Flag of Australia Australian nationalism is the

ideology An ideology is a set of beliefs or values attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief in certain knowledge, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones". Form ...

, movement and sentiment that emphasizes the identity,

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

, and interests of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

as a nation-state, asserting the identity of

Australians Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizenship, citizens, nationality, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Aust ...

as a distinct

nation A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...

, regardless of its previously derivative and colonial status. It encompasses a range of beliefs and values that are often rooted in Australia's history,

geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

, and socio-political context. Key elements of Australian nationalism include a sense of national pride, attachment to Australian symbols such as the flag and

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

, and a focus on promoting Australia's sovereignty and independence. Historically, Australian nationalism emerged during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Australia moved towards federation and gained independence from British colonial rule, developing itself in three pivotal historical traditions: the

labour movement The labour movement is the collective organisation of working people to further their shared political and economic interests. It consists of the trade union or labour union movement, as well as political parties of labour. It can be considere ...

, the republican movement and nativism. It was shaped by factors such as the experiences of early settlers and the desire for a distinct Australian identity separate from British influence.

History

Pre-Federation

By the early 19th century, Australia was governed as a series of six largely self-governing colonies that were spread across the continent and were part of the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

. The name ''Australia'' was popularised by explorer Matthew Flinders and first used officially by Governor Macquarie. Attempts to coordinate governance had failed in the 1860s due to a lack of popular support and lack of interest from the

British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

, but by the 1880s, and with the rise of nationalist movements in Europe, the efforts to establish a federation of the Australian colonies began to gather momentum. The British government supported federation as a means to cement British influence in the South Pacific. Figures like William Wentworth,

John Dunmore Lang John Dunmore Lang (25 August 1799 – 8 August 1878) was a Scottish-born Australian Presbyterian minister, writer, historian, politician and activist. He was the first prominent advocate of an independent Australian nation and of Australian rep ...

and Banjo Patterson championed Australian identity during the colonial era.

Post-Federation

Nationalistic sentiments increased as a result of Australia's participation in the First and Second World Wars, with concepts such as " mateship" becoming a cornerstone of Australian nationalism. *

Flags

Flags used by Australian nationalists

File:Civil Ensign of Australia.svg, Australian red ensign File:Flag of Australia (1901–1903).svg, Older variations of the Australian flag File:Eureka Flag.svg, Eureka Flag File:Australian Federation Flag.svg, Australian Federation Flag File:The Men From Snowy River flag.svg, "The Men From Snowy River" flag used during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

snowball marches

References

Footnotes

Sources

* * * * * * {{Politics of Australia, state=autocollapse Political terminology in Australia Eureka Rebellion