Australia is not getting rid of the British monarchy as its head of state yet, but is gradually reducing its visible presence, notably by replacing the King's image on the $5 banknote with an Indigenous design while keeping him on coins and maintaining the constitutional link. A republic debate continues, with recent polls showing mixed public support, but the government currently prioritizes other issues over a republic referendum, though the monarchy's role is seen as increasingly symbolic.
Australia (monarchy kept after referendum)
In a 1999 referendum, the voters of Australia rejected a proposal to replace the constitutional monarchy with a republic with a president appointed by Parliament.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy and our head of state is the King. However, the King does not have a role in the day-to-day running of Australia. On the advice of the Prime Minister, the King appoints the Governor-General, who is the King's representative in Australia.
Finances. Australia does not fund the King or wider royal family for any activities taken outside of Australia, either towards personal income or to support royal residences outside of Australia. When monarch visits Australia, their expenses are paid for by the Australian Government.
Should the Australian people vote in a referendum to make this change, it is possible – though unlikely – that Australia would become a republic, while the states and territories remain constitutional monarchies!
In 1901 the Australian colonies federated to become the Commonwealth of Australia. As in Canada, the British monarch remains the monarch of Australia, which is now an independent, democratic nation with a tradition of religious tolerance and free speech.
Australian Government debt is owned by a range of Australian and international investors. The AOFM provides information on the share of AGS on issue owned by non-residents.
As Sovereign, the King is the font of Australian citizenship. Our passports are issued in the name of the Governor-General as the King's representative.
Before King Charles became the monarch, he reportedly received a salary of $16.5 million during the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year. Now, most of his money comes from the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1996, he reportedly had to give a huge chunk of money ($22.5 million to be exact) to Princess Diana following their divorce.
Britain no longer has any role in Australia's law-making. The British Parliament cannot make laws for Australia, and decisions of British courts have no legal effect here.
As described earlier in this chapter, while it is the prerogative of the Crown to dissolve the House of Representatives, the exercise of the power is subject to the constitutional convention that it does so only on the advice and approval of a Minister of State, in practice the Prime Minister, directly responsible to ...
On 26 September 1907 the country formally called itself a Dominion- a term only recently created to describe the self-governing settler colonies. In 1947 it was also the last of the Dominions to adopt the Statute of Westminster at which point it became independent of the British Parliament.
However, the King does not have a role in the day-to-day running of Australia. The King appoints the Governor-General, who is his representative in Australia. By convention – tradition – the King appoints the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Although Australian citizens ceased to be regarded as British subjects in 1984, they remain Commonwealth citizens under British law. When residing in the United Kingdom, Australians are eligible to vote in UK elections and serve in public office there.
The number of absolute monarchies in the world vary but current datasets agree that Brunei, Eswatini, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are absolute monarchies, while some datasets include Bahrain, Bhutan, Jordan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Samoa, Tonga, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Queen continues to legally own all the lands of Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, 32 other members (around two-thirds) of the Commonwealth, and Antarctica. Feudalism is not dead. It's just hiding. In Britain the Land Act of 1925 allegedly gave British subjects the right to two kinds of ownership.
No, a baby born in Australia isn't automatically a citizen unless one parent is already an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of birth; otherwise, the child generally becomes a citizen on their 10th birthday if they've been "ordinarily resident" in Australia for the first 10 years of their life, as per Section 12 of the Citizenship Act 2007. This rule changed from the prior automatic citizenship for all babies born in Australia, notes Go To Court Lawyers and Armstrong Legal.
The simple answer is No. Australia does not pay a cent for the maintenance or security of the Sovereign.
The U.S. ($38.3T) and China ($18.7T) are the two countries with the most government debt, and together make up just over half of the world's total debt ($110.9T). The top five countries make up 67% of the world's government debt, while the top 10 make up 81%.
Australia isn't in a full-blown financial crisis but faces significant challenges, including a cost-of-living squeeze, rising household debt, slowing productivity, and concerns about long-term growth, leading to financial pressure for many citizens despite overall economic size and past growth streaks. While large-scale wealth exists, issues like high housing costs, inflation, and stagnant real wages are straining household budgets, creating a perception of economic hardship even if official recession figures aren't met.
Stopping immigration in Australia would cause severe negative economic impacts, including significant labor and skills shortages (especially in healthcare, aged care, and trades), slower economic growth, reduced government revenue, a rapidly aging population, and negative effects on sectors like education and tourism, ultimately worsening public service pressures and potentially increasing housing costs despite initial theories otherwise. While some hoped for housing relief, most analysis suggests it would hurt the overall economy and budget.
The "strawman theory" in Australia is a pseudolegal concept used by "sovereign citizens" who claim a legal fiction (the "strawman," capitalized name on documents) exists separately from their real, "flesh-and-blood" self, allowing them to evade laws, taxes, and court authority. Australian courts consistently reject these arguments as baseless, describing them as nonsense and "gobbledygook," emphasizing that individuals are subject to the law as natural persons. The theory, rooted in U.S. movements, involves creating false legal separation to avoid obligations, but fails in Australian courts.
Australia stands apart. It is now the only Commonwealth nation that does not have a treaty with its Indigenous peoples. It has never entered into negotiations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples about the taking of their lands or their place in the new nation.