Australia officially became the Commonwealth of Australia on the 1st of January 1901, when the British Parliament passed legislation allowing the six Australian colonies to govern in their own right as an independent country.
But it wasn't until the 26th of January 1949 -- almost five decades later and after two World Wars and a Great Depression -- that people living in Australia could officially be known as Australian citizens.
The federal parliament passed the Australian Citizenship Act on the 21st of December 1948.
The act detailed that "Australian citizenship is a common bond, involving reciprocal rights and obligations, uniting all Australians, while respecting their diversity".
University of Melbourne Emeritus Professor Brian Galligan says the push for formal citizenship was in part disillusionment with the British Empire following World War 2 and the need for a greater sense of national unity.
