The Slow Death of British Australia

As the Queen prepares to celebrate her diamond jubilee, it is worth remembering that much of this country marks her birthday every year with a public holiday, a courtesy not even observed in my homeland. There are still some 160,000 Britons who can cast a vote in Australian federal elections, a fancy franchise shared with other residents from the Commonwealth but with no other non-citizens. British colours still adorn the Australian flag ('Britain at night', scoffs Jerry Seinfeld) while Australia Day celebrates the moment of British colonisation. The Queen's profile continues to decorate the coinage, while her title is affixed to the hulls of Australian warships. When Dublin looked to dispose of its statue of Queen Victoria, Sydney gladly offered it a home.