British Empire/Addendum

Changes of constitutional status

Many of the colonies were first set up by private sector companies in the name of the British Crown, and responsibility for their governance was subsequently assumed by the Crown. The relinquishment of that responsibility began in the late 19th century with the establishment of the concept of a self-governing "Dominion status" and its application to Canada and subsequently to Australia , New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland. In 1926 The 6th Imperial Conference established the Dominions as equal communities within the British Commowealth, with a common allegiance to the Crown. That definition was incorporated into British law in 1931 as the Statute of Westminster and was subsequently adopted throughout the Dominions. In 1949 the London Declaration , which established the concept of the Commonwealth of Nations that would include independent countries that did not owe allegiance to the Crown. Membership of the Commonwealth of the Commonwealth of Nations was adopted by most of the remaining colonies when they were granted independence.

Countries of the Empire

Australia

Australia was claimed for the British crown by Captain James Cook in 1770. One penal colony was established at what was then Port Jackson (and is now Sydney in 1788, and another was established in what as then Van Diemen's Land (and is now Tasmania) in 1803. Free settlers began to arrive in the colony from the 1790s, and wheat and merino sheep were also introduced in the late 18th century. Self-government was largely granted in 1850 by the passage of the Australian Colonies Government Act, which enabled the Australian colonies to amend their constitutions, determine electoral franchise and fix tariffs. The six British colonies on the continent federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.