It took Australia almost 100 years to evolve into the sovereign nation of today.

This book tells how the Commonwealth progressed from an umbrella government designed to further the interests of the six British colonies into a fully fledged independent national government.

It takes us through the stages of evolution from British Dominion to semi-independence; from a federation still controlled by the British parliament to a sovereign nation making its own way in the world; from British cultural dominance to embracing global cultures.

Here we look at the key events that made the Commonwealth: the early moves for federation, the great constitutional referendums, the creation of the parliament and the High Court, the adoption of the Statute of Westminster, and the final moves to full independence with the Australia Act.

These are the most important events that moulded the Commonwealth, giving us the institutions, laws and traditions that are the backbone of our nation.