This title offers an interpretation on the demise of the traditional poltical, economic and sentimental ties between Australia and Great Britain. It argues that that the steady waining of British race patriotism in Australia did not occur because of assertive Australian cultural nationalism, as is often suggested. Rather it was a reaction to the UK's determination to carve out a new political and economic future as a member of the European Community.

This book is the first major attempt to examine the cultural manifestations of the demise of imperialism as a social and political ideology in post-war Britain. Far from being a matter of indifference or resigned acceptance as is often suggested, the fall of the British Empire came as a profound shock to the British national imagination, and resonated widely in British popular culture. The sheer range of subjects discussed, from the satire boom of the 1960s to the worlds of sport and the arts, demonstrates how profoundly decolonisation was absorbed into the popular consciousness. Offers an...

This is the first major collaborative reappraisal of Australia's experience of empire since the end of the British Empire itself.
The volume examines the meaning and importance of empire in Australia across a broad spectrum of historical issues-ranging from the disinheritance of the Aborigines to the foundations of a new democratic state. The overriding theme is the distinctive Australian perspective on empire. The country's adherence to imperial ideals and aspirations involved not merely the building of a 'new Britannia' but also the forging of a distinctive new culture and society. It...

This title offers an original and compelling insight into why Australians have come to exhibit their nationhood in curious new ways - such as spontaneously bellowing the national anthem at sporting events. It argues that the critical period for understanding this phenomenon is the twilight of the British Empire in the 60s and 70s.