Background:
Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It
was able to take advantage of its natural resources to rapidly
develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a
major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II.
Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the
ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas,
especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum to change
Australia's status, from a commonwealth headed by the British
monarch to a republic, was defeated in 1999.