Australian nationalism

Pre-Federation By the early 19th century, Australia was governed as a series of six largely self-governing colonies that were spread across the continent and were part of the British Empire. The name Australia was popularised by explorer Matthew Flinders and first used officially by Governor Macquarie. Some historians have described the first emergence of an Australian national movement in the mid-19th century. Attempts to coordinate governance had failed in the 1860s due to a lack of popular support and lack of interest from the British government, but by the 1880s, and with the rise of nationalist movements in Europe, the efforts to establish a federation of the Australian colonies began to gather momentum. The British government supported federation as a means to cement British influence in the South Pacific. Figures like William Wentworth, John Dunmore Lang and Banjo Patterson championed Australian identity during the colonial era. Post-Federation Nationalistic sentiments increased as a result of Australia's participation in the First and Second World Wars, with concepts such as "mateship" becoming a cornerstone of Australian nationalism. • ==Flags==