Table of Contents

A revolution averted Federation and the Crown The appointment of Governors from 'Home' The appointment of Australian-born Governors The removal of State Governors Governing the Governors - British instructions to Governors and requests for advice A Statute of Westminster for the States? Whitlam's attempts to change the channel of communication Royal Style and Titles Act 1973 The Seabed petitions Commonwealth attempts to abolish State appeals to the Privy Council The Queen of Queensland The aftermath of the Sir Colin Hannah affair Wran's NSW Liberation Plan The bid for freedom from the repugnancy fetter A package deal The Premiers' Conferences of 1982 The drafting of the Australia Acts Direct access to the Queen Negotiations with the Palace The Australia Acts and the Queen of Australia Sources and ReferencesIndex

Reviews

... a well-written, informative, and long-overdue contribution to an understanding of Australia's constitutional arrangements, particularly in relation to the Australian States and their place within, and as components of, the Australian Federation. Twomey is a constitutional lawyer and an historian, and is well qualified to discuss the matters encompassed by this significant work of reference. ... she has produced a most revealing analysis of the relationships between the States, the Crown and the United Kingdom. ... Twomey has rendered sterling service to Australian scholarship and to our (regrettable scant) knowledge and understanding of our constitutional arrangements. She has worked her way diligently and skilfully through the records of the British and State Governments, and they are to be commended for giving her free access to them. By contrast, the Commonwealth Government was miserly and unhelpful in relation to access to its documents. This has not prevented Twomey from producing an excellent account of the role of the Crown in the Australian polity, and she deserves the thanks and the congratulations of all Australians who care about our system of government and our nation's constitutional arrangements. - Sir David Smith KCVO AO, The Independent Australian magazine, Autumn 2007