Which of the following events related to the history of Australia and New Zealand occurred first

Australian New Zealand became dominions
Australia, and New Zealand became independent countries
British recognizes Australia and New Zealand as equals to Britain under the British crown
World war one occurs

1 answer

To determine which event occurred first among the options provided, let's look at when each event took place:

  1. Australian New Zealand became dominions: Australia became a dominion on January 1, 1901, with the federation of the Australian colonies. New Zealand was declared a dominion in 1907.

  2. Australia and New Zealand became independent countries: Australia gradually gained independence through legal changes, notably solidified with the Statute of Westminster in 1931, and New Zealand followed a similar path. Both countries were recognized as fully independent with the passage of the Statute in 1947, but they continued to have ties with Britain.

  3. British recognizes Australia and New Zealand as equals to Britain under the British crown: I can't pinpoint a specific date for "recognition as equals," but it was generally accepted after the Statute of Westminster in 1931.

  4. World War One occurs: World War One began on July 28, 1914, and lasted until November 11, 1918.

Based on the timeline, the first event is:

Australia became a dominion on January 1, 1901.

Therefore, the answer is that it occurred first before the other listed events.