ABSTRACT
It is easy to point to broad historical similarities between New Zealand and Australia. Yet from the 1890s relations were marked by an equally significant degree of divergence, which—along with fundamental differences—defeated hopes for colonial federation present in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. As elements within Australian society sought to draw away from Britain and forge a more distinct local identity, New Zealand, relatively speaking, remained circumscribed within a more conventional imperial role in which continued cultural and political links to Britain were paramount. Furthermore, the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, and New Zealand's refusal to join, increasingly acted to accentuate differences and erode notions of 'Australasia’. As the twentieth century progressed the two countries assumed a rather detached official relationship with only spasmodic cooperation on such issues as defence and trade. 1
