ABSTRACT
Australia is an island continent which even prior to becoming an independent state upon Federation in 1901 had a rich history in maritime affairs. Since that time Australia has maintained an increasing focus on maritime security, particularly expanding in recent years in response to contemporary events. Part of this interest has been driven by history and Australia’s partial inheritance of British traditions and perspectives on maritime affairs, reinforced by the maritime threats Australia faced during World War II such as the battle of the Coral Sea.1 It is also driven by geography, given Australia’s unique position as the largest island which is also a continent remotely located from many other land masses and with no land bridge to other territories. Every journey undertaken to Australia and, perhaps more significantly for present purposes, all trade must be undertaken by sea or over the sea. This geographical element has been further reinforced through some of Australia’s external possessions, such as the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) and island territories such as the Heard and McDonald Islands, Macquarie Island, Christmas Island and Norfolk Island, all being distant from the mainland and having a significant maritime component to their existence.2
Australia’s maritime security dimension has also been enhanced by the opportunities that have arisen as a result of the expansion of Australia’s maritime domain through the declaration of a range of new maritime zones consistent with the contemporary law of the sea. These new maritime zones, especially the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf, have created new resource rights for Australia but also carried with it new responsibilities such as environmental management.
