Britishness and Australian identity: The problem of nationalism in Australian history and historiography∗

This article explores the conceptual problems and contextual assumptions found in the treatment of Britishness in Australian history, especially as it has affected the understanding of Australia's relations with the world. It examines firstly the problem of the teleology of nationalism and its uses in Australian history, secondly the notion of Britishness in Australian identity, thirdly the Australian view of Britain and the Empire/Commonwealth in the twentieth century and lastly the implications of this for tensions between the community of culture and the community of interest in Australia.