Australia & New Zealand Flags

The modern nations of Australia and New Zealand are descended from British settler colonies established in the Australasian region in the 18th and 19th centuries. Both Australia and New Zealand experienced ongoing conflict with the indigenous populations (Aboriginals and Maoris), although this conflict took very different forms and experienced 19th century gold rushes. While the colonies of Australia were federated together in 1901 as the Commonwealth of Australia, the more isolated colony of New Zealand developed into a separate dominion and eventually an independent country of its own.