Australian public debate in the 1990s was dominated by issues surrounding the
‘impending’ republic. At the same time, Australian historiography experienced a return in the
attention of historians to Australia's relations and ties with Great Britain, paralleling the increasing
interest of Australians in severing the remaining constitutional links with the United Kingdom.
Australian ‘Britishness’ has, unarguably, been a common theme in many contemporary histories. In
subjects ranging from war, ‘dedominionization’, and republicanism, historians have noted with
interest the challenges in history which have faced the imperial connection in Australia. This paper
reviews the exploration of Britishness in recent historiography, and pays particular attention to a few
key publications.