Talk:Historical Styles of the Effective Heads of State of Australia
This whole article is completely misconceived. Australia did not have a head of state until the adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1942, because it was not a sovereign state, it was a self-governing Dominion of the British Empire. The idea that Queen Victoria was "Queen of the Commonwealth of Australia" is completely ahistorical and anachronistic, and would have been laughed at in 1901. The title of "Queen of Australia" (not "Queen of the Commonwealth of Australia") was not created until 1973. Adam 16:32, 12 Jul 2004 (UTC)
Perhaps it should be retitled List of Governors-General of Australia with the sovereigns listed as "sovereigns served under"?AndyL 05:08, 13 Jul 2004 (UTC)
We already have a list at Governor-General of Australia. Australia has only had one head of state in the modern sense of the term, Elizabeth II. In 1952 when she came to the throne Australia still thought of itself as a Dominion of the British Commonwealth. Adam 05:21, 13 Jul 2004 (UTC)
The titles for the monarchs prior to Elizabeth are not complete. Were they now "King of Great Britain, Ireland, and the dominions beyond the seas" ? AndyL 13:39, 13 Jul 2004 (UTC)
Of course AndyL is quite right about the style of the British sovereign and the title I had put against them (and against my better judgement) and resorted to the contrived Emperor of the British Empire for the time being, and it was only an interim measure. I was reluctant to use their British style for Dominions of the British Empire, but in the absence of any other style it seems inescapable so to do. Thanks AndyL
--JohnArmagh 07:02, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC)
I note the lack of definition of the term "head of state" in Australian usage, and pending an acceptable source, I intend to retitle this article.
I do so fully cognisant of the problem that Adam notes above, in that in 1901 there was no such title. However, I think that this can be easily fixed by noting that the title of Queen of Australia did not exist until 1953 (not 1973 as Adam states). I include this linkto a scanned copy of the Royal Styles and Titles Act 1953, which shows the handwritten reservation for assent by the Queen. Skyring 17:56, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC)