Republicanism has been debated in Australia since the nineteenth century and remains, for many, the last piece of unfinished business in becoming a fully mature and democratic nation. This innovative book includes a scholarly history of republicanism and an analysis of the contemporary debate but is unashamedly a polemic – it argues that Australia should become a republic. The first half of the book provides a brief historic overview of republicanism in Australia with a particular focus on the 1999 referendum that saw a particular republican model fail. The second part describes the politics of becoming a republic. The merits of various republican models are explained as well as the difficulties embedded in the referendum process. This book is particularly timely following the defeat of the Voice referendum in 2023 as it highlights the practical challenges that reformers must address. It offers a concise history of republicanism that will be of interest to, scholars of Australian history and politics, republican lobby groups, and those interested in Australian politics more generally. The author is both a recognised expert on republicanism and a noted public commentator on the republican movement. His proposed hybrid-model for an Australian republic was adapted and adopted by the chief lobby group the Australian Republic Movement. Despite this, in this book he suggests a direct election model has the best chance of success.
