British Empire: 4. Australasian and Pacific

Britain's Australasian (Australia and New Zealand) and Pacific Empire has its origins in the Enlightenment, James Cook's voyages to the Pacific, and Britain's desire to rid itself of convicts and obtain strategic and commercial advantage. Expanding from the settlement established at Sydney in 1788, the empire was based on the spread of commercial and missionary activities from the late 18th century. The occupation of inland Australia, which led to violence between settlers and Aboriginal people, was essential in the development of the fine wool industry. Britain was somewhat reluctant to move from the practice of informal to formal empire in the Pacific but through a combination of local and global factors, including the rivalry of other European powers and the pressure of local settlers and their governments, it had acquired a large empire by the early 20th century. There were further acquisitions as a result of the defeat of Germany in World War I. World War II stimulated decolonization and de-dominionization but their character and timing, although influenced by wider global forces, were also a product of the distinctive character and history of British imperialism in the Pacific.