# Decolonisation of Oceania

The decolonisation of Oceania occurred after World War II when nations in Oceania achieved independence by transitioning from European colonial rule to full independence.
While most of the countries of Oceania have a specific independence day, the independence of Australia and the independence of New Zealand were a gradual process and cannot be associated clearly with a specific date. Most of the British colonies in Australia gained responsible government in the 1850s, as did New Zealand in 1856. This was formalised into Dominion status in the 1900s, but with the United Kingdom retaining certain (disused) powers de jure. Although they were de facto sovereign states by the 1920s, Australia and New Zealand refused the formal recognition of their full sovereignty when offered through the Statute of Westminster in 1931, before accepting it respectively in 1942 and 1947.
Oceania continues to include a number of dependent territories controlled by colonial powers. The United Nations list of non-self-governing territories includes six Oceanian territories – the French dependencies of French Polynesia and New Caledonia, the American territories of American Samoa and Guam, the British dependency of Pitcairn Islands, and the New Zealand territory of Tokelau.

## Timeline

Timeline of decolonising Oceania :
| Country | Colonial name | Colonial power | Independence date | First head of state | Independence won through |
| New Zealand | Dominion of New Zealand | United Kingdom | 20th century | – | gradual process |
| Australia | Australia | United Kingdom | 20th century | – | gradual process |
| Indonesia | Dutch East Indies Netherlands New Guinea | Netherlands | 27 December 1949 (East Indies) 1 May 1963 (New Guinea) | Sukarno | Indonesian National Revolution |
| Samoa | Western Samoa Trust Territory | New Zealand | 1 January 1962 | Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole | peaceful campaign by the Mau movement |
| Nauru | Nauru Trust Territory | Australia | 31 January 1968 | Hammer DeRoburt | peaceful campaign |
| Tonga | Kingdom of Tonga | United Kingdom | 4 June 1970 | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV | request |
| Fiji | Kingdom of Fiji Colony of Fiji | United Kingdom | 5 June 1871 13 August 1877 10 October 1970 | Seru Epenisa Cakobau (Kingdom of Fiji) Kamisese Mara (Prime Minister: head of gov.) | British initiative, and negotiation |
| Papua New Guinea | German New Guinea Territory of New Guinea Trust Territory of Papua and New Guinea | German Empire United Kingdom Australia | 16 September 1975 | Michael Somare (Prime Minister: head of gov.) | Australian initiative |
| Solomon Islands | British Solomon Islands | United Kingdom | 7 July 1978 | Peter Kenilorea (Prime Minister: head of gov.) | British initiative |
| Tuvalu | Gilbert and Ellice Islands | United Kingdom | 1 January 1976 1 October 1978 12 July 1979 | Toaripi Lauti (Prime Minister: head of gov.) | British initiative |
| Kiribati | Gilbert and Ellice Islands | United States United Kingdom | 1 January 1976 1 October 1978 12 July 1979 | Ieremia Tabai | British initiative |
| Vanuatu | New Hebrides | United Kingdom France | 30 July 1980 1 August 1980 | George Kalkoa | peaceful campaign by the New Hebrides National Party |
| Marshall Islands | Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands | United States | 2 September 1945 21 October 1986 | Amata Kabua | ongoing Compact of Free Association with United States |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands | United States | 2 September 1945 3 November 1986 | Tosiwo Nakayama | ongoing Compact of Free Association with United States |
| Palau | Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands | United States | 2 September 1945 25 May 1994 (de facto) 1 October 1994 (de jure) | Kuniwo Nakamura | ongoing Compact of Free Association with United States |
| Cook Islands | Cook Islands | New Zealand | 4 August 1965 1992 | Albert Henry (Prime Minister: head of gov.) Geoffrey Henry (Prime Minister: head of gov.) | ongoing free association with New Zealand |
| Niue | Niue | New Zealand | 19 October 1974 1994 | Robert Rex (Premier: head of gov.) Frank Lui (Premier: head of gov.) | ongoing free association with New Zealand |

## Stages of decolonisation

| Country | Date of current form of government | Birth of current form of government | Date of acquisition of sovereignty | Acquisition of sovereignty | Date of territorial modification | Most recent significant territorial modification |
| Australia | 1 January 1901 | Commonwealth of Australia established as a federation. | 1 January 1901 | Federation of Australia – Formation of the Commonwealth of Australia by six separate British self-governing colonies | 16 September 1975 | Papua New Guinea becomes formally independent from Australia |
| Australia | 1 January 1901 | Commonwealth of Australia established as a federation. | 9 October 1942 | Statute of Westminster adopted – Britain loses the power to legislate for Australia except by request | 16 September 1975 | Papua New Guinea becomes formally independent from Australia |
| Australia | 1 January 1901 | Commonwealth of Australia established as a federation. | 3 March 1986 | Australia Act 1986 – Remaining legal ties between Britain and Australia are abolished, including the ability for the UK to legislate with effect in Australia | 16 September 1975 | Papua New Guinea becomes formally independent from Australia |
| Fiji | | | 10 October 1970 | Independence from the United Kingdom | | |
| Kiribati | | | 12 July 1979 | Independence from the United Kingdom | 1 October 1975 | Separation of the Gilbert Islands (later Kiribati) and the Ellice Islands (later Tuvalu) |
| Marshall Islands | 1 May 1979 | Constitution and a local government established | 21 October 1986 | Compact of Free Association with the United States | | |
| Federated States of Micronesia | 10 May 1979 | Constitution ratified | 3 November 1986 | Compact of Free Association with the United States | 10 May 1979 | Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae unite to form the Federated States of Micronesia |
| Nauru | | | 31 January 1968 | Independence from UN Trusteeship (Australian, British and New Zealand administration ends) | | |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 17 January 1853 | Self-Government | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 18 April 1856 | Responsible Government | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 26 September 1907 | Granted nominal independence (Dominion status). | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 25 October 1926 | Balfour Declaration of 1926 — Great Britain and the Dominions are "autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs" | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 27 July 1938 | Governor-General ceases to represent the British Government and becomes the personal representative of the King. | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 25 November 1947 | Statute of Westminster adopted — Britain loses the power to legislate for New Zealand except by request | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 10 December 1947 | Full power to amend own constitution | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 1 December 1967 | Governor-General becomes a New Zealand appointment | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| New Zealand | 6 February 1840 | Treaty of Waitangi where the British Crown established a right to govern from indigenous Māori tribes | 1 January 1987 | Constitution Act 1986 — Remaining legal ties between Britain and New Zealand are abolished, including the ability for the UK to legislate with effect in New Zealand | 1 January 1962 | Samoa becomes fully independent from New Zealand. It is also the first small-island country in the Pacific to become independent. |
| Palau | 1 January 1981 | Republic of Palau created upon the adoption of a constitution | 1 October 1994 | Emerged from United Nations trusteeship (administered by the United States) | | |
| Papua New Guinea | | | 1 December 1973 | Self-governing territory | | |
| Papua New Guinea | | | 16 September 1975 | Independence from Australia | | |
| Samoa | | | 1 January 1962 | Independence from New Zealand | | |
| Solomon Islands | | | 2 January 1976 | Self-government granted by the United Kingdom | | |
| Solomon Islands | | | 7 July 1978 | Independence from the United Kingdom | | |
| Tonga | | | 4 July 1970 | Independence from the United Kingdom | 4 December 1845 | Unification of what is now the islands of Tonga by George Tupou I of Tonga |
| Tuvalu | 1 October 1975 | Separation of Gilbert Islands (later Kiribati) and Ellice Islands (later Tuvalu) | 1 October 1978 | Independence from the United Kingdom | 7 February 1979 | Treaty with United States recognizing Tuvaluan control over Funafuti, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, and Niulakita atolls |
| Vanuatu | | | 30 July 1980 | Independence from joint British-French condominium | | |

## Oceania

This is a list of all present sovereign states in Oceania and their predecessors. The region of Oceania is generally defined geographically to include the subregions of Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, and their respective sovereign states. Oceania was originally colonised by Europeans with Australia and New Zealand primarily by the British, and the Pacific Islands primarily by the British, French and Dutch. Today, Oceania consists of fourteen sovereign states of various government types, the most common consisting of parliamentary systems.
| Sovereign state | Predecessors |
| Australia | British Colonial Period Colony of New South Wales (1788–1901) Van Diemen's Land Colony (1825–1856), later Colony of Tasmania (1856–1901) Colony of Western Australia (1829–1901) Province of South Australia (1836–1901) Victoria Colony (1851–1901) Colony of Queensland (1859–1901)  Commonwealth of Australia (1901–present) |
| Fiji | Kingdom of Fiji (1871–1874) Colony of Fiji (1874–1970) Dominion of Fiji (1970–1987) Republic of Fiji (1987–present) |
| Kiribati | Kingdom of Abemama (1795–1894) Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (1892–1975) Colony of Gilbert Islands (1975–1979) Independent and Sovereign Republic of Kiribati (1979–present) |
| Marshall Islands | German New Guinea (1884–1919) South Seas Mandate (1919–1947) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (1947–1994) (Marshall Islands participation until 1979) Republic of the Marshall Islands (1979–present) |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Spanish East Indies (1565–1898) German New Guinea (1884–1919) South Seas Mandate (1919–1947) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (1947–1994) (FSM participation until 1979) Federated States of Micronesia (1979–present) |
| Nauru | German New Guinea (1884–1919) (participation 1888–1914) Nauru (1914–1942) (League of Nations mandate 1932–1942) Japanese occupation of Nauru (1942–1945) Nauru (1945–1968) (UN Trust Territory 1947–1968) Republic of Nauru (1968–present) |
| New Zealand | Colony of New South Wales (1788–1901) (NZ participation 1788–1841) Colony of New Zealand (1841–1907) Dominion of New Zealand (1907–1947) New Zealand (1947–present) |
| Palau | Spanish East Indies (1565–1898) German New Guinea (1884–1919) South Seas Mandate (1919–1947) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (1947–1994) Republic of Palau (1994–present) |
| Papua New Guinea | Territory of Papua (1884–1975) and German New Guinea (1884–1919), later Territory of New Guinea (1919–1975) (League of Nations mandate, later UN Trust Territory) Territory of Papua and New Guinea (1949–1975) (administrative union between Territory of Papua and Territory of New Guinea) Independent State of Papua New Guinea (1975–present) |
| Samoa | Kingdom of Samoa (1879-1900) German Samoa (1900–1920) Western Samoa Trust Territory (1920–1962) (League of Nations mandate of Britain, later UN Trust Territory of New Zealand) Independent State of Western Samoa (1962–1997) Independent State of Samoa (1997–present) |
| Solomon Islands | German New Guinea (1884–1919) (Solomon Islands participation 1884–1893) British Solomon Islands (1893–1978) Solomon Islands (1978–present) |
| Tonga | Kingdom of Tonga (1845–present) (British protectorate 1900–1970) |
| Tuvalu | Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (1892–1975) Colony of Tuvalu (1975–1978) Tuvalu (1978–present) |
| Vanuatu | Anglo-French Joint Naval Commission (1887–1889) Independent Commune of Franceville (1889–1890) (unrecognised state) Anglo-French Joint Naval Commission (1890–1906) New Hebrides Condominium (1906–1980) Republic of Vanuatu (1980–present) |