The majority of Australians don’t want to change the date of Australia Day, see us become a republic or change the national flag, according to a survey conducted following the recent controversies of Australia Day 2017.

This thesis argues that the ‘rule of law’ was not followed in colonial and post-federation Australia in relation to a fundamental principle of the common law.

For many people, Australia was ‘settled’ soon after European occupation, through the actions of hardy, resourceful and sometime foolhardy ‘settlers’.