Editing Secession (section)

===Australia===
{{Main|Proposals for new Australian States}}

During the 19th century, the single [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] [[colony]] in eastern mainland Australia, [[Colony of New South Wales|New South Wales]] (NSW) was progressively divided up by the British government as new settlements were formed and spread. [[Colony of Victoria|Victoria]] (Vic) was formed in 1851 and [[Colony of Queensland|Queensland]] (Qld) in 1859.

However, settlers agitated to divide the colonies throughout the later part of the century; particularly in [[central Queensland]] (centered in [[Rockhampton]]) in the 1860s and 1890s, and in [[North Queensland]] (with [[Bowen, Queensland|Bowen]] as a potential colonial capital) in the 1870s. Other secession (or territorial separation) movements arose and these advocated the secession of [[New England (New South Wales)|New England]] in northern central [[Colony of New South Wales|New South Wales]], [[Deniliquin]] in the [[Riverina]] district also in NSW, and [[Mount Gambier]] in the eastern part of [[South Australia]].

;Western Australia
{{Main|Secessionism in Western Australia}}

Secession movements have surfaced several times in Western Australia (WA), where a [[1933 Western Australian secession referendum|1933 referendum]] for secession from the [[Federation of Australia]] passed with a two-thirds majority. The referendum had to be ratified by the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British Parliament]], which declined to act, on the grounds that it would contravene the [[Australian Constitution]].

The [[Principality of Hutt River]] claimed to have seceded from Australia in 1970, although its status was not recognised by Australia or any other country.