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The Relationship between New Zealand and Australia is somewhat similar to that of other small countries with their much larger or more influential neighbour, such as Canada with the United States , or Ireland with Britain . The major difference is that the United States is the world's only remaining superpower and Britain remains a 'great power' with considerable global influence. Australia, however, like New Zealand, is actually a small country in population and influence terms. While appearing similar to outsiders, nationals of both countries are quick to point out real or perceived differences. In particular New Zealanders will use their anti Australian "otherness" as a defining point of national identity. Some have defined the New Zealand–Australia relationship as less one of friendship than of brotherhood: New Zealanders and Australians often fall out over relatively minor matters—there are few more bitterly-contested sporting events than the trans-Tasman rugby matches; New Zealanders have never forgiven Australia for Cricket er Trevor Chappell's Underarm Delivery ; Australia's anger over the Air New Zealand / Ansett Airlines fiasco was sharper than could be easily explained by the mere facts, and so on. Despite these so called slights, the two countries are exceptionally close on both the national and interpersonal scales, indeed a former New Zealand Prime Minister Mike Moore declared that New Zealanders and Australians have more in common than New Yorkers and Californians. One often finds that the fierce rivalry and competitiveness between the two nations is more than justified from a kinship point of view, the best example of which is the congregation of New Zealand and Australian overseas travellers and the common economics policy. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ATTRIBUTES The modern nations of Australia and New Zealand are descended from British settler colonies established in the Australasian region in the 18th and 19th centuries. While the colonies of the Australian mainland and Tasmania were Federated togther in 1901 as the Commonwealth Of Australia , the more isolated colony of New Zealand developed into a separate dominion and eventually an independent country of its own. Similarities Australia and New Zealand are both prosperous western democracies situated in the South East Asia Pacific region. They are characterised by political stability, relatively high incomes, egalitarian cultures, and a long tradition of representative democracy. Both cultures have high rates of home ownership and value leisure time, especially sports and other outdoor pursuits. Although traditionaly dominated by an Anglo-Celtic culture, both countries have become increasingly multi cultural in the latter decades of the 20th century. Differences Historical differences While some (not all) Australian colonies were set up as convict settlements, New Zealand was settled by free settlers. The white Australian population from early times contained a large Catholic Irish component, hostile to the British overclass, in comparison to New Zealand which was settled by English, loyal to the British crown, with large minorities of Irish and Scots. This resulted in some significant differences in attitude to authority. New Zealand never had an equivalent to the Eureka Stockade revolt, and never developed a serious Republican movement. Perhaps the most radically different experience of the two counties in colonial times was their respective treatement of Indigenous peoples. While Australia was claimed for the British crown by right of discovery and conquest, New Zealand joined the British Empire through the Treaty Of Waitangi signed between the British Crown and Maori chiefs. This gave the New Zealand Maori population certain rights not enjoyed by the Australian Aboriginal population including the Vote , legal Equality , and Property qualifications. Contemporary differences After the Second World War both countries looked to the United States for security, rather than the United Kingdom. Australia has however maintained a much closer relationship with the United States, especially in recent years, after New Zealand's anti-nuclear policy lead to rifts in its relationship with the United States, and the eventual breakdown of the ANZUS alliance. Australia sees New Zealand as something of a Freeloader in terms of defence, whilst New Zealand in contrast resents the self-appointed Australian role of being the United States' Deputy Sheriff for the region. Australia in modern times has come to see itself as tied to the fortunes of Asia, whilst New Zealand has defined itself in contrast as a Pacific nation. This has led to radically different perspectives on various issues, including Migration , Trade , and the Relationship with the United States. VIEWS AND STEREOTYPES Australian views of New Zealand Australians tend to look upon New Zealand as a quainter, more provincial version of Australia. Stereotypes focus on New Zealand as a pastoral land lacking in sophistication and without the modern cosmopolitan nature of contemporary Australia. On the other hand Australians concede that New Zealand retains some aspects of an innocent golden age that Australia has lost, with its quiet lifestyle, lack of drugs and serious crime, and polite conduct. A comparison could be drawn with American views of Canada. New Zealand views of Australia New Zealanders see Australia as a larger, brasher and more obnoxious version of their society. While conceding that Australia is bigger and richer, few New Zealanders will readily admit to Australia being necessarily superior. New Zealanders point to the level of government and media corruption in their nearest neighbour (New Zealand outscores Australia in both the Corruption Perception Index and the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index ), the higher level of crime, drug use, and social problems, and the treatment of indigenous people as inferior to their own society. A comparison could be drawn with Canadian views of the United States. New Zealanders regard Australians as loud and opinionated, while Australians ridicule New Zealanders as 'South Seas Pom s' for their supposedly closer relationship with 'Mother England', yet underneath the name-calling and the petty grievances, in case of need New Zealanders and Australians have defended one another, epitomised by the ANZAC tradition. Some of the banter between the two countries is typified by the response by the New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon when questioned about increased levels of emigration to Australia, that these migrants "raised the average IQ of both countries". RELATIONSHIPS Intra Migration Many New Zealanders have migrated to Australia, particularly to Sydney , Brisbane and Perth . Unlike citizens of other countries, New Zealand passport holders are issued with ‘special category’ visas on arrival in Australia, which allow them to live and work there. Although officially reciprocal, the traffic is to a large extent in one direction only; fewer Australians choose to live and work in New Zealand. Consequently, ‘Kiwis’ in Australia are accused of taking local jobs or living on Australian social welfare benefits, although since 2001 , New Zealanders must now wait two years before they are eligible for such payments. However, there are complaints in New Zealand that Australia is poaching the country's best and brightest, with police forces, schools and hospitals in Australia headhunting or recruiting aggressively across the Tasman. Many only realise how much the two nationalities have in common when they go to Europe to work and travel, although some New Zealanders are almost horrified at the idea that they have anything in common with Australians. When groups of young Kiwis and Aussies congregate together in European camping grounds, etc, it can be difficult to say which are which. Unlike Canadians and Americans, who share a land border that they can cross without passports (until 2007 ), the geographical separation between New Zealand and Australia means that many have never visited the other's country. Many of them are more likely to have visited Europe, and this is especially true of Australians. When the Australian actress Cate Blanchett told US talkshow host David Letterman that her time on location in New Zealand filming '' The Lord Of The Rings '' was her first visit to the country, he was genuinely surprised, while she was equally puzzled by his reaction. Trading Links New Zealand’s economic ties with Australia are strong, especially since the demise of Britain as a trading partner following its decision to join the then European Economic Community in 1973 , and in the 1980s , the two countries concluded the Closer Economic Relations agreement, allowing each country access to the others markets. Political Union Indeed the 1901 Australian Constitution included provisions to allow New Zealand to join Australia as its seventh state, even after the government of New Zealand had already decided against such a move. Section 6 of the Preamble declares that: ''‘ The States ’ shall mean such of the colonies of New South Wales , New Zealand , Queensland , Tasmania , Victoria , Western Australia , and South Australia , including the Northern Territory of South Australia, as for the time being are parts of the Commonwealth, and such colonies or territories as may be admitted into or established by the Commonwealth as States; and each of such parts of the Commonwealth shall be called ‘a State’.'' One of the reasons that New Zealand chose not to join Australia was due to perceptions that the indigenous Maori population would suffer as a result. Federation age Australia had a strict White Australia policy and indigenous Aboriginal peoples were not granted citizenship and the vote until 1967. By comparison New Zealand Maori had full citizenship, and universal suffrage since 1893. From time to time the idea of joining Australia has been mooted, but opinion polls show New Zealanders overwhelmingly against. Even New Zealanders resident in Australia have been unenthusiastic, while for its part, the Australian government has expressed little interest. While there is no prospect of political union now, there is still a great deal of similarity between the two cultures, with the differences often only obvious to Australians and New Zealanders themselves. Relationships with the United Kingdom Like Australians, New Zealanders have a 'love-hate' relationship with the UK , although anti-English sentiment is not as strong, and Republicanism is not yet as emotive an issue as it is in Australia. While the UK, especially London , is the first port of call on the 'OE' or 'Overseas Experience' for most young Kiwis, they can often be dismissive of the so-called 'Mother Country', deriding ‘Poms’ as snobbish, inflexible, and backward-looking. New Zealanders felt badly about the UK's entry into the Common Market in 1973, which deprived them of their main trading partner, and often feel affronted at being treated as 'Others' by British immigration at Heathrow . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINK |
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