Australia was never about Captain Cook and his explorations. Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901, when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern in their own right as the Commonwealth of Australia. That’s when we effectively received our independence from the UK and we chose to remain part of the Commonwealth. The Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 was not enacted for the purpose of independence or Australia Day in 1948, in fact Australia Day , Foundation Day, has been celebrated by the various states as early as 1808. You should read the history of how this legislation came to be enacted at the following link. https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/citizenship-act Records of celebrations on 26 January date back to 1808, with the first official celebration of the formation of New South Wales held in 1818. It was not until 1935 that all Australian states and territories adopted use of the term "Australia Day" to mark the date of the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, and not until 1994 that 26 January was consistently marked by a public holiday on that day by all states and territories. The author Peter Lee needs to not only read history , but also understand history before opening his mouth and spewing falsehoods, that I do agree with. The First Fleet sailed on May 13, 1787, with 11 vessels, including 6 transports, aboard which were about 730 convicts (570 men and 160 women). More than 250 free persons accompanied the convicts, chiefly marines of various rank. The fleet reached Botany Bay on January 19–20, 1788. However the Botany Bay area had poor soil and little water, and the harbour itself was inferior. Phillip therefore sailed northward on January 21 and entered the harbour of Port Jackson, which Cook had marked but not explored. He moved the fleet there; the flag was hoisted on January 26 and the formalities of government begun on February 7. Sydney Cove, the focus of settlement, was deep within Port Jackson, on the southern side; around it was to grow the city of Sydney. Now this has been celebrated, the claiming of this land by British Sovereignty and records of such celebrations as far back as 1808, as Australia Day, though it wasn’t until after Australia had been fully circumnavigated by Matthew Flinders, whereby subsequently Flinders urged that the name Australia replace New Holland, and this change received official backing from 1817. Mr Peter Lee, I strongly suggest you re-take your history classes.