Australia has a mixed system of government; it is a representative democracy and a constitutional monarchy . It is also a federation of states. But what does this mean? Read through the resources below to learn more about democracies, Australia's Parliament and the Australian Constitution and how this affects our daily life.
Australia is a representative democracy. In this political system, eligible people vote for candidates to carry out the business of governing on their behalf. Australia’s system of government—its institutions and practices—reflect British and North American traditions combined in a way that is uniquely Australian. Read through this website to learn more.
Australia is a federation, a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. Read through this fact sheet to learn more.
This fact sheet introduces the idea of democracy and explores the key principles of Australia’s democratic system of government. These include individual freedoms, justice, tolerance of opposing ideas and representative government. Read through this fact sheet to learn more.
Before 1901, Australia was not a nation, but rather 6 British colonies. These colonies were under the law-making power of the British Parliament. During the 1890s, representatives from the colonies met to discuss the idea of joining together to form a new nation. A written constitution was developed to set out the rules for how this new nation would work. Watch this video to learn more.
The Australian Constitution is the legal framework for how Australia is governed. This paper explores in detail the history of the Constitution, its key features and the High Court’s role in interpreting it.
Click through this link to read through the entire Australian Constitution.
This lecture given by Professor Fiona Wheeler, ANU College of Law, discusses the Australian Constitution and what it does.
Australia's constitution : a framework for democracy by 
Constitution Act 1975 [Victoria]
The Constitution as altered to 30 June 1987
Victoria's constitution : the constitution of Victoria with notes on how it works