The British began settling Australia in 1788, and before long, the entire continent was a British dependency. Over the years, Britain's role in Australian government has been progressively restricted, yet Australians remain reluctant to entirely cut ties, as evidenced by the 1999 referendum in which voters rejected a plan to establish Australia as a republic and replace the British monarch as head of state with a president elected by parliament. What other measure did they strike down? Discuss (http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst46805_Voters-Reject-Proposal-to-Establish-Australia-as-a-Republic--1999-.aspx)