1900 - Phosphate-rich Ocean Island annexed by British
1900 - New Zealand annexes the Cook Islands
1901 - Britain gets control over Tonga’s external relations
1901 - Commonwealth of Australia formed
1902 - Votes for women introduced in Australia
1904 - Fijian delegates sit in Legislative Council for Fiji
1905 - British New Guinea becomes the possession of Australia and is named Papua
1906 - Britain and France rule over New Hebrides
1907 - New Zealand becomes a Dominion
1907 - First elections for National Assembly in Philippines
1909 - Creation of separate Labour Party in New Zealand
1910 - First victory for Labour Party under Andrew Fisher in Australian General Election
1911 - Universal Military Training established in New Zealand
1913 - Wallis Islands become a French protectorate
1913 - Foundation of United Federation of Labour and Social Democratic Party in New Zealand
1915 - Britain annexes Gilbert and Ellice Islands
1916-18 - Efforts to introduce National Army conscription in Australia defeated in referenda
1917 - Filipino National Guard organized in Philippine Islands
1918 - Queen Salote becomes Queen of Tonga
1918 - Influenza epidemic kills one fifth of population of Western Samoa
1919 - Dry dock completed at Pearl Harbour in US territory of Hawaii
1920 - New Zealand given mandate over Samoa
1920 - Formation of a Federal Country Party in Australia
1920 - New Zealand becomes member of League of Nations
1921 - Australia given mandate over German New Guinea
1927 - Canberra becomes Federal Capital of Australia
1929 - Uprising of Mau people of Samoa against New Zealand government
1931 - Foundation of United Australia Party (UAP)
1933 - Australia takes control of large sector of Antarctica
1935 - First Labour Government elected in New Zealand; many reforms follow
1936 - Arbitration Court of New Zealand fixes basic wage for man and wife and three children
1937 - Formation of New Zealand National Party in opposition to Labour Party
1939 - Robert Menzies becomes Australian Prime Minister
1941 - Japanese attack US fleet in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii; United States enters World War II
1942 - Naval victory of US fleet over Japanese fleet off Midway Island in the Pacific
1940’s - Immigration of non-English-speaking Europeans to Australia begins to change national ethnic make-up
1946 - United States tests atomic bomb at Bikini Atoll in Marshall Islands; continuing US and French nuclear testing on Pacific islands causes massive resentment
1959 - The Antarctic Treaty limits exploitation of Antarctica
1962 - Western Samoa becomes independent
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