On 1 January 2026, our federation turned 125 years old. As a people we think of ourselves as a young nation on an ancient continent. Yet as well as being home to the oldest continuous culture on Earth, Australia is also one of the world’s oldest – and strongest – modern democracies.

The coming together of the colonies into the Australian Federation is a remarkable story of the peaceful exercise of a people’s will. Colonies and people with foresight that instinctively understood their common interests and common purpose would be better served as a commonwealth. In the words of our first prime minister, Edmund Barton: ‘‘A nation for a continent and a continent for a nation.”

Our federation was one of the first in the world where women had the right to vote and run for parliament. We understood that societies grew stronger when they drew on the talents of all their citizens.

When it came to the design of our coat of arms we opted for the kangaroo and the emu, and for very good reason. Neither goes backwards; they only move forward, like Australia.