Western Australian Secession Referendum

08 April 1933

After 3 years of intense campaigning, in 1933 Western Australians were asked in a state referendum if they wanted to leave the Australian Commonwealth and return to being a self-governing colony of the British Empire. Over 66% voted in favour of secession – leaving. On the same day that Western Australians voted for secession, they also elected an anti-secessionist government. The question remains whether the referendum result was a reaction to the hardships of the Great Depression or a reflection of a deep secessionist feeling. 

Western Australia had not been eager to join Federation, and the Great Depression had inflamed complaints about the perceived unfairness of the national system in looking after the people who lived in Western Australia. They felt ignored and neglected by the government. In May 1935 the British Parliament refused to accept a Western Australian petition requesting independence. The campaign for succession lost momentum, particularly after government grants helped to improve the economy.

The Australian Constitution does not contemplate any state or territory leaving. The Preamble to the Constitution states that the Australian federation is 'indissoluble' – not able to be broken. The only legal path to secession would be by national referendum. A majority of voters in the majority of states and territories would have to agree to dissolve the union, just as they agreed to create it.