Australia’s origins were harsh and authoritarian. The early colonies were governed by military officers with near-total power. Convicts had few rights. Punishment was brutal. Law served order, not representation

Australia and New Zealand like to describe themselves as young countries. What they really are is countries built by movement — waves of people arriving...

Some rivalries are fought with armies. Australia and New Zealand fight with coffee cups, bakery counters, and dessert forks. On the surface, it’s playful banter — jokes about flat whites, meat pies, and pavlova. But underneath the humour is a deeper story about migration, identity, and how two young nations define themselves through what they eat.

For much of its modern history, New Zealand ran on four legs. Sheep paid for the roads, the schools, the hospitals, and the welfare state. They shaped the landscape, the economy, and the country’s sense of itself. At one point, there were more than 70 million sheep in a nation of barely three million people.

For much of the 20th century, New Zealand ran on a simple model. It exported agricultural products — mainly meat, dairy, and wool — mostly to Britain. In return, it protected its domestic economy with subsidies, price controls, tariffs, and tight regulations

By the late 1940s, Australia was changing fast. The war had shaken old certainties, industry was expanding, and the population was growing. Cities needed power. Farmers needed water. Politicians wanted to prove that Australia could stand on its own in a turbulent world.

For decades, the Australian economy has been powered by an almost comically straightforward idea: take valuable rocks out of the ground and sell them to the world. Yet behind this simplicity lies one of the most successful economic stories of the modern era — one that reshaped cities, politics, global trade, and Australia’s place in the world.

The Pacific Islands, with their pristine environments, stunning coastlines, and unique ecosystems, are often at the forefront of climate change discussions. Rising sea levels...