Australia was a significant political and cultural entity until the end of the 19th century, including as it did British New Guinea, the Solomons, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Tokelaus, and Tonga along with the six Australian colonies. The Australian Federation dismembered the regional context with significant impacts on identities and policies. Regional links need to be reestablished; the South Pacific Forum, which first met in 1971, needs to be revitalized so it can better reflect the multicultural nature of the region.
