Secessionism in Northern Queensland and the Torres Strait Islands: reality or fantasy?

The push to make Northern Queensland into a separate state or states, has a long history. Torres Strait Islanders and the North Queensland Separatist League are among those who in the past have advocated for formal separation. Despite the political and constitutional advantages that would accrue to these groups, any serious attempt at secession would most likely not go beyond North Queensland, and would remain within the realms of political pandering by some local politicians at election time. Focussing on two distinct regions in North Queensland which have entertained separatist musings over many decades—the Torres Strait Islands, and a larger area from the Tropic of Capricorn northwards—this paper explores some of the legal and historical complexities of secessionism in Northern Queensland