Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by ACM morning editor Ayden Dawkins.

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When is the United States' Independence Day? It doesn't take many of our brains long to rattle out July 4 as the answer.

Ok, let's try a trickier one. When is ours?

It takes some extra brainpower, doesn't it? It is not a date that gets rammed in front of us via imported US movies and TV shows, let alone even garnering a mention in those of our own.

Those thinking it through may go with our federation on January 1, 1901. But even that kept us under the wing of Britain, both their monarchy and law. We just became a country.

But on today's date, March 3, in 1986, we were given our unique voice and ability to determine our own future. Our laws were severed from the control of a foreign parliament nearly 17,000 kilometres away from our own.

Queen Elizabeth II made her tenth visit Down Under to mark the historic day. "Her majesty signs herself nearly off," read the cover of The Canberra Times.

Under the watchful eye of former prime minister Bob Hawke, the late Queen set us free. Her vibrant........

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