Dear Editor,

I noted that in Friday’s 7Days article about odious Sydney shock jock Alan Jones, Prime Minister Julia Gillard was described as Australia’s first female head of state.

That is factually very incorrect. Australia is a Commonwealth realm with a monarch, and the current monarch of Australia is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

So, although Australia does in fact have a female head of state, it is not the Right Honourable Julia Gillard — nor is the present Queen the first.

Australia’s first female head of state was Queen Victoria, as the crown colonies of Victoria (named for her), Queensland (also named for her), New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania federated to become the Commonwealth of Australia during her reign.

Aaron Leverton

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The views expressed above are solely the author’s and do not reflect any positions taken by The Phnom Penh Post