Henry Lawson wrote poems about it, the Australia Act of 1986 moved towards it, the referendum of 1999 killed it and the shock of the British vote to exit the European Union seems to have again resurrected the Australian republican debate.
It has been reported over the last few days that membership of the Australian Republican Movement has increased tenfold since the surprise decision was announced last week.
The 1999 referendum was my first-ever opportunity to be part of the voting community, and as a young Australian raised with friends of all colours and beliefs it made sense to wrap us up in a unique package and empower ourselves to have the ability to design and create our own future together.
At the time there was no formal discussion on the type of democracy we would take on, such as how a leader would be elected to run a nation with a largely untouched natural environment rich in resources but with a controversial colonial history and a bright future.
Academics postulate that an independent Australia could also open the door to sovereignty for the original people of Australia, and recognition the land was never ceded in the first place, bringing us all closer together and creating harmony rather than continue the divisiveness of past generations.
Flicking through issues of the Bega District News from the 19th Century at the Bega library you will read opinion pieces from the editor at the time discussing the preference for an American style democratic republic, independent of the British monarchy.
The days before federation were full of conversations surrounding self determination after it was first mentioned by pastoralist Horatio Wills, the father of the inventor of Australian rules football, Tom Wills.
As we have seen with the decision in Britain, fear of the unknown in a world driven by market confidence can, and more often than not will, lead to a period of destabilisation, but as we saw in 2008 nothing is ever certain.
If the Brexit decision leads to a dismantling of the United Kingdom, some think England may look to strengthen their Commonwealth links, yet everything is hypothetical until article 50 is triggered by their new prime minister, who is of course another unknown factor in the whole equation.
With republicans now leading both major parties who knows what the near future may bring to the discussion table.
