Damn, nice write-up! Thanks. I always wondered how Australia and other Commonwealth countries made the transition from colonies to effective self-government so smoothly. Now I know...it was done slowly with both sides wanting the same outcome.
Precisely - and where this wasn't done (India, Pakistan, most of Africa) the former colonies eventually agitated for and became Republics because they were angry at having their right to self determination denied. Most still chose to remain in the Commonwealth but it's a different experience.
For the original Dominions (except for Ireland where there was a much greater historical imperative because of centuries of subjugation - Dominion status came too late to undo all the hatred, and South Africa where apartheid eventually lead to Britain trying to reassert dominance), the transition has been friendlier and smoother. We choose to remain Commonwealth Realms - it's entirely our choice, and Britain allowed us to gradually take control of our own affairs as we grew. There were tensions at times - Britain was not happy with Australia in 1941 when the Australian government insisted its first priority was to defend Australia rather than the United Kingdom, and Australia wasn't happy that the British fleet we'd relied on for our defence were largely being recalled to Britain either. But even when there were tensions like that, both sides understood why and couldn't really argue with the right of the other position.