The 1948 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting decided to make major changes in nationality laws throughout the Commonwealth, following Canada's decision to enact its Canadian citizenship law, effective from 1 January 1947. Until then, all Commonwealth countries, with the exception of the Irish Free State, had a single nationality status of "British subject". It was decided at that conference that the United Kingdom and the self-governing dominions would each adopt a separate national citizenship, while retaining the common status of British subject. The Australian "Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948", which came into effect on 26 January 1949, gave effect to that arrangement and created the concept of Australian nationality, while those holding it continued to be British subjects. However, the status of other (non-Australian) British subjects in Australia differed from the status of those who were not British subjects. Aborigines became Australian citizens under the 1948 Act in the same way as other Australians (although Aborigines were not counted in the Australian population until after a 1967 referendum). The same applied to Torres Strait Islanders and the indigenous population of the Territory of Papua (then a part of Australia).