The Geelong Treaty is precisely such a moment. The treaty between Australia and Britain, announced on 30 July, aims to support cooperation between the two nations on submarine program development. The Geelong Treaty is therefore an act of necessity, leveraging external strategic alignment to catalyse an internal economic transformation. Beyond its domestic potential, the Geelong Treaty represents a sophisticated evolution in alliance management, driven by the middle-power agency of Australia and Britain. The Geelong Treaty provides a difficult but credible pathway to rebuilding Australia’s economic complexity.