England have made history with a 25-14 win over Australia - their first ever on Australian soil.
It was also their 13th successive Test triumph, their fourth in a row over the Wallabies and they are the first side ever to record successive tour victories over New Zealand and Australia.
Clive Woodward's side will now go to the World Cup as the world's No.1 team and worthy favourites for the game's most treasured crown.
The tournament cannot come soon enough from an English perspective. Never, it would appear, has an England team had such a golden chance of achieving global supremacy.
Under the closed roof of Melbourne's Telstra Dome, England made it 11th time lucky, outscoring Australia 3-1 on tries as Will Greenwood, Mike Tindall and Ben Cohen all claimed superb touchdowns on an historic occasion.
Jonny Wilkinson chipped in with two penalties and two conversions, while Australia produced a late try from the outstanding Wendell Sailor and three Joe Roff penalties.
England first played the Wallabies in Australia in 1963, underlining what a red-letter day June 21, 2003 will become in the annals of English rugby history.
England were determined to silence their southern hemisphere critics who condemned the style of victory over New Zealand last Saturday, and they made a dream start.
Wallaby legend David Campese had complained loudly in the media about England's so-called inability to score tries, but Johnson and company needed barely five minutes to make him eat his words.
A stunning passage of play saw England put together 13 phases as backs and forwards combined magnificently to buckle Australia's much-vaunted defence.
In the end, the Wallabies ran out of strength and numbers, enabling Greenwood to touch down and claim his 25th Test match touchdown - an England mark bettered only by Rory Underwood and Jeremy Guscott.
Wilkinson converted, but England were then forced on to the back foot as Roff slotted a penalty and the dangerous Sailor caused problems through his strength and pace.
Roff, scourge of Johnson's Lions on the same Melbourne ground two years ago, set up a thrilling counter-attack that only narrowly failed to result in a try, which was the cue for England's forwards to take charge.
And Australia had no answer, as their defence was unlocked for a second time 10 minutes before the break.
Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Trevor Woodman all made the hard yards, before brilliant flick-passes by Wilkinson and Greenwood sent Tindall scampering clear.
Wilkinson's conversion attempt hit the post, yet England immediately charged back upfield and were agonisingly close to claiming an astonishing try after their pack finished the opening period by producing a 40-metre rolling maul.
Australia, having been on the back foot for so long, had to score first in the second half, and Roff obliged with his second penalty.
It served as a warning signal to England, and a high tackle by Wallabies flanker Phil Waugh on Tindall, allowed Wilkinson a pressure-relieving penalty as his touchfinder landed just outside Australia's 22.
Back came the Wallabies though, stretching England's defence, and Roff completed his penalty hat-trick on 49 minutes before Clive Woodward made a double switch off the bench.
Flanker Richard Hill appeared to be limping just before he was replaced by Wasps forward Joe Worsley, while Matt Dawson took over from scrum-half Kyran Bracken.
And England effectively finished the Wallabies off 16 minutes from time, when Wilkinson's wonderfully-timed pass enabled Cohen to burst through on a searing angle and blaze past full-back Chris Latham.
Wallabies wing replacement Mat Rogers came close to a late try - the combined defensive work of Jason Robinson and Josh Lewsey thwarted him - before a spectacular Sailor solo effort at least enabled Australia to finish on a high.
It was England's day, though - and a truly memorable one at that - which Wilkinson sealed with an injury-time penalty.
Australia 14
Try: Sailor
Pen: Roff (3)
England 25
Tries: Greenwood, Tindall, Cohen
Con: Wilkinson (2)
Pen: Wilkinson (2)
Teams:
Australia: C Latham; W Sailor, M Turinui, S Kefu, J Roff; N Grey, G Gregan (captain); B Young, J Paul, P Noriega, D Giffin, N Sharpe, D Lyons, P Waugh, T Kefu.
Replacements: B Cannon, B Darwin, D Vickerman, D Heenan, C Whitaker, M Rogers, L Tuqiri.
England: J Lewsey; J Robinson, W Greenwood, M Tindall, B Cohen; J Wilkinson, K Bracken; T Woodman, S Thompson, P Vickery, M Johnson (captain), B Kay, R Hill, N Back, L Dallaglio.
Replacements: M Regan, J Leonard, S Borthwick, J Worsley, M Dawson, A King, D Luger.
Venue: Telstra Dome, Melbourne
Referee: D. McHugh (Ire)
Attendance: 54,863