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British colonies
IN 8160 there were 6 British colonies in Australia. This meant that Australian laws were made in the UK, not Australia. -
Telegraph
At first, the countries were isolated until they were connected by telegraph in 1872. -
Federation was becoming popular
Federation was being celebrated in sing and poems. The federation would have a better military and defence unit and some other improvement to the current colonies alone, so that was one of the reasons why federation was a good idea. -
Australasian Federation Convention
In 1890, Henry Parkes, a premier, convinced the other premiers that federation was good and in 1890 the Australasian Federation Convention was held in Melbourne. Another meeting was held later in Sydney. -
Federation Draft
A federation draft was made by Edmund Barton, Andrew Inglis Clark, Samuel Griffith and Charles Kingston. This draft would include some of the reason why a federation would be good and why Australia wanted to have its own rules and laws. -
Federation was delayed
In 1893 federation was delayed because of bad things and hard times in Australia. -
National Australasian Convention
This delay went on for a few years until the National Australasian Convention met again in 1897 and 1898. A new draft was made for federation yet again. -
Voting
A vote was done in all of the colonies to vote for constitution in Australia. Western Australia and Queensland did not take part in voting and the constitution was not approved in New South Wales. The Premiers of each colony met to discuss what they could do to help the other's problems and worries, so that maybe they could join the federation and have a stronger and better place to live in. -
Federation law
The British had to make a law so that federation could be made in Australia, so group five people and someone from Western Australia went to London in 1900 and took the constitution draft with them. There, it was signed by Queen Victoria on the 9th of July 1900 and the constitution was made a law. -
Signed Constitution
There, in London, it was signed by Queen Victoria on the 9th of July 1900 and the constitution was made a law. -
Commonwealth of Australia
On the 1st of January 1901, the five colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania united to become the 'Commonwealth of Australia'. -
WA joins Commonwealth
Western Australia eventually joined the Australian Federation. Soon after, the colonies became states and a Federal Parliament was formed in Australia. The new Commonwealth was announced on the 1st January 1901. -
Federation announced
On the 1st January 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia was announced publicly in Centennial Park, Sydney. -
First Parliament
The first Parliament of the Commonwealth was opened on the ninth of May 1901 in the old Parliament house in Canberra -
Edmund Baton
The first person to take the roll of Prime Minister was Edmund Barton, and Australian government has been used in our country since. -
New parliament house
In 1988 on the tenth of May Commonwealth Parliament sat in the new Parliament House in Canberra. This parliament still stands today and inside it has some of the drafts and pieces of writing that were used in the wanting of a federation in Australia.
