Steps to Federation By marlin.bayley 1881 Sydney to Melbourne rail link was completed. It was much Faster to get from Sydney to Melbourne. 1884 Germany annexed north-east New Guinea. 1889 Sir Heney Parkes made a stirring speech. He did a good speech 1890 The Australia Federation met in Melbourne. 1891 The draft constitution was drawn up at the National Australasian Convention in Sydney 1893 A conference at corowa, NSW, calledfor a constitution to be discussed 1901 The nation of Australia is proclaimed on the first day of the new century. Edmund Barton is sworn in as the nations first Prime Minister.