Timeline of Events Leading to Federation

By jbloxsom

  • Sir Charles FitzRoy

    Sir Charles FitzRoy, New South Wales Governor was talking to the Secretary of the State about deciding on matters affecting all the colonies. 

  • Earl Grey

    Earl Grey, Britain's Colonial Secretary, proposed a cooperative federal system for Australia with federal general assembly responsible for customs duties and the tariffs.

  • British Government unable to accepted Proposals

    Wentworth proposed a general assembly for the colonies. NSW agreed but Victoria, Tasmania and SA did not. The British Government were then unable to accept them.

  • John West Argues the Case for Federation

    John West Argued the case for Federation in three different locations: Launceston's Examiner, Hobart's Colonial Times' and the Sydney Morning Herald. Rev John West, congregationalist minister and journalist who founded the Anti-Transportation League in 1847, was latter convinced for the need of the colonies to form a federal union.

  • First Colonial Conference

    The First Colonial Conference was held in London. It had representatives from all the British Colonies that met to discuss about some common concerns.

  • Australian Federal Union

    A conference was held with three Australian Chambers in Adelaide about the Commerce. The conference formed an Australian federal Union and was a pro-Federation Conference.

  • Henry Parkes's Oration In Tenterfield

    Henry Parkes's oration in Tenterfield was in support of Federation. Parkes called upon some of the colonial governments 'To unite and create a great national government for all Australia'. His oration was indicated that he was after all prepared to cooperate on behalf of NSW and with all the other colonies during the movement towards Federation. in return the other premiers discussed an informal Federation conference to be held in 1890.

  • Intercolonial Conference of Municipalities

    William Knox chaired the conference which also drew municipal associations to the Federation movement.

  • First Federal Elections

    The first Federal Elections were held. The Aboriginal Australians in SA, NSW, Tasmania and Victoria as well as women from SA and WA with all the men were allowed to vote in this election.

  • First Federal Parliment

    First Federal Parliament was opened by the Duke of York in the Exhibition Building, Melbourne.