Damon Mcknight
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. Between 1860 and 1900, the colonies had little formal relation with each other and concentrated their attention on their capitals. The separate histories of each state during this period are therefore of particular importance. Federation was established in 1901, and Australia has six federated states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.
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What You'll Learn
In 1900, Australia was not yet a federation
The movement towards federation gained momentum in the late 19th century, with the Australian Natives Association—a group of Australian-born white men—campaigning for an Australian federation within the British Empire. The National Australasian Convention was held in Sydney in 1891, with delegates from each colony and New Zealand deciding on the name ''Commonwealth of Australia'. A draft constitution was written and transmitted to the colonial parliaments for approval, but progress was slow due to economic depression and parliamentary opposition.
In 1899, referendums were held in all the colonies except Western Australia, and the results were in favour of federation. In March 1900, delegates were sent to London, and after negotiations with the British government, the federation bill was passed by the imperial parliament on 5 July 1900. Western Australia then voted to join the new federation.
It was not until 1901 that federation was achieved, with the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia. At this point, Australia became a unified nation with six states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. The Northern Territory was created in 1911 when South Australia transferred control of the northern central mainland to the federal government.
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The colonies had little formal relation with each other
Between 1860 and 1900, the colonies in Australia had little formal relation with each other. Instead, they focused their attention on their capitals. Each colony had its own unique history during this period. However, there were also some similarities across the colonies, and they eventually federated in 1901.
During this time, democracy was largely established in the colonies, although the upper houses remained elitist in franchise and membership. Governments were often short-lived and politically intricate, with groupings being highly personal or power-seeking in nature. Liberal ideologies flourished, and the colonies made significant advancements in social reform.
The colonies in Australia during this period included New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. These colonies had varying relationships and levels of interaction with each other. For example, in the 1860s, New South Wales took control of the area that became known as the Northern Territory, which was previously part of New South Wales. Tasmania, known then as Van Diemen's Land, became a separate colony in 1825, and Queensland became a separate colony in 1859.
While the colonies had their own distinct histories, there were also some commonalities. For instance, religious groups played a prominent role in health, education, and welfare across the colonies. The Catholic Church, in particular, expanded its school system in response to the withdrawal of state funding for religious schools. Additionally, the 1860s left a "sleepy image" on Tasmania, and living standards remained lower compared to other colonies.
In the lead-up to 1900, the colonies started to move towards unification. In 1890, representatives of the six colonies and New Zealand met in Melbourne and agreed in principle to a federation of the colonies. The following year, the National Australasian Convention was held in Sydney, with all the future states and New Zealand represented. A draft constitutional bill was adopted, but progress was delayed due to economic depression and parliamentary opposition. In 1899, referendums were held in all the colonies except Western Australia, resulting in votes in favour of federation. The federation Bill was passed by the imperial parliament in 1900 and gained Royal Assent, after which Western Australia voted to join the new federation.
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The six colonies individually gained responsible government
Between 1860 and 1900, the six colonies in Australia had little formal relation with each other and focused on their internal affairs. However, they shared similar patterns, and federation occurred in 1901. Democracy was largely established, but the upper houses remained elitist in franchise and membership. Governments were often short-lived, but the constitutions survived. Political groupings were complex and often personal or power-seeking, but they allowed some expression of liberal or conservative ideology. The liberals made the colonies quite advanced in matters of social reform.
During this period, each colony had its own constitution, legislature, executive government, judiciary, and law enforcement agencies. They administered and delivered public policies and programs independently. The right to vote was limited to men with freehold landed property or those who met property qualifications. This resulted in a higher percentage of adult white males being able to vote in the colonies compared to England and Wales.
The movement towards federation gained momentum in the 1880s, with the Australian Natives Association campaigning for an Australian federation within the British Empire. Nationalists advocated for unification, emphasizing shared British heritage and a common "race." In 1890, representatives of the six colonies and New Zealand met in Melbourne and agreed in principle to a federation. A draft constitutional bill was adopted and transmitted to the colonial parliaments for approval, but economic depression and parliamentary opposition delayed progress.
In 1899, referendums were held in all the colonies except Western Australia, resulting in votes in favour of federation. Following negotiations with the British government, the federation bill was passed by the imperial parliament in July 1900 and gained Royal Assent. Western Australia subsequently voted to join the new federation. This process resulted in the six colonies individually gaining responsible government and becoming federated states.
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The federation Bill was passed in 1900
The Federation Bill, also known as the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900, was passed on 5 July 1900 and gained Royal Assent on 9 July. This Act was the culmination of years of efforts by Australian nationalists towards unifying the colonies.
The first steps towards Federation can be traced back to 1857, when William Wentworth founded the "General Association for the Australian Colonies". Wentworth produced a draft Bill proposing a confederation of the Australian colonies, with each colony given equal representation in an intercolonial assembly. This proposal was endorsed by his association. He also proposed a "permissive Act" that would allow the colonies to federate at will, which was criticised by Robert Lowe and not introduced in Parliament. However, it was distributed to the colonies for their responses.
The idea of Federation gained momentum in the 1880s, with the flourishing of the Australian Natives Association, a friendly society open to Australian-born males. This association campaigned for an Australian federation within the British Empire and promoted Australian literature and history. They successfully lobbied for 26 January to be Australia's national day.
In 1890, representatives of the six colonies and New Zealand met in Melbourne and agreed in principle to a federation of the colonies. The following year, the National Australasian Convention was held in Sydney, with all the future states and New Zealand represented. A draft constitutional Bill was adopted and transmitted to the colonial parliaments for approval by the people. However, progress was delayed due to the worsening economic depression and parliamentary opposition.
In 1898, the Australasian Federal Convention adopted a bill "To Constitute the Commonwealth of Australia", and referendums on the proposed constitution were held in four of the colonies in June of that year. There were majority votes in all four, but the enabling legislation in New South Wales required more support for passage, so amendments were made to the constitution to make it more acceptable to this colony. Referendums were held again in all the colonies except Western Australia in June 1899, and all resulted in yes votes.
In March 1900, delegates were dispatched to London, including Barton and the Victorian parliamentarian Alfred Deakin, a leading advocate for federation. Following intense negotiations with the British government, the Federation Bill was passed and gained Royal Assent, marking a significant step towards the unification of the Australian colonies.
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The colonies had separate histories
Between 1860 and 1900, the colonies in Australia had little formal relationship with each other. Instead, they focused on their own capitals, resulting in separate histories for each state. However, there were also some similarities across the colonies.
The first British colony in Australia was New South Wales, established in 1788. Over time, other colonies were formed, including Van Diemen's Land (renamed Tasmania in 1856), Western Australia, and Queensland, which became a separate colony in 1859. These colonies had separate histories due to their unique geographical locations and the specific circumstances surrounding their establishment. For example, the history of New South Wales is closely tied to the development of Sydney, while Queensland's history is marked by its separation from New South Wales and the subsequent establishment of its own self-governing colony.
Tasmania, previously known as Van Diemen's Land, also has a distinct history. In the 1860s, it gained a reputation for being sleepy, and its economy was revived through mineral discoveries. Additionally, Tasmania experienced a period of martial law between 1828 and 1832, where British soldiers were involved in suppressing the resistance of the Aboriginal population.
Western Australia also has a unique history, having received approximately 161,700 convicts between 1788 and 1868. This included 25,000 women, two-thirds of whom were estimated to be thieves from working-class towns in England.
During the colonial period, military forces were maintained in the colonies, with British troops playing a role in suppressing the Aboriginal resistance to British settlement. However, the involvement of British soldiers was rare, and most of the fighting was conducted by settlers assisted by police. The colonies also had volunteer corps and militia, which were formed to meet external threats and played a role in conflicts such as the Crimean War.
Despite the separate histories of each colony, there were also similarities. Democracy was largely established, although the upper houses remained elitist. The liberals in the colonies advocated for social reforms, and religious groups played a prominent role in health, education, and welfare. The push for federation gained momentum in the 1890s, and in 1901, the colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
There were six colonies in Australia in 1900, which had little formal relation with each other. These colonies were New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.
The colonies were individual states that gained responsible government between 1855 and 1890, managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire.
The capitals of the colonies were Sydney (New South Wales), Brisbane (Queensland), Adelaide (South Australia), Hobart (Tasmania), Melbourne (Victoria), and Perth (Western Australia).
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