Lexi Webster
Australia became a free country on January 1, 1901, when the six British colonies were joined together to create the Commonwealth of Australia, a self-governing Dominion in the British Empire. While the new nation was sovereign when it came to its domestic affairs, it took four decades for Australia to gain control over its external policy. The final step to full sovereignty was the passing of the Australia Act 1986 in the UK, which removed the British Parliament's law-making power for Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date Australia became a free country | 1 January 1901 |
| Event | Six Australian colonies became one nation, the Commonwealth of Australia |
| Colonies | New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia |
| Governor-General | Lord Hopetoun |
| First Prime Minister | Edmund Barton |
| First Federal Elections | March 1901 |
| First Governor | Robert Butler |
| First Ambassador | Norman J. O. Makin |
| Constitution | Divided power between federal government and governments of former colonies, now called states |
| Legislative Power | External affairs, defence, immigration, taxation, race, customs and excise |
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What You'll Learn
Australia's colonies unite to become the Commonwealth of Australia
Australia became a self-governing nation on January 1, 1901, when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern themselves as the Commonwealth of Australia.
The path to Australia's nationhood began in 1893, when the NSW town of Corowa held a Federation League Rally, proposing that the Australian people themselves would vote for Federation. Edmund Barton, a NSW parliamentarian, became the de facto leader of the federation campaign following the death of Parkes in 1896. At the second Constitutional Convention, held in 1897-98, the basic principles of Federation were agreed upon, and a Constitution Bill was drafted. This draft Bill was sent to New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria to be voted on by the electorate, with referendums held in June 1898. The Bill received majority votes in all four colonies. However, the enabling legislation in New South Wales required the support of at least 80,000 voters, a threshold that was not met.
The Constitution, one of the Commonwealth of Australia's founding documents, was passed by the British Parliament and given royal assent by Queen Victoria in July 1900. The Constitution enabled Australia's six British colonies to unite and become one nation, the Commonwealth of Australia, on January 1, 1901. The six colonies—New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania—became states under the new Constitution, each retaining its own system of government. However, a separate federal government was established to handle matters concerning the nation as a whole, with specific powers outlined in the Constitution.
The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, on January 1, 1901, and Edmund Barton was sworn in as Australia's first prime minister. The first federal elections were held in March 1901, resulting in a narrow plurality for the Protectionist Party over the Free Trade Party. While the Commonwealth of Australia was now a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire, the United Kingdom initially maintained control over its external relations. Over the following decades, Australia gradually gained more autonomy in its external affairs, a process codified in the Statute of Westminster, approved by the United Kingdom in 1931.
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The Balfour Declaration of 1926
On January 1, 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun. This united the six previously self-governing colonies of Australia into states within a federation. This new Commonwealth was a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire, with sovereignty over its domestic affairs, though the United Kingdom maintained control over its external relations.
Over the next four decades, Australia gradually gained control over its external policy. This shift was recognised by the Balfour Declaration of 1926, issued at the end of the Imperial Conference of British Empire leaders in London. The declaration was named after Arthur Balfour, who was Lord President of the Council. It stated that the United Kingdom and the Dominions were:
> autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
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The Statute of Westminster
On January 1, 1901, the six colonies of Australia united to become the Commonwealth of Australia, a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire. This marked the beginning of Australia's sovereignty in domestic affairs, although the United Kingdom retained control over its external relations. Over the following decades, Australia gradually gained more autonomy in its external affairs.
The path towards Australia's freedom began decades earlier, with the unification of the six colonies in 1901 and the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia. This unification gave rise to a federal government with defined powers, including external affairs, defence, immigration, and taxation. The process was a remarkable political accomplishment, requiring years of negotiations and referendums.
The Balfour Declaration of 1926 further paved the way for Australia's independence by acknowledging the autonomy of the Dominions within the British Empire. This declaration set the stage for the Statute of Westminster, which ultimately codified and solidified Australia's status as a free and independent nation, able to determine its own future and forge its path in the world.
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The Australia Act 1986
Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901 when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern in their own right as the Commonwealth of Australia. While Australia became a self-governing dominion of the British Empire, the United Kingdom maintained control over its external relations. Over the next four decades, Australia gradually gained control over its external policy.
The Act and six similar Acts passed by the state parliaments made all Australian law independent of the British Parliament and legal system. Together, these Acts brought the states in line with the Australian Government's relationship with Britain. After the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942, Australia was independent from Britain, but the states were still subject to some aspects of British law.
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The Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948
On 1 January 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, marking the unification of six former British colonies as states under one nation. While this gave Australia sovereignty over its domestic affairs, the United Kingdom maintained control over its external relations. Over the next few decades, Australia gradually gained more autonomy in its external affairs, which was recognised by the Balfour Declaration of 1926.
The Act stipulated that all Australian-born individuals and other British subjects residing in Australia for the five years before 26 January 1949 were automatically granted Australian citizenship. Additionally, anyone born in Australia on or after that date became an automatic citizen. This legislation also maintained the status of Australian citizens as British subjects, reflecting the influence of British law, culture, and traditions on the concept of Australian citizenship.
The Act was introduced by Arthur Calwell, Australia's first immigration minister, and was based on the principle of 'assimilation'. The expectation was that immigrants would assimilate into Australian society, and Australian citizenship was offered as an incentive for newcomers, mainly from non-British backgrounds.
While the Act was amended multiple times, it still serves as the foundational framework for obtaining Australian citizenship. The amendments over the years gradually shifted the focus away from 'Britishness' as the core of 'Australianness', with the 1973 amendment removing the concept of 'British subject' and the 1986 amendment removing the term 'alien'.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia became a free country in 1986 with the passing of the Australia Act, which severed the remaining constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom.
In 1901, the six Australian colonies federated and gained the right to collectively govern themselves as the Commonwealth of Australia, marking a significant step towards independence.
The Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1948 provided for separate Australian citizenship, meaning that Australians no longer solely held British citizenship.
In 1827, Major Edmund Lockyer established a settlement on King George Sound (modern-day Albany), extending the British claim to the entire Australian continent.
The Federal Council of Australasia was formed in 1885 to address intercolonial issues such as customs duties and defence. However, it dissolved in 1889 due to the non-participation of New South Wales, New Zealand, and, temporarily, South Australia.
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