Lexi Webster
The Commonwealth of Australia was founded on the 1st of January 1901 when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern themselves as the Commonwealth of Australia. The process of uniting the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia was known as the Federation of Australia. The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, and Edmund Barton was sworn in as Australia's first prime minister.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date founded | 1 January 1901 |
| Colonies that formed the Commonwealth of Australia | Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western Australia |
| Colonies that were part of discussions but did not join the federation | New Zealand, Fiji |
| Date the Constitution of Australia came into force | 1 January 1901 |
| Date the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK) was passed | 5 July 1900 |
| Date the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK) received royal assent from Queen Victoria | 9 July 1900 |
| First Prime Minister of Australia | Edmund Barton |
| Governor-General who proclaimed the Commonwealth of Australia | Lord Hopetoun |
| Date of the inaugural national election | March 1901 |
| Date the First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia was opened | 9 May 1901 |
| Head of the Commonwealth | The British Monarch |
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What You'll Learn
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western Australia agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia. The colonies of Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of this process, but they decided not to join the federation.
The Federation of Australia was a remarkable political accomplishment that took many years and several referendums to achieve. The efforts to bring about federation in the mid-19th century were hampered by a lack of popular support for the movement. However, a number of conventions were held during the 1890s to develop a constitution for the Commonwealth. The Border Federation League of Corowa held a significant conference in 1893, and a "People's Convention" in Bathurst in 1896 highlighted the cautious conversion of George Reid, the premier of New South Wales from 1894, to the federal cause. The Quick scheme, which called for a popularly elected convention to prepare a constitution that would then be put to a referendum in each colony, won the support of Reid and was approved by all premiers in 1895. The Australasian Federal Convention Elections were held in March 1897, and the delegates met for the Convention's first session in Adelaide, later meeting in Sydney and Melbourne in March 1898.
The National Australasian Convention took place in Sydney in 1891, with delegates from each colony, including New Zealand, deciding on the name the 'Commonwealth of Australia'. While Samuel Griffiths, the then-Premier of Queensland, is credited with writing the draft constitution, it was Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, who was instrumental in the process of federation. Sir Edmund Barton, second only to Parkes in his commitment to the federation cause, was the caretaker Prime Minister of Australia at the inaugural national election in March 1901. The election returned Barton as prime minister, though without a majority.
The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK), based on the Constitution Bill as accepted by the colonies, was passed on 5 July 1900. Queen Victoria gave the legislation royal assent four days later and declared that it would take effect on 1 January 1901. On this date, the six colonies that united to form the Commonwealth of Australia as states kept their systems of government and bicameral legislatures, but they also agreed to have a federal government responsible for matters concerning the whole nation. The new constitution established a federal government with defined powers, including external affairs, defence, immigration, taxation, race, and customs and excise.
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The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act
The Act was the culmination of a prolonged process of federation, which began in the mid-19th century. The efforts gained momentum in the 1890s, with several conventions held to draft a constitution for the Commonwealth. The Border Federation League of Corowa's conference in 1893 and the "People's Convention" in Bathurst in 1896 were pivotal in building support for the federal cause. The National Australasian Convention in Sydney in 1891, with delegates from each colony, decided on the name "Commonwealth of Australia".
The Act came into force on 1 January 1901, marking the birth of the Commonwealth of Australia as a nation. On this day, the six colonies collectively became states of the Commonwealth, with their own systems of government, while also agreeing to be governed by a federal government responsible for matters of national significance. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was formed in 1911 to establish a location for the new federal capital of Canberra, reflecting the evolving governance structure of the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia.
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The six colonies
The Commonwealth of Australia was formed on 1 January 1901 when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern themselves as the Commonwealth of Australia. The six colonies were previously self-governing British colonies that were subject to the British Parliament. Each colony had its own distinct laws, railway gauges, postage stamps, and tariffs.
- Queensland
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Tasmania
- South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory)
- Western Australia
The colonies of Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of the discussions to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia but decided not to join the federation. The six colonies that united kept their systems of government and bicameral legislatures that they had developed independently as separate colonies. However, they agreed to have a federal government responsible for matters concerning the whole nation.
The process of uniting the six colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia was not without its challenges. In the mid-19th century, there was a lack of popular support for the movement. Several conventions were held during the 1890s to develop a constitution for the Commonwealth. The Australasian Federal Convention Elections took place in March 1897, and delegates gathered for the Convention's first session in Adelaide, later meeting in Sydney and Melbourne in March 1898. A second round of referenda was held in 1899, and a "yes" majority was secured in all the participating colonies. As the colonies were under British rule, Federation required the British Parliament to pass the necessary legislation. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK) was passed on 5 July 1900, and Queen Victoria gave it royal assent four days later. The Constitution came into force on 1 January 1901, and the colonies collectively became states of the Commonwealth of Australia.
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The Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun
The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, on 1 January 1901. The Governor-General, John Adrian Louis Hope, was the 7th Earl of Hopetoun and was born in 1860 in Scotland. He was the eldest son of John Alexander Hope, the 6th Earl of Hopetoun, and his wife, Ethelred Anne Birch, née Reynardson.
Lord Hopetoun was an active supporter of the federation movement, even offering to return to Australia as their first governor-general should a federation be implemented. His appointment to the position was announced in July 1900 and was met with praise. However, he arrived in Australia ill-informed about the political aspects of federation. His decision to call on William Lyne to form a caretaker government became known as the "Hopetoun Blunder", as Lyne, who had campaigned against federation, lacked support from the political establishment. As a result, Hopetoun was forced to turn to Edmund Barton, who became Australia's first prime minister.
Lord Hopetoun was popular with the general public, but his term as governor-general was brief and beset with difficulties. He developed a reputation for flamboyance and ostentation, and his interferences in political matters were not well-received. In May 1902, his request for an increased allowance was rejected by parliament, and he consequently relinquished office in July of that year.
Lord Hopetoun's portrait, by James Quinn, hangs in Parliament House, Canberra, and another by Robert Brough is in Hopetoun House. A statue by Bernie Rhind was also erected in Melbourne in 1911.
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Australia's first prime minister, Edmund Barton
The Commonwealth of Australia was founded on 1 January 1901 when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern as the Commonwealth of Australia. Edmund Barton was sworn in as Australia's first prime minister.
Barton was born in Glebe, New South Wales, on 18 January 1849. He was one of nine surviving children of English immigrants William Barton and Mary Louise Whydah, who arrived in Australia in 1827. Barton was a politician, barrister, and jurist. He was also a committed federalist, second only to Sir Henry Parkes in his commitment to the federation cause. Barton worked on Federation for 10 years, and his supporters' trust in him led to his appointment as Australia's first prime minister.
Barton was appointed prime minister on 1 January 1901, the day the new federal constitution came into effect. He was commissioned by Governor-General Lord Hopetoun on 31 December 1900. Barton's caretaker government was sworn in on 1 January 1901, the same day the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed. However, he did not have a majority in parliament. At the first federal election in March 1901, Barton's Protectionist Party won the most seats but fell short of a majority. He was able to remain prime minister by forming an alliance with the fledgling Australian Labor Party (ALP), which held the balance of power.
As prime minister, Barton introduced a tariff on imports to raise revenue and protect Australian industry. However, the tariff was lower than many protectionists wanted due to the need to attract support from Labor parliamentarians, who favoured free trade. Barton also supported voting rights for women, which was introduced in the Commonwealth jurisdiction in 1902. In 1903, Barton resigned as prime minister to become one of the first three Justices of the High Court of Australia, a position he held until his death in 1920.
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Frequently asked questions
The Commonwealth of Australia was founded on 1 January 1901.
Before the Commonwealth of Australia was founded, Australia in the late 19th century consisted of six self-governing British colonies: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia.
The new Commonwealth was a federation of the six former British colonies of Australia, which now became states. The new constitution established a federal government with defined powers, among the most important of which were external affairs, defence, immigration, taxation, race, and customs and excise.
