Damon Mcknight
On January 1, 1901, six colonies were joined together to create the Commonwealth of Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, and South Australia. The new nation was self-governing in domestic affairs, though the United Kingdom maintained control over its external relations. The colonies became states in the new Commonwealth of Australia, and the federation process was a remarkable political accomplishment that took years and several referendums to achieve.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of statehood | 1901 |
| State | New South Wales |
| Capital city | Sydney |
| Population (2022) | 8,221,863 |
| Area | 800,642 km² |
| Governor | Margaret Beazley |
| Premier | Dominic Perrottet |
| Federal senators | 12 |
| Federal lower house seats | 47 |
| State lower house seats | 93 |
| State upper house seats | 42 |
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What You'll Learn
The six colonies that became states
In 1901, six colonies were joined together to form the Commonwealth of Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, and South Australia.
These colonies originated as separate British colonies prior to Federation in 1901. The Colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and Van Diemen's Land, in addition to the area currently referred to as the state of New South Wales.
During the 19th century, large areas were separated from New South Wales to form several new colonies: the Colony of Tasmania (initially established as Van Diemen's Land in 1825), the Colony of Western Australia (initially established as the Swan River Colony in 1829), the Province of South Australia (1836), the Colony of New Zealand (1840), the Victoria Colony (1851), and the Colony of Queensland (1859).
In the second half of the 19th century, the Australian continent was divided into six colonies, each with its own government. Railways made the transportation of goods and people between colonies easy, but different rail gauges meant that travellers often had to change trains when crossing borders. The colonies would occasionally come together at intercolonial conferences to work out common problems, such as defence and how to stop the immigration of non-Europeans.
In 1901, these six colonies federated into the Commonwealth of Australia, becoming the founding states of the new nation.
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The Commonwealth of Australia is formed
On January 1, 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. This federation of six former British colonies—New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, and South Australia—created a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire. While the new nation was sovereign when it came to its domestic affairs, the United Kingdom maintained control over its external relations.
The process of Federation was a remarkable political accomplishment that took many years and several referendums to achieve. The colonies that formed the Commonwealth had originated as separate British colonies prior to Federation in 1901. The Colony of New South Wales, founded in 1788, originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and Van Diemen's Land, in addition to the area currently referred to as the state of New South Wales. During the 19th century, large areas were gradually separated to form the other colonies that would become the founding states of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The movement for Federation was driven more by a desire for unification than for independence. The colonies felt they belonged together because they shared not only a continent but also a British background. The basic principles of Federation, such as responsible government and the balancing of state and federal powers, were agreed upon during the second Constitutional Convention, held in Adelaide, Sydney, and Melbourne from 1897 to 1898. The delegates presented a draft Constitution Bill to their respective parliaments, and the emerging bill was debated and modified by the colonial parliaments. The Constitution of Australia, which came into force on January 1, 1901, established a bicameral Parliament, including a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Constitution also provided for the establishment of a High Court and divided the powers of government between the states and the new Commonwealth government.
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 election took place on March 29-30, 1901, with Barton continuing as Prime Minister. The first federal parliament was opened by the Duke of York in the Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building on May 9, 1901.
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Federation and the Constitution
Australia's six British colonies became one nation on 1 January 1901, marking the beginning of the Federation and the Constitution. The six colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania became the founding states of the new Commonwealth of Australia.
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia. The colonies of Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of this process, but they decided not to join the federation.
The idea of a federation of Australian colonies was first proposed in 1847 by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Earl Grey, who suggested the formation of a General Assembly of the colonies. This idea was not pursued further, but it inspired statesman William Wentworth to propose the establishment of "a Congress from the various Colonial Legislatures" to legislate on "inter-colonial questions". In 1853, Wentworth drafted a new constitution for New South Wales, which included a proposal for a General Assembly of the Australian Colonies.
The final push for a Federal Council came at an Intercolonial Convention in Sydney in 1883, triggered by the British rejection of Queensland's unilateral annexation of New Guinea. Sir Samuel Griffith, the premier of Queensland, drafted a bill to constitute the Federal Council of Australasia, which was formed in 1885 to resolve intercolonial issues, including customs duties and defence. However, as New South Wales, New Zealand, and, for a time, South Australia, did not join the Council, it dissolved in 1889.
In 1891, delegates from each colony, including New Zealand, met in Sydney and decided on the name "Commonwealth of Australia". Samuel Griffiths, the then-Premier of Queensland, is credited with writing the draft constitution, which was based on a version written by Tasmanian delegate Andrew Inglis Clark. The process of Federation was stalled by the economic depression of the 1890s, but the basic principles of Federation were agreed upon at the second Constitutional Convention in 1897-98, and a Constitution Bill was drafted and sent to the colonies for a vote.
A second round of referendums was held in 1899, and a "yes" majority was secured in all participating colonies. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK), based on the Constitution Bill, was passed on 5 July 1900 and given royal assent by Queen Victoria four days later. The Constitution came into force on 1 January 1901, marking the official start of the Federation and the establishment of a federal government with defined powers.
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The first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton
Australia became a federation on January 1, 1901, and Edmund Barton was sworn in as the first Prime Minister of the new Commonwealth of Australia. He had played a pivotal role in the lead-up to federation, and his efforts to unite the colonies were crucial to the creation of the new nation.
Barton was born in Sydney in 1849, and he had a distinguished career as a lawyer and politician before becoming Prime Minister. He was a strong advocate for federation, and in 1891, he helped draft the initial proposal for a federal constitution. He was also a key figure in the constitutional conventions that took place in the 1890s, where he played a leading role in negotiating and shaping the final constitution.
In the first half of 1901, Barton and his ministry focused on establishing the new nation's administrative and political foundations. This included setting up the new federal government's initial structure and selecting the future site of the national capital, Canberra. Barton's government also introduced the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, which was the first major piece of legislation passed by the new parliament. This act was designed to limit non-European immigration to Australia and is considered one of the foundations of the controversial White Australia policy.
Beyond this, Barton's government also established the foundations of the Australian Defence Force, with the creation of the Navy and the unification of the colonial military forces into a centralized army. Additionally, they laid the groundwork for the future development of the High Court of Australia and introduced legislation to create a national currency, the Australian pound.
Barton served as Prime Minister until 1903 when he resigned to become one of the three founding justices of the High Court of Australia. He remained a judge of the High Court until his death in 1920. Barton's contributions to the establishment of the Australian federation were significant, and he is remembered as one of the key figures in the nation's history.
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The colonies' evolution into states
The evolution of Australia's colonies into states began with the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in 1788, establishing the penal colony of New South Wales as part of the British Empire. Over time, this colony expanded to cover a vast area, including modern-day Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.
In the 19th century, however, the Colony of New South Wales began to break up as new colonies were formed. In 1825, Van Diemen's Land (later renamed Tasmania) was established as a separate colony. This was followed by the creation of the Swan River Colony (later Western Australia) in 1829, South Australia in 1836, and the Victoria Colony in 1851. Queensland became a separate colony in 1859.
By the late 1880s, a majority of people living in these Australian colonies were native-born, and there was a growing sense of nationalism and desire for federation within the British Empire. On January 1, 1901, these colonies, with the exception of New Zealand, were transformed into states as they federated to create the Commonwealth of Australia. This new nation was a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire, with its own constitution and federal government.
The six founding states of the Commonwealth of Australia were New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. Each state had its own independent executive government, legislature, and judicial system, while also being a part of the newly formed nation of Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Six colonies became states in the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901: New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, and South Australia.
The six colonies were originally separate British colonies.
The Colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and Van Diemen's Land. During the 19th century, large areas were separated to form the other colonies.
The colonies collectively became states of the Commonwealth of Australia, which was largely self-governing, although it retained close ties to Britain and its empire. The new constitution established a bicameral Parliament, containing a Senate and a House of Representatives.
