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Australian Federation Timeline

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Australian Federation Timeline

Read the short account and study the timeline. Then complete the activities. Federation was a political process, and people held different views about whether the colonies should unite.

Why did the colonies unite?

In the late 1800s, Australia was made up of six self-governing British colonies. Each had its own government, laws and systems. Travelling or trading across colonial borders could involve different rules, and many people argued that a united nation could coordinate trade, defence and transport. Others worried that a national government might be too powerful or that their colony would lose influence. Support for Federation grew through meetings, debates and public votes called referendums. In 1901, the colonies joined to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Federation did not give everyone equal rights: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were excluded from many national decisions and faced continuing dispossession and discrimination.

1889 — Henry Parkes gives his Tenterfield Oration, publicly urging the colonies to unite.

1890 — Leaders meet at the Australasian Federation Conference in Melbourne.

1891 — Delegates meet at the National Australasian Convention in Sydney and draft a constitution.

1890s — Referendums allow voters in the colonies to express their views on Federation.

1900 — The British Parliament passes the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act.

1 January 1901 — The Commonwealth of Australia begins; Edmund Barton becomes the first prime minister.

Read, reason and remember

Use the account and timeline above to answer each question.

1.Which event happened first?

The Commonwealth began
The Tenterfield Oration
The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act passed
The National Australasian Convention

2.According to the timeline, what happened in 1891?

3.Give one reason people argued that the colonies should unite.

4.Name one concern that some people had about Federation.

5.On what date did the Commonwealth of Australia begin?

1 January 1890
1 January 1891
1 January 1900
1 January 1901

6.Why were referendums important in the Federation process?

7.The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act was passed by the British Parliament before the Commonwealth began.

TrueFalse

8.Which person became Australia's first prime minister when the Commonwealth began?

9.The account says Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were excluded from many national decisions. What does this tell you about the limits of Federation in 1901?

10.Choose two events from the timeline. Write each event with its year, then explain which came first.