Museum Victoria. Specific areas of legislative power were given to the federal government, but not for the first 10 years or so. This meant that the states could retain revenues a while longer, including taxation, defence, foreign affairs, migration, naturalisation and aliens, and postal and telecommunications services. It did not have powers to make special laws for Indigenous people, a situation not rectified until a referendum in States retained power over matters within their borders that were outside the power of the Commonwealth, including police, hospitals, education and public transport.
Federation was a remarkable political achievement. Colonies had jostled to protect their interests. New South Wales had competed with Victoria for influence, and the smaller colonies had feared their interests would be ignored by the larger colonies. But consensus had been reached. The British monarch remained the head of state, but Australia was now largely self-governing, though it retained close ties to Britain and its empire.
Australians remained British citizens until the Nationality and Citizenship Act provided for separate Australian citizenship. The six states felt that they belonged together because they shared not only a continent, but also a British background. Federation achieved an independence of sorts for Australia. However, the desire for independence does not seem to have been the main driver of the Federation movement; it was more a desire for unification.
Exploring Democracy, Museum of Australian Democracy. Federation fact sheet, Australian Electoral Commission. Federation of Australia, National Library of Australia. The National Museum of Australia acknowledges First Australians and recognises their continuous connection to country, community and culture. Defining Moments Federation. See our classroom resource.
Defining Moments: Australian Federation It also called for an Australasian convention where parliamentary representatives from the colonies would develop a constitution which would provide for a federal government and a federal parliament: The opportunity has arisen for the consideration of this great subject and I believe that the time is at hand … when this thing will be done.
Tom Keneally British approval As the colonies were under British rule, Federation would only come about if the British Parliament passed the necessary legislation. Federation as a Defining Moment Federation was a remarkable political achievement. Curriculum subjects. On 6 February delegates from each of the colonial parliaments and the New Zealand Parliament met at the Australasian Federation Conference in Melbourne. The conference agreed 'the interests and prosperity of the Australian colonies would be served by an early union under the crown'.
It called for a national convention—formal meeting—to draft a constitution for a Commonwealth of Australia. Members of the Australasian Federation Convention, A sepia toned photograph of a group of men in formal attire in front of a portico of a building.
Six men including Edmund Barton, fourth from left in the top hat are seated on chairs. Eight men stand behind. Henry Parkes is fourth from left and Alfred Deakin is sixth from left. You may save or print this image for research and study. If you wish to use it for any other purposes, you must declare your Intention to Publish. It was attended by delegates from each of the colonies and the New Zealand Parliament. During the convention, Edmund Barton—who became the first Prime Minister of Australia—coined the catchcry 'a nation for a continent and a continent for a nation'.
The convention spent 5 weeks discussing and writing a draft constitution, which became the basis for the constitution we have today. Queensland Premier Sir Samuel Griffith is largely credited with drafting the constitution approved by the convention. However, his draft constitution was based on a version written by Tasmanian delegate Andrew Inglis Clark. Clark was inspired by the federal model of the United States, which, like Australia, faced the challenge of bringing together self-governing colonies as a nation.
Under the draft constitution the colonies would unite as separate states within the Commonwealth, with power shared between a federal—national—Parliament and state parliaments. This would give Australia a federal system of government. The convention delegates took the draft constitution back to their colonial parliaments for consideration and approval.
Faced with an economic depression, the parliaments lost enthusiasm for Federation. Federation's greatest champion, Parkes, retired from politics and following New South Wales governments did not share his passion for Federation.
While the colonial parliaments put the issue of Federation to one side, it had fired the public's imagination. In a people's conference was held in Corowa, New South Wales, which agreed 'the best interests, present and future prosperity of the Australian colonies will be promoted by their early Federation'. At a special premiers' conference held in Hobart in most of the colonies agreed to Quick's proposal.
Queensland, fearing Federation might mean the loss of its Pacific Islander labour force, decided not to take part.
By this stage, New Zealand had decided not to be part of the Federation process. The following year the Bathurst Federation League, frustrated by the inaction of the colonial parliaments, held a second people's conference at which over delegates renewed calls for a new Federation convention.
Sir Henry Parkes looks on. The second National Australasian Convention met 3 times during and in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, and used the draft constitution as a starting point for discussions. Elected and appointed representatives from all the colonies except Queensland took part in the convention. One of the most significant changes made to the draft constitution related to the Senate. Senators would be directly elected by the people of each state instead of being selected by state parliaments.
The new draft also set the number of members of the House of Representatives as roughly twice the number of senators. Because the Senate and House of Representatives would have almost the same law-making powers, the delegates realised a way to break deadlocks between the 2 houses was needed.
They decided disagreements could be resolved by dissolving—closing—both houses of Parliament and calling an election. The newly elected Parliament could then vote on the issue. If this failed to break the deadlock, it could be put to a vote in a joint sitting of both houses. The convention also agreed to a proposal by Tasmanian Premier Sir Edward Braddon to return to the states three-quarters of the customs and excise tariffs collected by the federal government.
On 16 March the convention agreed to the draft constitution. After being agreed by the colonial parliaments, the people of each of the 6 colonies were then asked to approve the constitution in referendums. Many people around Australia were involved in Federation movement. Federal leagues, clubs and societies were formed from the s to advocate for Federation. Press reports of the conventions were eagerly read and helped build popular support for Federation.
Many women were involved in the Federation movement. Women began their own Federal Leagues, in part to try and win the right to vote in the new nation. Women had only won the right to vote in South Australia in Australia was the first nation to take a proposed constitution to the people for approval.
Switzerland had held a referendum to approve changes to its constitution in Enthusiastic campaigns were waged urging people to vote 'yes' or 'no'. Anti-Federation groups argued Federation would weaken the colonial parliaments and interstate free trade would lead to lower wages and a loss of jobs.
New South Wales Premier George Reid publicly criticised the proposed constitution but said he would vote for it in the referendum, earning him the nickname 'Yes-No Reid'.
The referendum was passed in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Although a majority of voters in New South Wales voted 'yes' in the referendum, it did not attract the 80 'yes' votes set by the New South Wales colonial parliament as the minimum needed for it to agree to Federation. Queensland and Western Australia—concerned Federation would give New South Wales and Victoria an advantage over the less-powerful states—did not hold referendums.
In January the colonial premiers met privately to work out a way to bring about Federation. Western Australian Premier John Forrest did not attend. In order to win the support of the New South Wales and Queensland colonial parliaments, the premiers made some further changes to the draft constitution. Among these was the decision to establish the Australian national capital within New South Wales at least miles They also agreed the federal Parliament would only be required to return customs and excise tariffs to the states for the first 10 years of Federation.
People line up outside a polling station on referendum day, Brisbane, The wording of the law has often created situations where both the federal government and the states claim the authority to make laws over the same matter. See State and territory government for a discussion of the federal-state relationship and how these conflicts are resolved. Jump to navigation Skip to main content. Close Contact Government Publications. Departments and Agencies Cross Government Bodies.
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