Federation - reasons

Federation

• federation is when a group of individual organisations, regions and states, etc join together to form a single group or country with a centralised control

Australia before federation - Aboriginal history

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples lived in Australia for at least 60,000 years with their own cultures and languages.

Australia before federation - British colonies

From the late 1700s, the British colonies were established, each with its own parliament, but still under British law

Australia before federation - Separate colonies

The colonies were like 6 seperate countries, each with its own:

• government and laws

• defence force

• stamps

• Taxes (tariffs) on goods crossing borders

• different railway gauges(widths) making it harder to travel

Path to federation - federation

when individual states join to form a single country with a central government

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - trade and travel - railway

different railway gauges in each colony meant trains couldn't cross borders, delaying travel

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - trade and travel - tarrifs

Colonies charged taxes (tarrifs) on goods traded between them , making trade expensive

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - trade and travel - benefits of federation

Federation would allow for easier movement of people and goods and strengthen economies my removing internal tariffs and borders

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - nationalism - shared identity

Colonists shared a language, culture and heritage and started to identify as 'Australian'.

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - nationalism - Boer war (1899)

Soldiers from all colonies served together as Australians

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - nationalism - Australian born

By 1901, over three-quarters of the population were Australian - born

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - nationalism - sport

Sporting teams began to represent 'Australia', such as the cricket team who beat England in 1877

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - nationalism - Strengthened identity

Federation would lead to a united identity focused on Australia, not conflicting British interests,

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - immigration - anti-immigration settlement

Many opposed immigration from non-British countries, fearing 'cheap' labour would lower wages.

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - immigration - anti-chinese settlement

Stemmed from the goldfields era

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - immigration - different rules

Colonies had different immigration rules

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - immigration - national government solution

A national government could better control immigration

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - defence - Colonial militia

each colony had its own small militia, relying on the british navy

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - defence - lack of centre control

No central direction in military policies

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - defence - vulnerability

colonies feared attacks from nations with larger military forces

Issues facing Australia prior to 1901 - defence - united defence force

a united defence force could better protect australia