Federation

📝 Federation of Australia – Cheat Sheet (Q&A Format)

🌏 1. What was Australia like before Federation?

• Australia was made up of six separate British colonies: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia.

• Each colony had its own laws, railway systems, stamps, and taxes, and governed itself to a degree, but ultimate control lay with the British Parliament.

🇦🇺 2. Why did people want Federation?

• To solve economic and legal differences between colonies.

• To create a strong national defence.

• To restrict non-white immigration.

• Growing national pride as most people were now born in Australia.

• Sir Henry Parkes’ Tenterfield Oration (1889) promoted unification for a united defence force.

🗣 3. Who was Sir Henry Parkes and what was his role?

• He was the Premier of New South Wales and a major supporter of Federation.

• Gave the Tenterfield Oration in 1889 promoting a united Australia for defence.

🏛 4. What were the Constitutional Conventions?

• Meetings in the 1890s with leaders from all colonies to draft the Australian Constitution.

• New Zealand participated early but chose not to join.

• Decided the new country would be called the Commonwealth of Australia.

✅ 5. How did Federation become official?

• Referendums were held between 1899–1900 in each colony.

• All colonies eventually voted to accept the Constitution, including WA in 1900.

• The British Parliament passed a law allowing Federation.

• Queen Victoria signed the document, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed on 1 January 1901.

⚖ 6. What changed after Federation?

• A new Australian Constitution was created.

• Power was split between the states and the new Commonwealth Government.

• Commonwealth had power over defence, immigration, trade, foreign policy, and postal services.

• Established the Commonwealth Parliament:

  • House of Representatives (lower house) – forms government and introduces laws.

  • Senate (upper house) – reviews laws.

• Created the High Court of Australia to interpret laws and resolve disputes.

🤝 7. What were the main arguments for Federation?

• Stronger national government to manage defence, trade, and immigration.

• Remove tariffs between colonies.

• Centralise services like railways and postal systems.

• Promote a unified national identity.

❌ 8. What were the arguments against Federation?

• Cost of setting up and maintaining a national Parliament.

• Fear of losing colonial (state) identities.

• Concern about weakening ties to Britain.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 9. Who was excluded from the Federation process?

• Women (except in South Australia and Western Australia) couldn’t vote in referendums.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were mostly excluded from voting and celebrations.

👑 10. What role did the British monarchy play?

• Even after Federation, the British monarch remained the head of state.

• Monarch retains governing powers, though rarely used.

• Queen Victoria signed the official Federation document in 1900.