SELECT TIMELINE OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO FEDERATION

1870

Charles Gavan Duffy appointed a Royal Commission to look into Federation in 1870.

Melbourne Punch, 26 January 1860, Victoria's Duffy ties the Australasian colonies together.

1883

Federal Australasian Council is formed to allow Premiers to discuss laws about topics such as defence, quarantine and Pacific relations. NSW does not join. Initially, New Zealand and Fiji show some interest in federating with the colonies of Australia, and are invited to the Council. Fiji joins but is not present at a meeting until 1888. New Zealand does not join, fearing Australian domination.

1889

Parkes' Tenterfield Oration. Sir Henry Parkes (often called the 'Father of Federation') gives a speech at a banquet at Tenterfield, NSW, declaring his long-held support for Australian Federation and calling for the colonies to unite.

1890

The Australian Natives' Association (ANA) holds a federation conference with delegates representing the six Australian colonies and New Zealand. Refer Nationalism

1891

National Australasian Convention held in Sydney. Representatives from the six colonies and New Zealand agree to draft a Constitution under the name of the 'Commonwealth of Australia'. Andrew Inglis Clark, Charles Cameron Kingston and Samuel Griffith provide a draft which is used to write the Constitution that the Conference adopts and forms the basis of all future redrafting of the Constitution.

1892

Economic depression gives colonial governments more pressing concerns to deal with than Federation. In Victoria there is a collapse of the banks and property market. Although Australia has a draft Constitution it has no legal power, and the Federation process slows to a halt.

1893

Edmund Barton leads the newly formed Australasian Federation League (AFL). In the Riverina, 15 Federation Leagues are formed showing popular support for the movement.

The Corowa Conference, the first 'People's Convention', is organised by the AFL and the ANA. At the Conference Dr John Quick suggests a way to get Federation moving. Every Australian Parliament should pass a law to elect representatives to attend a convention where a Constitution can be agreed. The Constitution would then be put to the vote of the people in a referendum in each colony, thus giving the Constitution legal force.

1894

NSW Premier Dibbs suggests a union between NSW and Victoria that the other colonies could join later.

1895

At a Federal Council meeting in Hobart, George Reid, Premier of NSW, suggests an informal meeting of Premiers in order to implement the Corowa Plan.

The NSW free-trade policy gives the other colonies the best of both worlds – free access to the NSW market while still maintaining their own protectionist tariffs.

1895

Enabling Acts (laws to allow for the election of representatives to a Constitutional Convention) are passed in South Australia (20 Dec.) and New South Wales (23 Dec.).

1896

Enabling Acts are passed in Tasmania (10 Jan.), and Victoria (7 Mar.).

The Enabling Bill is introduced in Queensland in 1896, but is not passed until 1899 (4 Nov.) and in Western Australia the bill is introduced (1 May 1901) and passed (31 Jul. 1901).

The Bathurst Conference, the second 'People's Convention' organised by the Australasian Federation League, is held to discuss the draft Constitution of 1891. Represented are community organisations including the ANA, and Federation Leagues, as well as local government. The delegates support an elected Senate. A women's organising committee is involved but they are only allowed to organise social functions.

1897

Women vote for the first time in Australia in elections in SA.

1897-98

National Australasian Convention delegates are elected in NSW, Vic, SA and Tas. Delegates are appointed by parliament in WA. Qld does not send any delegates.

The National Australasian Convention reduces the Senate's power over money bills and the amended Commonwealth Convention Bill is adopted.

The Federal Association is formed from the Australasian Federation League.

The National Australasian Convention's second session discusses 286 suggested alterations to the Commonwealth Convention Bill.

1898

The National Australasian Convention's third session adopts the draft Constitution – the Convention Bill.

A referendum on the Constitution is held. The 'yes' vote prevails in Vic (3 Jun.), SA (4 Jun.) and Tas (3 Jun.) but does not get a large enough majority in NSW, and so the Constitution is rejected.

First Women's Federal League is formed by Maybanke Wolstenholme Anderson.

1899

Federal Council's final session is held.

So-called 'Secret' Premiers' Conference (with Qld attending for the first time since 1895) agrees to amend the [Convention] Constitution Bill to appease NSW and Qld. It also agrees that the federal capital will be in NSW, but not within 100 miles of Sydney.

Second Referendum is carried in SA (29 Apr.), NSW (20 Jun.), Vic and Tas (27 Jul.) and Qld (2 Sep.).

Eastern Goldfields Reform League, active in supporting Federation, is formed in Coolgardie, WA (13 Dec.)

Albany decides to secede from WA. Two petitions are sent to Queen Victoria.

Boer War breaks out (11 Oct.) in South Africa.

1900

Australian delegates first meet in London to ensure that the Australian Constitution is enacted by the British Parliament (passed 5 Jul., royal assent given 9 Jul.).

17 September: Queen Victoria proclaims that the Commonwealth of Australia will come into being on 1 January 1901.

1901

1 January: Advance Australia Fair is sung at the ceremony to mark the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia in Centennial Park, Sydney.

9 May: The first Federal Parliament is opened by the Duke of Cornwall and York. Edmund Barton is the first prime minister, leading the Protectionist party government (elected 20 Mar.). The Royal Visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York was an occasion that prompted an outpouring of loyal Imperial sentiment. Celebrations were meticulously organised and, in Melbourne, featured parades through streets lined with purpose-built arches.

Bourke Street, Melbourne, looking towards Parliament House, through archway erected for Royal Visit, SLV, Library Record Number: 977756.

THE TENTERFIELD ORATION

SIR HENRY PARKES AT TENTERFIELD
BANQUET TO THE PREMIER

Sir HENRY PARKES, who was received with applause, said, in reply… General Edwards had also advised that the forces of the various colonies should be federated for operation in unison in the event of war, so as to act as one great federal army. If an attack were made upon any of the colonies, it might be necessary for us to bring all our power to bear on one spot of the coast. More, however, was necessary if they were to have the federal system, so strongly recommended, and which must appeal to the sense of every intelligent man. … There were two very important questions to which their attention ought to be directed. They must have heard something of the Federal Council … if they were to carry out the recommendations of General Edwards, it would be absolutely necessary for them to have one central authority, which could bring all the forces of the different colonies into one army. Some colonial statesmen had said that this might be done by means of the Federal Council; but this Federal Council had no power to do anything of the sort, as it was not an elective body, but merely a body appointed by the Governments of the various colonies. … The great question which they had to consider was, whether the time had not now arisen for the creation on this Australian continent of an Australian Government … Australia had now a population of three and a half millions, and the American people numbered only between three and four millions when they formed the great commonwealth of the United States. The numbers were about the same, and surely what the Americans had done by war, the Australians could bring about in peace. (Cheers.) Believing as he did that it was essential to preserve the security and integrity of these colonies that the whole of their forces should be amalgamated into one great federal army, feeling this, and seeing no other means of attaining the end, it seemed to him that the time was close at hand when they ought to set about creating this great national government for all Australia. This subject brought them face to face with another subject. They had now, from South Australia to Queensland, a stretch of about 2,000 miles of railway, and if the four colonies could only combine to adopt a uniform gauge, it would be an immense advantage to the movement of troops. These were the two great national questions which he wished to lay before them. … He believed that the time had come, and if two Governments set an example, the others must soon of necessity follow, and they would have an uprising in this fair land of a goodly fabric of free Government, and all great national questions of magnitude affecting the welfare of the colonies would be disposed of by a fully authorised constitutional authority, which would be the only one which could give satisfaction to the people represented. This meant a distinct executive and a distinct parliamentary power, a government for the whole of Australia and it meant a Parliament of two Houses, a house of commons and a senate, which would legislate on these great subjects. …

Sir Henry Parkes at Tenterfield, 24 October 1889, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 1889, p. 8.

THE COROWA CONFERENCE

That in the opinion of this conference the best interests, and the present and future prosperity of the Australian colonies will be promoted by the early union under the Crown, and that such colonies have now increased in population, wealth, and discovery of resources, and in self-governing capacity, to an extent which justifies their union under one legislature and executive Government on principles just to the several colonies. [Edmund Barton] ... stated that although non-federalists were almost extinct, many people held that the time was not yet ripe for federation; but what was there to prevent it? [Dr John Quick] ... pressed upon the central league [the Australasian Federation League] to take immediate steps to establish leagues in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Sydney Morning Herald, 2 August 1893, cited in Raymond Evans et al., 1901 Our Future's Past, Macmillan, Sydney, 1997 p. 128.