'Australia for the Australians' was a popular, 'patriotic' slogan at the time of Federation.

Focus questions
RaQ7 What are the looked for outcomes of Federation?
RaQ8 Who do you think the writer means by 'Australians'?
RaQ9 What do you think is meant by the term 'Australia for the Australians'?

PROTECTION AGAINST THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Certainly Federation means Protection against the outside world-against the pauper labour and cheap and nasty goods of foreign countries – while it will bring about Intercolonial Freetrade, and cement the white Australians in unity and brotherly progress. Put in plainest terms, Federation means the ideal that every patriot of the country longs for-

"Australia for the Australians!"

United the Colonies will be in a strong position to resist the encroachment of coloured and inferior peoples, and one marked feature in the Bill that should recommend it to the electors in the North Coast districts of New South Wales – where the black and yellow agony is so acutely felt – is the power given to the Commonwealth Parliament to deal with this danger to the future of Australia as a white nation...

Richmond River Express, Casino, 3 June 1898, cited in Scott Bennett (ed.), Federation, Cassell Australia, North Melbourne, 1975, p. 28.