Why is Federation important?

The main purpose of the Federation is to assist its members in protecting the legitimate social, economic, creative, national, cultural and other rights and interests of members of the Federation.

Why did the Australian colonies want to federate?

The thinking behind Federation was that nationhood would make the whole country stronger and have benefits for all colonies. The colonies would all be subject to the same federal laws, and they would all be represented in the Federal Parliament to have a say in running the nation.

What is the story behind Federation?

Narrator: In 1899 and 1900 the people in each colony agreed to the Constitution by voting in referendums. It was the first time in history that a group of people voted to create a new nation. The 6 colonies became the 6 states of Australia and federal Parliament was created. This is known as Federation.

What does Federation mean in Australia?

the Commonwealth of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia.

When did Australia become a Federation?

1 January 1901
Australia becomes a nation on 1 January 1901 when the six colonies federate, and the Commonwealth of Australia is proclaimed in Centennial Park, Sydney.

How did federation impact on indigenous?

Aboriginal people lost power over their own lives. Their personal and working lives were tightly controlled. They could not vote for the federal government and, even if they could have done so, the federal government would not have changed the laws for the better anyway.

What were the reasons against federation?

Arguments against Federation Federation would be expensive to achieve and a federated country would be expensive to run. The colonies had different policies about immigration, trade and other matters. Customs duties protected factories in the smaller colonies from goods made in factories in the larger colonies.

How did Federation impact on indigenous?

What did Federation mean for Australia?

The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia.

Did Federation help Aboriginals?

Federation occurred on 1 January 1901 when 6 separate British colonies—New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia—joined together to form the new nation of Australia. So for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, federation did not directly impact their lives.

What impact did Federation have on Australia?

Federal system The federal government was also given the power to make laws for Australia’s territories. It did not have powers to make special laws for Indigenous people, a situation not rectified until a referendum in 1967.

Why did the Federation of Australia occur?

An important reason why Federation occurred was that the trade between the colonies got stronger which lead to better trades, telegraph lines and identical railway lines. This was one of the better ways to communicate amongst the whole of Australia.

Why did the Federation take place?

Federation took place because of the need to be more organised, to improve the defence of Australia, better transportation, stronger communication, to unify the economy and to strengthen the pride of being Australian. The idea of six colonies uniting as one had an apeal to people which lead to motivating the spirit of Australia and being as one.

What was the purpose of the Australasian Federation Convention 1890?

It called for a national convention—formal meeting—to draft a constitution for a Commonwealth of Australia. Members of the Australasian Federation Convention, 1890. The first National Australasian Convention was held in Sydney in March and April 1891. It was attended by delegates from each of the colonies and the New Zealand Parliament.

Where can I learn more about the history of the Australian Constitution?

You can learn more about the history of the Australian Constitution on a virtual tour of our exhibition Voices / Dhuniai: Federation, democracy and the Constitution . Edmund Barton was working on a draft of the Constitution in 1891. Why do you think it was another 10 years before Federation?