What influenced Federation in Australia?

Answer 1

Sir Henry Parkes was a staunch supporter of the Federation of Australia. As a politician, he is perhaps best remembered for his famous Tenterfield Oration, delivered on 24 October 1889, at the Tenterfield School of Arts. In this speech, he advocated the Federation of the six Australian colonies.

The man who became Australia's first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, was a strong advocate of the federation of the Australian colonies, and he led the federal movement following the death of Sir Henry Parkes. In 1897 he was one of the NSW delegates to the Constitutional Convention which developed a constitution for the proposed federation.

Patriotism was also reinforced through the work of writers such as Henry Lawson and, in particular, Banjo Paterson.

On 22 January 1899, leaders of the six Australian colonies met in Melbourne to discuss the federation bill.

Answer 2

Sir Henry Parkes is considered to be the Father of Australian Federation. Although born in England in 1815, a failed business venture prompted him to seek passage with his wife to Australia, and he arrived in Sydney in 1839. He was first elected to the New South Wales Parliament in 1854, and was Premier of New South Wales several times between 1872 and 1891.

Parkes is perhaps best remembered for his famous Tenterfield Oration, delivered on 24 October 1889, at the Tenterfield School of Arts. In this speech, he advocated the Federation of the six Australian colonies.

Answer 3

There is no easily determined person with whom Australian federation started. It was a movement that gained momentum over several decades, fed by patriotic Australian literature and articles.

However, a defining point in the push for Federration came with Sir Henry Parkes's "Tenterfield Oration". This was delivered on 24 October 1889, at the Tenterfield School of Arts. In this speech, Parkes advocated the Federation of the six Australian colonies, and the campaign gained momentum up until the actual date of Federation, on 1 January 1901.

Answer 4

The Australian colonies were offered federation in 1848 at the same time as New Zealand. The problem was that the colonies were suspicious about taking on the economic and social problems of Tasmania and Western Australia, NSW (then included Queensland) Victoria and South Australia refused. The British government tried to push it further, appointing the governor of NSW to be governor general of Australia. As the GG did not have an Australian cabinet to advise him, he declined to exercise the office as he realised that his NSW cabinet would give him biased advice to the detriment of the other colonies. The appointment lapsed after five unsuccessful years.

Federation became a live issue again in the last decade of the 19th Century. There had been some necessary Defence amalgamation, and the trade position meant that the customs barriers between the colonies was hurting overall. Momentum grew, and New Zealand, Papua and Fiji were considered for inclusion. Eventually it became easier to just incorporate the mainland colonies and add in Tasmania.

Answer 5

Australian Federation occurred simultaneously within all the Australian colonies. On 1 January 1901, the colonies were Federated and the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed. Australia's first Governor-General, John Hope, made the proclamation at Centennial Park in Sydney.