Henry Parkes
2- How was federation achieved in Australia? What contributions did Henry Parkes make to federation?
In 1860 there were 6 separate colonies on the continent; New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. The colonies were pretty much completely separate and the laws which governed them were made by the British Parliament.
By the late 1880s, early 1890s the idea of federation had become fairly popular, it was realised that one country would be far stronger than 6 small colonies. There would be one centre for defense, one economy etc.
It was Henry Parkes, the then Premier of New South Wales who convinced the other premiers to discuss the idea of federation and in 1890 the Australasian Federation Convention was held in Melbourne. Another convention was held in Sydney the following year. Initially representatives from New Zealand also took part in the discussions although they decided early on to form their own country.
Work began on a first draft of an Australian constitution by Edmund Barton (who later became our first Prime Minister), Andrew Inglis Clark, Charles Kingston and Samuel Griffith. Our constitution was modeled on the constitutions of Great Britain, Canada, Switzerland and the United States.
Several Referendums took place to vote on the eventual constitution. Queensland and Western Australia did not take part in the first vote and the Referendum was defeated in New South Wales so changes were made in 1897/98 and a second referendum took place. This time it was passed (except in Western Australia).
Since all major laws for Australia were still made in Great Britain at the time a delegation was sent to London in 1900 with a draft of the constitution. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 was passed by the British Parliament which declared that on January 1, 1901 the 5 of colonies would be united to form the Commonwealth of Australia (Western Australia was not included as they didn’t want to be).
Another referendum was held in August 1900 in Western Australia, with the people voting to join the Commonwealth.
On January 1, 1901 the colonies became states and the Federal Parliament was formed. The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed in Sydney.
Melbourne was the temporary capital of Australia until the Provisional Parliament House was opened in Canberra in 1927.
Grave of Sir Henry Parkes, Faulconbridge, NSW