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Australian Federation

            Arguments For and Against Federation.
            
             People put forward a number of arguments for federation. A sense of nationhood was growing, with improvements in communication and better transport bringing people together, and with 70% of the population being Australian-born. Issues such as defense were causing concern, with growing German aggression close by in New Guinea, French presence in the New Hebrides, and American and Russian economic activities in the Pacific. Senior defense staff recognized that separate colonies could not defend their interests on there; a national approach was necessary.
             Many people understood a federation would best serve economic interests. Tariffs between colonies and varying freight charges caused inefficient trade between colonies. New South Wales favored free trade while Victoria had a vested interest in protection. Such differences increased rivalry between colonies and federation could bring about a customs agreement which would serve all colonies.
             Matters of common interest such as railway gauges and postal and telegraph services could also benefit from central government authority.
             Immigration was another matter where cooperation was needed. Thousands of Chinese were coming to Australia in search for gold. Australians were afraid that cheap Chinese labor would lower Australian workers living standards and both governments and unions agreed that such immigration should be restricted. A common policy would achieve this.
             .
             Against Federation - Colonial Interests.
             Colonies, since achieving their own government had produced their own laws to meet their own problems and did not want to give up self-government to a central power. Colonies such as Western Australia and Tasmania had developed in isolation from the more populated New South Wales and Victoria and feared that federation meant domination by New South Wales.
             Different states had different interests to serve.


Essays Related to Australian Federation

1. Was There An Australian Settlement?

... federation process. Federation as it was achieved was by large a settlement in terms of "a conclusive resolution of a matter and disposition of it" . Whilst federation was a widely shared goal, predominantly in terms of financial and social benefits, the federationalists came from a variety of opposing spheres. In the final stages of the 1890's, there was much opposition in the Australian federation ... league between those parties seeking federation under the crown, and those seeking a more socialist annexation of the country . Whilst both parties sought an independent nation, the verd...

  • Word Count: 854
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Australian federation and it

... would be saved and prices of imports lowered in Australia. This"ll benefit all colonies, especially for Victoria, who was in need of money. Fourthly white Australian policy could also be enforced after Federation as Western Australian miners and other colonies hatred the over run of Chinese miners. To them they were odd people. The English Australians wanted them out. This policy would ... , Western Australia benefits from Immigration while other benefits were for all the colonies. From the benefits seen above, the colonies all needed those benefits, but what was the impact of federation...

  • Word Count: 910
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3. Australian Republic

... 't until 1991 that the Republic debate sparked national interest that was to last almost twelve years. Malcolm Turnbull, the leader of the Australian Republic Movement challenged Australia to take the next steps to become a republic by 2001, the centenary of Federation (Baker, p51, 1994). The republican movement has since sought to replace the Queen and her representative, the Governor General, with a popularly ... . The constitution has seen no major changes in over a hundred years, so it would benefit Australia as a whole to make changes to it. In fact, the Australian constitution is no...

  • Word Count: 1577
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Federation in Western Australia

... , workers and miners. John Forrest despised the idea of t"othersiders gaining the wealth that should rightly fully belong to the Western Australian people. His dislike for t"othersiders caused hostility and they soon began to criticize him. The t"othersiders started to support federation in the belief that it would giver them stronger representation, more rights and protect them against Western ... Australian politicians.( The Debate, 2001, www.liswa.wa.gov.au/federation/index.html) The premier continued to oppose a vote on federation and the legislative council refused to hold a vote on...

  • Word Count: 1434
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Personalities of Federation

... by the authority of Parliament, who would fully represent the opinions of different Parliaments of the colonies'. Parkes pursued his dream of federation with enthusiasm, and his efforts resulted in the inter-colonial conference in Melbourne in 1890 and he also presided over the first Federal ... Barton. Sir Henry had also been a writer (with the autobiography Fifty Years in the Making of Australian History) and poet, and had been knighted. Unfortunately, Parkes died before his dream of Federation was realised, but his dedication to a stronger, unified Australia lived on. He has been known...

  • Word Count: 1505
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Australian Constitution

... . Since its inception in 1901 the constitution has had many supporters but also many skeptics, both of which have their own ideas on the strengths or weaknesses of it. The Australian Constitution has many strengths and weaknesses to it. A major strength of the constitution is that the three main institutions of government (legislature, executive and judiciary) were created following the ... . This helps to follow theory that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The constitution outlines the British Monarchy as being the hereditary head of state. The monarchy has served Australia well sinc...

  • Word Count: 1067
  • Approx Pages: 4
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7. US/Australian Alliance

... colonial rule. The Boer War, which ignited in 1899, was supported heavily by eight battalions of troops from the Australian colonies, despite public condemnation of the war . There were two conflicting voices at this point in Australian history, leading up to federation. The first was the voice of British loyalists who believed that our allegiance with Britain was paramount and that no ... Fisher pledged Australia's support "to the last man and the last schilling" (Swigart, 2001:1). The primary public opinion at this stage still showed overwhelming support to the British alliance - Aust...

  • Word Count: 1939
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Australian National Identity

... can be seen to shape the national identity. From the colonial beginnings (1788 to early 1800s), to the wild gold rush days (1850s), to Federation (1901), to World War One (1914-1918), to the Depression (1930s), to Word War Two (1939-1945) with the threat of invasion ... (4) asserted that "the events at Gallipoli and the ANZAC tradition constitute a sacred foundational myth which celebrates the prowess and egalitarianism of the Australian troops as well as their blood sacrifice for the nation". With the flood of new immigrants arriving from places as diverse as USA and China ... Egalita...

  • Word Count: 1535
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Advantages of Federation

... six different colonies). But, unfortunately, Australia didn't become one colony just like that. Many steps had to be taken in order for Federation to occur. Some of these steps are: • In the 1850's, New South Wales and Victoria formed committees to see if there was ... Chinese immigration to Australia. • In 1889, at Tenterfield, Sir Henry Parkes (again premier of New South Wales) made a stirring speech in favour of Federation. • In the late 1800's, there became increased awareness of the need for some overall economic policy. • In 1890, as a result of Parke ... 's speech in 1889,...

  • Word Count: 749
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

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