Why did federation occur?
Each of the six colons decided that federation would be beneficial to them for a number of reasons. These reasons where
• Each colony wanted to make their economy successful. They believed that a nation government would be able to do a lot to make the economies of all six colonies more successful. Some of the ways they though this could happen were: a national banking system, nation laws to reduce conflicts and barriers between states, and unified policy for trading with Britain
• Each colony would feel more protected from an invasion by another country if the states joined their defense forces together to make one nation defense force
• Each colony wanted to make a ‘White Australia’. They wanted to stop too many ‘non-white’ people from arriving in Australia. As individual colonies they could do little to stop this. They though that a national government would be able to do more to stop unwanted immigration.
• Transport and communications between the colonies could be improved if the colonies created a national government.
ALSO
Many people in Australia were becoming more nationalistic. They wanted to unite the six colonies into one big country.
ALSO
The colonies worked hard over a ten year period to develop a plan for federation that they could all agree to. This was accomplished mostly by the writing and rewriting of the constituent ( the system f laws by which Australia would be governed).
How did federation occur
A timeline of the main steps towards Federation
1889
Henry Parkes began the movement towards Federation when he made a famous speech at tenterfield in NSW
1890-1891
The first Australasian Convention meets to begin work on the plan for Federation
1897
The second Australasian Convention meets to continue work on the plan of Federation
1898
The first referendum (vote by all citizens) on Federation held…. But Queensland and Western Australia DON’T vote....