Australian Commonwealth

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a political union of all the Australian colonies, the agitation for which began in 1852. The first convention for this purpose was held at Hobart in January, 1886. The colonies represented were Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, and Fiji. This effort was abortive, but another conference took place in 1891, at Sydney, N. S. W., which was attended by delegates from each of the colonies. A plan of Federal government was proposed, which resembled in many of its features that of the United States. A draft bill to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia was adopted by the convention, and it was agreed to submit it to the approval of the individual Legislatures of the several colonies. This bill met with success in the lower branch of but one cotonial Legislature that of Victoria. In January, 1895, there was a conference of premiers of five colonies at Hobart, and the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales passed a Federal enabling act in November of that year. The first practical step was taken in 1898. A convention of representatives of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia succeeded in drafting a constitution, which was submitted to the popular vote of each of those colonies in June. By the terms of the plebiscite, an affirmative vote of substantially one-third of the electors of New South Wales, and of one-fifth of the electors of each of the other colonies, was required to adopt this constitution. The returns of the election in June were fatal to the scheme. On Feb. 2, 1899, a unanimous agreement was reached by the colonial premiers in conference at Melbourne, regarding the unsettled questions referred to them by the colonial Legislatures, thus insuring the success of the federation project. The new Commonwealth came into existence on Jan. 1, 1901, and the Earl of Hopetoun was appointed first Governor- General. Melbourne was designated as the temporary capital until a site for a Federal district could be selected. Measures passed for restricting immigration greatly retarded the growth of the Commonwealth. A protective tariff bill was passed in 1902. A notable feature of the political development of the first years of the twentieth century was the growth of the Labor party, which stood practically for a modified socialism and especially for the principle of the so-called "White Australia." The Commonwealth has grown steadily and its loyalty to the Empire has remained undiminished. Conclusive proof of this was given by the prompt and unsolicited entry of Australia in the war. See Aus- TRALIA, section AUSTRALIA IN THE WORLD WAR.