On October 24, 1889, then New South Wales Premier Sir Henry Parkes told a gathering at Tenterfield, close to the Queensland border, that the time had come for the states to consider Australian federation.
In 1890, on Parkes’ initiative, the representatives of seven British colonies (which included New Zealand) met in Melbourne and agreed in principle to establish an Australian federation.
Draft constitution
A year later, a Federation Convention held in Sydney produced a draft Constitution for the Commonwealth of Australia.
Changes in government, the Depression and other factors held back Australian federation. In the meantime, referendums had been held, and more conventions set up. It was only in 1900 that a final draft Constitution was approved.
New Zealand, Fiji decline to join
New Zealand had opted out of the proposed Australian federation. Fiji had also been invited but declined to join. Western Australia and Queensland debated whether they wanted to, finally deciding Yes.
Victory dance
The draft Constitution was brought to London for passage through the British Parliament and despite certain misgivings, Britain’s Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain reached a compromise with the Australian delegates -- who are said to have joined hands and danced around the room -- and the way was cleared for the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia on January 1, 1901.
At the stroke of midnight
It was in Sydney, in the city’s Centennial Park, that the federation of Australia’s six states was formally forged on January 1, 1901.
At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve 1900, as the clock ticked into 1901 and the 20th century, whistles, gongs, church bells, rattles, pots, pans, accordions and all manner of noise-makers joined the sirens of boats on Sydney Harbour.
It was to be a special day.
A fine day for a parade
Just after that midnight, a storm broke and winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour swept into Sydney. Forty points of rain drenched the harbour city.
But the New Year’s Day morning of 1901 broke clear and fine, and an eight-kilometre procession headed out to Centennial Park, just beyond Paddington, where the federation rites, uniting the erstwhile separate British colonies into one federal Commonwealth, finally took place.
