What was federation for kids

These anxieties stemmed partly from anti-Chinese sentiment dating back to the gold-fields of the s. They also reflected resentment towards Pacific Islanders who worked in Queensland's sugar industry. At the time, racial conflict was seen as a consequence of a multicultural society.

It was felt a national government would be in a better position than the colonies to control immigration. Colonists mostly shared a common language, culture and heritage, and increasingly began to identify as Australian rather than British. New South Wales Premier, Sir Henry Parkes, referred to this as 'the crimson thread of kinship that runs through us all'.

By Federation in over three-quarters of the population were Australian-born. Many people moved between the colonies to find work and sporting teams had begun to represent 'Australia'. In soldiers from the colonies who went to the Boer War in South Africa served together as Australians.

Contemporary songs and poems celebrated Australia and Australians. Convinced the colonies would be stronger if they united, Sir Henry Parkes gave a rousing address at Tenterfield, New South Wales in calling for 'a great national government for all Australians'.

Parkes's call provided the momentum that led to Australia becoming a nation. Parkes knew popular support was not enough, so he lobbied his fellow premiers to back Federation. On 6 February delegates from each of the colonial parliaments and the New Zealand Parliament met at the Australasian Federation Conference in Melbourne.

The conference agreed 'the interests and prosperity of the Australian colonies would be served by an early union under the crown'. It called for a national convention—formal meeting—to draft a constitution for a Commonwealth of Australia. Members of the Australasian Federation Convention, A sepia toned photograph of a group of men in formal attire in front of a portico of a building. Six men including Edmund Barton, fourth from left in the top hat are seated on chairs.

Eight men stand behind. Henry Parkes is fourth from left and Alfred Deakin is sixth from left. You may save or print this image for research and study. If you wish to use it for any other purposes, you must declare your Intention to Publish. It was attended by delegates from each of the colonies and the New Zealand Parliament. During the convention, Edmund Barton—who became the first Prime Minister of Australia—coined the catchcry 'a nation for a continent and a continent for a nation'.

The convention spent 5 weeks discussing and writing a draft constitution, which became the basis for the constitution we have today. Queensland Premier Sir Samuel Griffith is largely credited with drafting the constitution approved by the convention. However, his draft constitution was based on a version written by Tasmanian delegate Andrew Inglis Clark. Clark was inspired by the federal model of the United States, which, like Australia, faced the challenge of bringing together self-governing colonies as a nation.

Under the draft constitution the colonies would unite as separate states within the Commonwealth, with power shared between a federal—national—Parliament and state parliaments. This would give Australia a federal system of government. The convention delegates took the draft constitution back to their colonial parliaments for consideration and approval.

Faced with an economic depression, the parliaments lost enthusiasm for Federation. Federation's greatest champion, Parkes, retired from politics and following New South Wales governments did not share his passion for Federation. While the colonial parliaments put the issue of Federation to one side, it had fired the public's imagination. In a people's conference was held in Corowa, New South Wales, which agreed 'the best interests, present and future prosperity of the Australian colonies will be promoted by their early Federation'.

At a special premiers' conference held in Hobart in most of the colonies agreed to Quick's proposal. Queensland, fearing Federation might mean the loss of its Pacific Islander labour force, decided not to take part. By this stage, New Zealand had decided not to be part of the Federation process. The following year the Bathurst Federation League, frustrated by the inaction of the colonial parliaments, held a second people's conference at which over delegates renewed calls for a new Federation convention.

Sir Henry Parkes looks on. The second National Australasian Convention met 3 times during and in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, and used the draft constitution as a starting point for discussions. Elected and appointed representatives from all the colonies except Queensland took part in the convention.

One of the most significant changes made to the draft constitution related to the Senate. Senators would be directly elected by the people of each state instead of being selected by state parliaments. Access information, resources and support for all caregivers including, parent, grandparents, foster parent and guardians and other designated representatives.

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See the fact file below for more information on the Australian Federation or alternatively, you can download our page Australian Federation worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment. This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Australian Federation across 24 in-depth pages.

These are ready-to-use Australian Federation worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Federation of Australia which came about through a process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia agreed to join together and form the Commonwealth of Australia.

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