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Captain James Cook maps Australia
Captain James Cook arrived and mapped the east coast then claimed the continent for Britain nathion. -
The First Fleet
the First Fleet arrived at Sydney with 11 ships and a prisoner colony was established in Sydney. -
6 British Colonies
lots of laws of the colonies were made by the British government. The colonies were very individual and keep to them selfs -
Telegraph introduced
the telegraph linked the colonies together, increasing communication between them so they started talking about The idea of being 'Australian' rather than British. it began in songs and poems, and by the 1890s the idea of federation was becoming stronger as people were starting to feel these the British governments decisions were being made hundreds of miles away and not made for austarila -
Sir Henry Parkes wants federation
Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of New South Wales, want the other colonies to consider federation -
National Australasian Convention
a Convention was held in Sydney. Each colony sent seven representatives. to write a draft of Australian constitution. A constitution is a set of basic rules and principles of how an organization nation is governed. -
Pro-federation groups meet
a conference of pro-federation groups was held after the great Depression had drawn people's attention away from federation The conference agreed that a national meeting would redraft the constitution and Australians get a say by vote. -
National Australasian Convention met again
Each colony elected representatives to come, except Queensland, which didn't like the idea. A new constitution was drafted by Edmund Barton, John Downer, and Richard O'Connor. The smaller colonies were afraid they had less say federal parliament. so they made the colonies have the same number of representatives. A special election called a referendum was held so that people in the colonies could vote on the new constitution. QLD and WA did not take part, and in NSW it did not get approved. -
constitution Approved
the premiers meet to make those three colonies. Among the changes that were made was the decision that a new capital city is established between Sydney and Melbourne, both of which wanted to be the nation's capital. The amended constitution went to a referendum once again in all colonies except WA, and the Bill was passed. -
An important date
The major laws affecting Australia were still made by the British Parliament and would have to make a new law to allow federation. In 1900 a delegation of five, plus an observer from Western Australia, the draft constitution went to London to present to the British Parliament. it was passed by the British Parliament in May and was signed by Queen Victoria on 9th July 1900 so became a law
, the colonies of NSW VIC SA QLD TAS would be united and known as the 'Commonwealth of Australia'.
