what was australia before 1901

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What was Australia before 1901?

Who was the Prime Minister of Australia in 1901?

What was the significance of the 1890 conference?

How did Australia become a nation?

What was the first nation to be established after the 1899 referendum?

What was the impact of the British invasion of Australia?

What are the three branches of the Australian Constitution?

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About Australia - History Timeline: 1901 - 1910

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Federation Fact Sheet 1 – The Referendums 1898–1900

Overview. A referendum is a vote on a political question referred by a government to the people. Electors vote by writing 'yes' or 'no' in the box opposite each question.

When did Australia become a Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth of Australia came into being when the Federal Constitution was proclaimed by the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, on 1 January 1901. From that point a system of federalism in Australia came into operation, entailing the establishment of an entirely new national government (the Commonwealth government) and an ongoing division of powers between that government and the States. The first Federal elections were held in March 1901 and resulted in a narrow plurality for the Protectionist Party over the Free Trade Party with the Australian Labor Party (ALP) polling third. Labor declared it would offer support to the party which offered concessions and Edmund Barton 's Protectionists formed a government, with Alfred Deakin as Attorney-General.

When did the Portuguese discover Australia?

Although a theory of Portuguese discovery in the 1520s exists, it lacks definitive evidence. The Dutch East India Company ship, Duyfken, led by Willem Janszoon, made the first documented European landing in Australia in 1606. That same year, a Spanish expedition sailing in nearby waters and led by Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós had landed in the New Hebrides and, believing them to be the fabled southern continent, named the land "Austrialia del Espiritu Santo" ( Southern Land of the Holy Spirit ), in honour of his queen Margaret of Austria, the wife of Philip III of Spain. Later that year, Queirós' deputy Luís Vaz de Torres sailed to the north of Australia through Torres Strait, along New Guinea's southern coast.

What was the largest city in Australia in 1950?

After World War II and by the 1950s, Australia had a population of 10 million, and the most populous urban centre was its oldest city, Sydney. It has retained its status as Australia's largest city ever since.

What was the role of the Commonwealth in the Aboriginal community?

Following federation Aboriginal affairs was a state responsibility, although the Commonwealth became responsible for the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory from 1911 . By that date the Commonwealth and all states except Tasmania had passed legislation establishing Protectors of Aborigines and Protection Boards with extensive powers to regulate the lives of Aboriginal Australians including their ownership of property, place of residence, employment, sexual relationships and custody of their children. Reserves were established, ostensibly for the protection of the Aboriginal population who had been dispossessed of their land. Church groups also ran missions throughout Australia providing shelter, food, religious instruction and elementary schooling for Indigenous people.

How many convicts were transported to Australia?

Between 1788 and 1868, approximately 161,700 convicts (of whom 25,000 were women) were transported to the Australian colonies of New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land and Western Australia. Historian Lloyd Robson has estimated that perhaps two-thirds were thieves from working class towns, particularly from the Midlands and north of England. The majority were repeat offenders. Whether transportation managed to achieve its goal of reforming or not, some convicts were able to leave the prison system in Australia; after 1801 they could gain "tickets of leave" for good behaviour and be assigned to work for free men for wages. A few went on to have successful lives as emancipists, having been pardoned at the end of their sentence. Female convicts had fewer opportunities.

What was the boundary of Australia?

The western boundary of 135° East of Greenwich was based on the Complete Map of the Southern Continent, published in Emanuel Bowen 's Complete System of Geography (London 1747), and reproduced in John Campbell's editions of John Harris' Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca, or Voyages and Travels (1744–48, and 1764). Bowen's map was based on one by Melchisédech Thévenot and published in Relations des Divers Voyages (1663), which apparently divided New Holland in the west from Terra Australis in the east by a latitude staff situated at 135° East. This division, reproduced in Bowen's map, provided a convenient western boundary for the British claim because, as Watkin Tench subsequently commented in A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay, "By this partition, it may be fairly presumed, that every source of future litigation between the Dutch and us, will be for ever cut off, as the discoveries of English navigators only are comprized in this territory". Thévenot said he copied his map from the one engraved in the floor of the Amsterdam Town Hall, but in that map there was no dividing line between New Holland and Terra Australis. Thévenot's map was actually copied from Joan Blaeu 's map, Archipelagus Orientalis sive Asiaticus, published in 1659 in the Kurfürsten Atlas (Atlas of the Great Elector); this map was a part of Blaeu's world map of 1648, Nova et Accuratissima Terrarum Orbis Tabula, which first showed the land revealed by Abel Tasman 's 1642 voyage as Hollandia Nova and which served as the basis for the Amsterdam Town Hall pavement map. Longitude 135° East reflected the line of division between the claims of Spain and Portugal established in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which had formed the basis of many subsequent claims to colonial territory. An Historical Narrative of the Discovery of New Holland and New South Wales, published in November 1786, contained "A General Chart of New Holland, including New South Wales & Botany Bay, with The Adjacent Countries, and New Discovered Islands", which showed all the territory claimed under the jurisdiction of the Governor of New South Wales.

How many people settled in New South Wales?

It consisted of over a thousand settlers, including 778 convicts (192 women and 586 men). A few days after arrival at Botany Bay the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day. The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney. Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and a safe harbour, which Philip described as being, 'with out exception the finest Harbour in the World [...] Here a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security'.

What was the country of Australia in 1907?

People were proud to be Australians and thought their country was the land of opportunity. Australia was part of the British Empire and in 1907 Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand became known as dominions. However, while Australians elected a parliament that made Australian laws, Britain – the mother country – kept a firm control over defence and foreign policy. Australia did not have its own navy and could not make treaties with other nations.

When was the Commonwealth of Australia established?

The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed on 1 January 1901 at a grand ceremony in Sydney’s Centennial Park. Elections were held in March and the first Commonwealth Parliament was opened in Melbourne on 9 May 1901. The only women voting were those of South Australia and Western Australia.

What happened in the 1890s?

Things began to change in the 1890s as a severe drought resulted in a recession and violent industrial strikes.

What was the first piece of legislation passed in the new Federal Parliament?

Consequently, one of the first pieces of legislation passed in the new Federal Parliament was the Immigration Restriction Act. Now known as the infamous White Australia Policy it, along with the Pacific Islander Labourers Act and the Post and Telegraph Act 1901, made it virtually impossible for Asians and Pacific Islanders to migrate to Australia.

What countries were there before 1900?

Before 1900, there was no actual country called Australia, only the six colonies – New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia. While these colonies were on the same continent, they were governed like six rival countries and there was little communication between them.

What language do you have to be to live in Australia?

So a person from China or Japan who wanted to live in Australia could be tested in one or all of the French, Italian or English languages.

Why is the Australian Constitution important?

This document has historic value because it has direct links with Federation and the drafting of the first Australian Constitution that put in place the law that was the cornerstone of Australia's 'White Australia' policy.

What was Australia before 1901?

The Before and After of Australian 1901 History. 1. Australia Before 1901 – The Period of British Dominance. 2. Reaction to British Invasion of Australia. 3. 1890s The Era of Light and Hope for the Australians – The Path to Freedom. 4. Hindrances in the Freedom Movement.

Who was the Prime Minister of Australia in 1901?

They made Sir Edmund Barton the caretaker Prime Minister of Australia. After the 1901 election, they officially elected him again as a Prime Minister. 9. Architecture and Landmarks Associated With The Federation. The architecture style prevailed in Australia from 1890 to 1915 and named as the Federation Architecture.

What was the significance of the 1890 conference?

It awakened the true Australian spirit by stating that this is the right time the colonies should start considering the Federation of Australia properly. After this, the leaders of the colonies led a meeting to finalise the federation system of Australia. They held this conference at the Victorian Parliament, Melbourne on the 6 th of February. They finalised several discussions, and the conference ended with a positive attitude and spirit towards the Federation of Australia.

How did Australia become a nation?

Australia, a country and a nation, originated from the British rule by immense struggles. Also, untiring efforts of their people, representatives, and leaders. Their realisation to the unjust dominancy of foreign rulers and invaders gave them the power and spirit to fight as a nation. Also, to take their country back and save it from a foreign culture, tradition, and rule. The focus remained on their educational, social, cultural, political values, and identity to ultimate progress and move forward as an independent Australian society.

What was the first nation to be established after the 1899 referendum?

8. Federation of Australia. They accomplished the 1901 founding of a nation after the 1899 referendum in which most of the colonies voted in favour and developed an agreement. Finally, on the 5 th July 1900, they passed the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act and on 9 th July 1900, Queen Victoria accepted it.

What was the impact of the British invasion of Australia?

Catholic Britishers also marked their impact on the Australian aboriginal culture and society. Soon, the Australian tribes and colonies were on the mercy of the British. They need British support for the survival and import of goods to their country. Thus, the British invasion of Australia established a powerful influence on society both economically and culturally.

What are the three branches of the Australian Constitution?

The Federation of Australia should now transform as the Commonwealth of Australia. The three major branches should be Parliament, Judicature, and Executive.

Prehistory and Aboriginal Legends

• Humans first arrived in Australia through Indonesia and New Guinea, either by paddling canoes across the Timor Sea or by crossing a land bridge across what is now Torres Strait, between New Guinea and Australia. Estimates of the date vary considerably: the best current estimate is about 53,000 years ago, but much room for debate remains. The sharin...

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Discovery

Colonisation

Land Exploration

Growth of Free Settlement

Booms, Depressions and Trade Unions

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