How and why did Federation occur?

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How and why did Federation occur?

  • By 1865 there were 6 separate colonies with their own self-government. All colonies were responsible to Britain to guide and rule them.
  • The British Government appointed Governors for each colony who were given full powers to rule.
  • The discovery of gold made Australia the richest country in the world. Consequently, transport and communication improved and the Australian born population rose to 77% by 1901. New telegraph links made Australia 'closer' to the rest of the world.
  • A sense of Nationalism began to emerge through magazines such as the Bulletin
  • Reasons to Federate: economic advantages through a decrease in tariffs and customs duties, defence - 6 small armies into 1 larger one, Immigration laws, transport and communication.
  • Sir Henry Parkes, NSW Premier and Samuel Griffiths, QLD Premier were 2 men who created an awareness of the benefits of Federation.
  • Constitutional Conventions were held in 1897 and 1898. 2 referendums were held to determine Federation. The first was lost but in 1899 all colonies, except WA, which agreed in 1900, decided on Federation.
  • Australia became a Federated country or Commonwealth on January 1st, 1901 with 6 states. Lord Hopetoun was appointed by Queen Victoria, as the first Governor General and Sir Edmund Barton became the nation's first Prime Minister.

What were the main features of Australia's Constitution?

  • The Constitution is a set of rules for the Commonwealth Government.
  • There are 3 ways in which the constitution protects the rights of all states:

1. Specific Federal powers such as Defence - all other powers reside with the States.

2. Creation of the Senate where each State has the same number of senators regardless of the population differences.

3. The Constitution can only be changed by a referendum where the majority of States and a majority of people are required to effect this change.

  • Britain's monarch is the Australian Head of state with the Governor General their representative. The parliament is, made up of a Lower House - The House of Representatives which is voted on in electorates and determined by one person, one vote (generally). The Upper House - The Senate has an equal number of representatives for each State. The PM is the leader of the largest political Party in the House of Representatives.
  • There are 3 levels of Government in Australia - Federal (Australia), State (NSW) and Local (Shellharbour Council).

Why did Australia restrict non-white immigration?

  • After 1850 Chinese made up a large group in Australia. They were seen as different with a different culture and looked different. They were seen as the first 'Yellow Peril". There were many attacks on the Chinese on the Gold Fields. They were also used as cheap labour.
  • Many Chinese moved from the Gold Fields to the cities in search of work. China towns became a part of most cities and became areas of gambling and drug taking. Fear of the Chinese led to the eventual development of the White Australia Policy (WAP).
  • The Kanakas were from the Melanesian group of islands in the South Pacific. They were forced to come to Australia to work on the cane fields of Queensland. This was called 'blackbirding". 1868 - Polynesian Labourers Act was passed in Queensland. This made 'black birding' illegal and insisted that Kanakas were to be paid. Nevertheless, this was still cheap labour.
  • The Kanaka trade continued but caused problems for Federation as the rest of the colonies wanted a White Australia Policy.
  • Reasons for WAP - economic factors. An influx of Asians would see lower wages as Asians were prepared to work for less. Racial attitudes. A common belief at the turn of the 20th Century was that Europeans were superior to Asians and Natives.

 

What were the main features of the White Australia Policy?

  • Immigration Restriction Act - 1901. This was the first act of law passed by the new Federal Government and it restricted entry into Australia.
  • The Dictation test was introduced to ensure that those who weren't white could be kept out legally. All non-white immigrants were given a test in any European language. They had to pass to be allowed to stay in Australia.
  • Japan objected to WAP. They believed that they were superior to other Asian nations and should be treated differently.
  • Immigration to Australia slowed and cheap labour started to dry up. Employers had to pay higher wages. Nevertheless, the WAP was generally popular.

How did the White Australia Policy reflect Australia's view of Asia and indigenous peoples?

  • Australians generally saw themselves as a European country in the Asian area. Asians were seen as inferior. The Chinese and then the Japanese were seen as the Yellow Peril and Australians were afraid of what they could do to them.
  • Restricting non-European migration meant that higher wages would have to be paid to Australians rather than the low wages paid to Asians and Kanakas.
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What forms of dispossession were carried out against Aboriginal People?

  • Aboriginals have a special link to the land. The early Europeans wanted to own the land. This resulted in Aboriginals being dispossessed (thrown off the land as well as a great number of massacres. Myall Creek in 1838 is perhaps the most well known.
  • Disease from Europeans also took its toll on the Aboriginal population.
  • During the 19th Century the Government began to set up special reserves and missions to protect Aboriginals, This was to protect Aboriginals from being wiped out.

How was paternalism applied ...

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