Self government to the Dominion of Australia

In 1901 Australia gained full self-government within the British Empire. It was a significant step, marking a break of formal ties to Britain, though economic, emotional and personal links remained strong.

The coasts of Australia had been discovered by a succession of Dutch and British sailors, but it was the British navigator Captain James Cook who first mapped the east coast in 1770, claiming the land for Britain. In 1788 the first British settlers arrived, many of them convicts, to found the colony of New South Wales. although British claims to all of Australia were vague and would have been difficult to enforce, no other nation attempted to interfere.

In 1803 Tasmania was settled, to be followed by Queensland in 1824, Western Australia in 1829 and South Australia in 1836. It was the discovery of vast grazing lands for sheep and cattle which guaranteed the prosperity of these early colonies and led t extensive exploration of the interior. The indigenous Aborigines died quickly from European diseases and many others fled inland away from the white settlers.

In 1851 gold was discovered, and thousands more Europeans poured into Australia. Within five years the population of Australia trebled. Cut off from Britain by a sea journey which took months, the various colonies demanded some degree of self government. By 1860 the colonies had gained their aims, but this soon led to serious problems.

The continent of Australia shared a single economy based on mineral mining and cattle and sheep grazing for export. But the colonial governments acted independently of each other, even charging import duties on each others goods. By the 1880s the idea of federating the different colonies into one organisation was being seriously suggested, but was fiercely resisted. One of the most bitter disputes was over which of the large cities should become the capital.

It was not until 1901 that a plan which could be agreed by everyone was formulated. Under the agreement, none of the existing cities was to be the capital. Instead an entirely new city was to be built in the bush. Named Canberra the city was intended to be dedicated to the business of government with little in the way of industry being present. The government locate din Canberra was given powers over defence, the economy and other matters which affected the continent as a whole. The colonies, now called states, kept control over internal matters.

In 1901 the new Dominion of Australia came into being. The British government handed over to the Federal Government nearly all the powers which had previously been kept in London. Effectively Australia became an independent country. However, the fact that the vast mass of the population was descended from British settlers and most people had relatives in Britain meant that the ties between the two countries remained strong. When Britain went to war in 1914 and 1939, Australia followed almost without hesitation.

Only during the 1980s did any real demand for total separation from Britain become common. Demands began to be made for Australia to abandon the Queen of Britain as Queen of Australia and for the nation to become a republic. A vote was held in 1999 which gave a narrow victory against a republic, but many people consider it only a matter of time before Australia does become a republic and cut its last ties with Britain, ‘the Old Country’.

 Photo shows :

Opening of the first Parliament of Australia in 1901