Federation timeline

1846

29 September Governor FitzRoy of New South Wales in a despatch suggested the need for a 'central intercolonial authority'

1847

Earl Grey proposed a central legislative authority

1850

Australian Colonies Government Act passed by British Parliament

1851

Victoria separated from New South Wales

1855

Van Diemen's Land renamed Tasmania

1856

Self government achieved

1857

Select Committees in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia held to discuss the possibility of a federal union

1859

Queensland separated from New South Wales

1863

Intercolonial Conference of Treasurers held in Melbourne to discuss uniform tariffs and customs

1867

Union of the Canadian dominions

1870

British troops withdrawn

1871

Australian Natives Association established

1872

Overland telegraph lines completed between Adelaide and Darwin

1873

Australian Colonies Duties Act passed by British Parliament

1877

Britain was defeated in the first cricket test by a team from Victoria and New South Wales

1881

Henry Parkes proposed a Federal Council to consider matters of joint interest to the Australasian Colonies

1883

Queensland annexed New Guinea
Proposal to establish Federal Council formalised by Premiers

1885

Sudan Contingent
An Act to Constitute the Federal Council of Australasia passed by British Parliament

1886

First meeting of Federal Council in Hobart. Representatives from Western Australia, Fiji, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria attended. New South Wales refused to join

1889

Major-General Sir J. Bevan Edwards reported on the defence of the Australian Colonies
24 October Sir Henry Parkes made a speech at Tenterfield calling for 'a great national government for all Australia'

1890

Melbourne conference held to discuss the National Convention

1891

The First National Australasian Convention held in Sydney

1893

Corowa Convention

1895

Premiers Conference in Hobart agreed to a second Constitutional Convention with elected delegates from each colony

1896

27 April Death of Sir Henry Parkes
November People's Federal Convention held in Bathurst

1897

22 March-23 April First Session 2–24 September, Second Session of The Second National Australasian Convention held

1898

20 January-17 March Third Session of The Second National Australasian Convention adopted a draft constitution
3 June New South Wales referendum failed to reach statutory minimum

1899

24-27 January Last meeting of the Federal Council of Australasia held
29 January-2 February 'Secret' Premiers meeting in Melbourne agreed to six amendments to the Constitution Bill including that the site of the Capital be in New South Wales, but not within 100 miles of SydneyApril-September New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania & Queensland voted 'Yes' in referenda. Only Western Australia refrainedWar in South Africa began (Boer War)

1900

March Australian delegates went to London to negotiate the enactment of the Constitution
June–July Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act is passed by British Parliament
9 July Queen Victoria gave the Royal Assent to the aforementioned Act
31 July Western Australia joined the Federation after a Yes vote in the referendum
21 September Lord Hopetoun was officially appointed as Governor-General of Australia

1901

1 January The Commonwealth of Australia is proclaimed and inauguration ceremonies are held at Centennial Park, Sydney with the swearing-in of the Governor-General and interim federal ministry
22 January Death of Queen Victoria
29 March First federal elections held. Edmund Barton confirmed as first Prime Minister
31 March Census held in all States
9 May The first Commonwealth Parliament opened by the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) in Melbourne
December First Commonwealth troops embarked to fight Boers in South Africa

1902

Vote extended to all women but denied to Aboriginal people by the Commonwealth Franchise Act

1903

Commonwealth Naturalization Act passed

1904

Court of Conciliation and Arbitration established

1907

First federal basic wage handed down by Court of Conciliation and Arbitration

1908

Commonwealth Invalid and Old Age Pensions Act passed
National capital site selected in the Yass–Canberra District

1909

New South Wales surrendered territory for the seat of the Commonwealth Government

1910

Australian Notes Actwas passed which gave the Commonwealth Government power to issue bank notes

1911

Responsibility for the Northern Territory transferred from South Australia to the Commonwealth Government

1912

Commonwealth Bank established
Walter Burley Griffin won the international competition to design the federal capital

1913

Commonwealth Government issued its first stamps
Federal capital named CanberraNorfolk Island transferred to the Commonwealth from New South Wales control

1914

Australia entered World War I

1915

25 April ANZACS landed at Dardanelles and fought at Gallipoli
Responsibility for lighthouses transferred to Commonwealth Government

1916

First Anzac Day commemorated

1918

World War I ended
Australia House (London) opened by King George V

1919

Influenza pandemic
William Hughes, Australian Prime Minister attended the Versailles Peace Conference

1921

Edith Cowan (Western Australia) first woman elected to an Australian Parliament

1922

British Empire Settlement Act passed by Commonwealth Government to encourage British immigrants and to settle rural lands came into force. Agreements were made between the British, Commonwealth and State Governments

1924

Federal Cabinet met in Canberra for the first timeCompulsory voting in Federal elections introduced

1927

9 May The Duke of York (later King George VI) opened Parliament in Canberra

1951

Commonwealth Jubilee (50th anniversary)

2001

Centenary of Federation