Key events: The development of Australian democracy-toward Federation

As You Work As you work through this unit, keep a graph (in the same way as you did for push/pull factors for Chinese migration) outlining for/against Federation

Emergence of self-government Upon their arrival in 1788, the British appointed a governor to rule the colony of New South Wales. The first three governors of New South Wales, Phillip, Hunter and King, had virtually unrestricted authority or autocratic power, to create new laws and punish those who broke them. In the early years of settlement, such wide-ranging powers were critical for the survival of the struggling colony. Due to the slow communication and vast distance from Great Britain, the British Colonial Office rarely overruled the governor's decisions. These were not always popular, as was demonstrated in 1808 when members of the New South Wales Corps arrested Governor William Bligh and temporarily seized government. New South Wales remained a penal colony until the middle of the nineteenth century, and as such was considered incapable of self-government.

The autocratic power of the early governors of New South Wales

Responsible Gorernment As the rate of transportation slowed and the population of convicts and ex-convicts declined, Britain began to view the possibility of responsible government in New South Wales more favourably. The term 'responsible government' refers to government that is accountable to the representatives of the people.

A laboratory for democracy Significant democratic change came to colonial Victoria in the wake of the Eureka rebellion of 1854. Although the authorities had swiftly crushed the Eureka rebellion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikzXki6-28Q), widespread support for the arrested miners forced the government to come to terms with their demands. With the passing of the Electoral Act on 19 March 1856, Victoria became the first electorate in the world to introduce the secret ballot. South Australia followed two weeks later and in 1858 New South Wales passed similar legislation. As a result, the secret ballot became known throughout the world as 'the Australian ballot'. Within a year of the Eureka rebellion, the government of Victoria had also introduced pay for parliamentarians, annual elections and the removal of property rules for voting. South Australia and New South Wales soon followed with similar reforms, earning Australia the reputation as 'a laboratory for democracy'. Britain, for example, did not achieve full male suffrage until as late as 1918.

Reasons AGAINST Federation Protectionism Distance between colonies The Labour movement Cheap labour Greater economic concerns

Protectionism Protectionism Protectionism refers to a set of economic policies that protect local industry from external competition. This is usually done by the imposition of tariffs (taxes on imported goods). High tariffs encourage people to buy cheaper, locally made goods. Victorian governments strongly favoured the policy of protectionism to help emerging industries during the economic boom that followed the gold rushes. Most other colonies, except New South Wales, also adopted the policy of protectionism.

Activity Q1 How is the colony of New South Wales portrayed? What is the figure doing?2 How are the disadvantages of federation represented in the cartoon?3 What are the advantages of remaining independent and how have these been shown?

Distance between the colonies Although each colony had developed a basic rail network by the 1880s, the fastest method of transport between capital cities was still by boat. The boat trip between Sydney and Melbourne could take up to seven days. Western Australia, the most remote colony, had to be convinced of the benefits of federation. The vast distances between the colonies also raised questions of where a federal parliament would be located and how often national representatives would gather to meet. The labour movement Some trade unionists felt they had a better chance of improving wages and conditions in their own colonies rather than in a federal system. Workers had won strong representation in most colonial parliaments and did not want to risk going backwards under a new system. Many felt that a federal parliament would give employers an opportunity to overturn laws, such as the eight-hour day, which had made Australian workers the envy of the world. Cheap labour Queensland sugar-cane farmers had benefited from the labour of Pacific Islander People. They feared that a federal parliament would create laws restricting the immigration of cheap, non- European workers. Even worse, the prospect that Pacific Islander People would be deported back to their place of origin meant a significant loss of income for many wealthy Queenslanders.

What is the message in this graphic? Greater economic concerns During the economic depression of the early 1890s, colonial politicians believed there were more urgent concerns to deal with than federation. Popular support for federation was difficult to gain when people faced the hardships of unemployment and homelessness. The great strikes of the 1890s also created widespread social unrest, taking people's attention away from less pressing issues such as federation.

Reasons FOR Federation Nationalism Economics Race Defence Collect handout from your teacher which gives greater understanding of these. Federation activity to follow.