In the 1880s the separate colonies became concerned about possible invasion from France, Russia, Germany and Asia. They were also concerned about trade between the states and international countries. Sir Henry Parkes overcame lack of popular support for his idea. In the 1990s he held many meetings and two referendums before gaining support in June 1899 as society developed a national outlook.

The 1880s had seen great advances in the economy and amongst trade unionism which had become sufficiently strong to express their frustrations effectively and to cause alarm amongst employers. But the 1890s were a testing time throughout the eastern Australian colonies with depression and drought. In the last decade of the nineteenth century, a period which began with a severe economic depression, several new factors began to dominate political life. In late 1890 a massive national maritime strike erupted. The 1890s also fostered the rise of socialism, the Labour Party, nationalist and even republican sentiment. Australia society began to seek its own identity and look for unity from the separate states. It sent troops to support the English in the Boer War and in the Great War, leading to the landing at Gallipoli in April 1915.

The colonies prospered in the 1880s and in the aftermath of the gold rushes with its flood of Chinese. This brought an influx of immigrants from Europe, America, Greece and Italy. This influx changed society and culture and scientific societies were established. They were more globally aware and sought a role for Australia internationally. Indigenous people and Chinese labourers were ignored in progressing democracy. /

A number of conventions were held during the 1890s to develop a constitution for the Commonwealth. Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of New South Wales, was instrumental in this process. Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of this process, but they decided not to join the federation. Parkes drafted the initial constitution in 1891 but had to overcome public resistance before it was accepted in a second national referendum in Six states agreed to join the federation and accept the constitution. Sir Edmund Barton became the first prime minister in WA finally agreed to join the federation in 1904.

He was a strong orator for the rights of the people and argued for a national federation of the colonial states as the Commonwealth of Australia. He was a poor business man and went bankrupt several times, ended up penniless and died five years before federation was achieved. His legacy was the drafting of the constitution and gaining public support for a national federation referendum. Emigrated to Australia from Warwickshire England in 1839 as an ivory turner. He was five times Premier of New South Wales.

Sir Henry Parkes, veteran New South Wales Premier whose 1889 Tenterfield speech and personal energy was the catalyst for the revived Federation movement Edmund Barton, former Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, a leader of the federation movement and, in 1901, Australia's first Prime Minister

The Australian coat of arms The shield is a symbol for the federation of the states, which took place in The present coat of arms was granted by King George V in It consists of a shield depicting the badges of the six Australian states, enclosed by an ermine border. The Australian Flag Australia's first 'Federal' flag was chosen from a national flag competition held in The original design has been changed three times since The Flags Act 1953 formally adopted the current design as Australia's "National Flag“. \

The Awards and National Symbols Branch, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. asp Google images A. W. Martin, 'Parkes, Sir Henry (1815–1896)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published in hardcopy 1974, accessed online 2 April 2014.