Australia: Federation History | Stage 3 Australia as a Nation Lesson 1

Summary

This educational video tells the story of Isabella, a young girl traveling from Sydney to Brisbane with her family. As they cross the border between New South Wales and Queensland, Isabella learns about Australia's history as a group of separate British-controlled colonies. The script delves into the challenges faced by these colonies, such as differing railway tracks and the need for border control. It explains the concept of federation in 1901, uniting the colonies to form one country. The video covers the importance of this unification, the creation of the federal government, and the roles of local and state governments.

Takeaways

• 😀 Australia was originally made up of six colonies controlled by Britain.
• 😀 Each colony had its own laws, leaders, army, and transport systems.
• 😀 Traveling between colonies was difficult due to differences in railway tracks.
• 😀 Isabella learns that the train change at the border was due to these different railway track sizes.
• 😀 Border control was necessary for travelers, checking documents and luggage, until federation.
• 😀 Federation was the process of uniting the colonies into one country to simplify governance.
• 😀 Some reasons for federation included creating a national army, improving defense, and forming a unique Australian identity.
• 😀 Henry Parks was a key figure in the movement for federation and helped draft the first constitution.
• 😀 The rivalry between New South Wales and Victoria made it difficult to decide on the capital city of Australia.
• 😀 Federation was officially achieved in 1901, creating the Commonwealth of Australia and a new federal government.
• 😀 After federation, the federal government was responsible for national issues, while state and local governments managed regional and local concerns.

Q & A

What was Australia's political structure before federation?

Before federation, Australia was made up of six separate colonies controlled by Britain. Each colony had its own leader, laws, army, and modes of transport.

Why did Isabella and her family have to change trains at the border between New South Wales and Queensland?

Isabella's family had to change trains because the railway tracks in New South Wales and Queensland were different sizes, a legacy of the separate colonial rail systems.

What is a colony, and how did it relate to Australia before federation?

A colony is an area of land controlled by another country. Before federation, the Australian colonies were controlled by Britain and were independent from each other in terms of governance and transport.

What major problem did the division of Australia into separate colonies cause?

The division into separate colonies made traveling between them difficult, especially because some colonies had different sized railway tracks, necessitating changes of trains at borders.

What is federation, and how did it affect Australia's colonies?

Federation is the process of uniting separate colonies to form one country. It allowed Australia to become a unified nation, eliminating the need for border controls and creating a national government.

Who was Henry Parkes, and what role did he play in the federation?

Henry Parkes was a leader in the movement for federation. He organized meetings between the colonies in 1891 to draft a constitution for the new Australian government.

What challenges did the colonies face in agreeing on federation?

Challenges included rivalry between New South Wales and Victoria over the capital city, and concerns from smaller colonies like Tasmania and Western Australia about losing independence and influence in the new government.

How did Western Australia and the capital city dispute resolve before federation?

Western Australia initially did not agree to federation but eventually joined in 1900. The dispute over the capital city was resolved by creating the Australian Capital Territory in 1908, positioned between Sydney and Melbourne.

What is the significance of Australia's federation in 1901?

The federation in 1901 marked the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia, bringing together the colonies to form one country with a federal government responsible for national issues such as defense and immigration.

What are the different levels of government in Australia after federation?

After federation, Australia has three levels of government: the federal government, which handles national matters like defense and immigration; state governments, which manage state-specific issues; and local governments, which oversee local services like town planning and public spaces.