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Leading Figures in the Federation Movement

Politicians from all six colonies helped make the Australian Commonwealth. Many were remarkable characters, some were powerful intellects. Together they contributed energy, imagination, political astuteness, a determination to defend local interests and a commitment to the Federation ideal.

But if the Constitution was mostly the creation of bearded men, Federation was also the result of pressure from ordinary men and women who, on at least one occasion, revived the movement when the politicians appeared to have lost interest. When Henry Parkes called for Federation at Tenterfield in 1889, he spoke to the people, not just his parliamentary colleagues. Other leading Federationists achieved their goal with the support of the Federation Leagues, the Australian Natives' Association and popular movements, such as the pro-Federation campaign on the goldfields of Western Australia.

Women who were just beginning to win the right to vote were absent from the Federal conventions, though one, Catherine Helen Spence, stood for election. Some feminists argued that achieving the vote was much more important than achieving Federation, while others worked enthusiastically for the Federation cause.

Edmund Barton Edmund Barton, a Sydney lawyer and parliamentarian, became the leader of the Federation movement in NSW in the 1890s. Although some thought him lazy, Barton worked hard to create Federation Leagues, visiting the Murray River border districts and the Riverina to encourage support for Federation. A member of the constitution-drafting committee in 1891, he was its leader in 1897-98. Barton became first Prime Minister of the new Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
Andrew Inglis Clark Andrew Inglis Clark, Attorney-General of Tasmania, drafted a federal constitution based on that of the United States, which he considered the world's greatest democracy. This was one of the key starting points for the Constitution, written under Samuel Griffith's leadership during the National Australasian Convention of 1891. Clark was laid up with influenza when the final touches were put to the Constitution during Easter 1891 and later objected to the changes made to his draft. Yet his influence remained in the Constitution that was eventually approved by the Australian people.
Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin, a Victorian Parliamentarian, was the leading Federationist in his colony. He worked with Federation Leagues and the Australian Natives' Association to promote the cause in Victoria, and was a delegate to all the federal conventions. Deakin travelled to London with four other* Australian parliamentarians in 1900 to see the Constitution Bill through the British Parliament. He was Prime Minister three times in the first 10 years of Federation. His book, The Federal Story, is an insider's account of the Federation process.
John Forrest John Forrest, a former explorer, was the first Premier of Western Australia. He was unsure about the possible effects of Federation on his colony and stalled holding a referendum on the issue. But miners on the goldfields, many of them from the eastern colonies, wanted Western Australia to join, and threatened to secede and create a new State as part of a federation. Faced with the threat of the goldfields seceding over the Federation issue, Forrest gave Western Australian women the vote in 1899 in the hope that women from urban areas on the coast would balance the vote of miners on the 'fields'. In a referendum in July 1900, Western Australia voted strongly in favour of Federation. Forrest became Postmaster-General of the first Commonwealth Government.
Robert Garran Robert Garran, a young NSW lawyer and keen member of the Federation League, helped a committee headed by Edmund Barton to draft the final version of the Constitution in 1897-98. At Federation, Garran became the new nation's first public servant as Secretary to the Attorney-General's Department. In 1901, he and John Quick documented the history of the Federation movement in their Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth. He became Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth in 1916.
Samuel Griffith Samuel Griffith, a former Queensland Premier, was vice-president of the National Australasian Convention of 1891 and chairman of the committee which drafted the Constitution. He began with drafts by Andrew Inglis Clark and Charles Kingston. Assisted by them and Edmund Barton, Griffith framed a Constitution which demonstrated, in Alfred Deakin's words, "his terse, clear style and force of expression". The drafting committee completed its work while cruising in Broken Bay, north of Sydney, in the Queensland Government's steam yacht, Lucinda. Griffith later became first Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia.
Charles Kingston Charles Kingston was Premier of South Australia. He wrote a democratically inspired draft constitution for the National Australasian Convention in 1891. Kingston worked on the drafting committee aboard the Queensland Government launch, the Lucinda, supported the Corowa Plan of 1893 and later hosted the Adelaide Convention of 1897. He was one of the Australian statesmen who went to London in 1900 to try to ensure that the British Parliament passed the Constitution Bill without significant alterations. Kingston was the first Federal Minister for Trade and Customs.
Henry Parkes Henry Parkes, a commanding figure in NSW politics, had often spoken of the benefits of Federation. He gave the movement new impetus with his call for a federated Australia at Tenterfield in 1889. Parkes presided over the first National Australasian Convention in Sydney in 1891, and drafted the resolutions for debate. This early work, helped by his paternal appearance, encouraged a popular myth that he was the 'Father of Federation'. A powerful but ageing figurehead, Parkes actually died four years before Federation came about.
John Quick John Quick, a Victorian lawyer, took the initiative to revive the Federation movement, which had lost momentum since the Convention of 1891. At a 'People's Convention' at Corowa in 1893, he suggested that a new federal convention be held, with its members elected by the people. The Constitution drafted by the convention would then be put to the people for approval in a referendum. This idea was adopted and elections for the convention were held in 1897. In 1901, he was knighted for his outstanding contribution to Federation. He was also elected to Parliament in that year, serving as a Member until 1913, and was Postmaster-General from 1909-1910.
George Reid George Reid, Premier of NSW, earned the nickname 'Yes-No' Reid for his seemingly contradictory attitude towards Federation. He believed that the draft constitutions of 1891 and 1898 were not in the best interests of NSW. On two occasions, in 1895 and 1899, Reid reactivated the Federation movement by getting his fellow Premiers to agree to changes benefiting NSW. When they did, he gave his support to Federation. Reid was later to become Prime Minister and also served as Australia's first High Commissioner to London.
Vaiben Louis Soloman Vaiben Louis Solomon held the Northern Territory seat in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1890-1901. Solomon was elected to the 1897-98 Federation Convention, where he pursued northern development, intercolonial free-trade and restricted immigration. Solomon was elected to the new Federal Parliament in 1901. He held the South Australian seat, which included the Northern Territory within its electoral boundaries (at the time of Federation the Northern Territory was part of South Australia). One of his first actions in the new Parliament was to propose that the Territory should be transferred to Commonwealth control as a national responsibility.
Catherine Helen Spence Catherine Helen Spence, novelist, journalist and social activist, was a prominent supporter of electoral reform. She stood for election as a South Australian candidate for the National Australasian Convention in 1897 to make a point about fair electoral representation. She did not gain a place at the Convention but achieved fame as the first woman to stand for election to political office in Australia. She believed that the highest goal to which a united Australia could aspire was the truly democratic representation of all its people.
MayBank Wolsenholme (Anderson) Maybanke Wolstenholme (Anderson), a leading women's suffrage campaigner threw herself into the Federation campaign. Wolstenholme believed that Federation would bring the vote for women across Australia. With the support of Edmund Barton, she organised the Women's Federal League in Sydney. Their aim was to encourage NSW women - who could not vote - to urge their husbands to vote 'yes' in the Constitution Bill referendum in 1898. In 1902, the Franchise Act set out who had the right to vote in Federal Elections. White Australian men and women over 21 could vote but, with few exceptions, Indigenous Australians and people of African, Asian and Pacific Islands back-grounds were excluded.

Australia. It's what we make it.

The leading figures in the movement for Federation were people with vision, courage and determination. But the dream of a united Australia was finally realised in 1901 by the people of six British colonies who'd voted to create a new nation for a new century. In marking the centenary of their achievement - a system of government now recognised as one of the world's oldest and most successful democracies - Australians of today are responsible for steering the nation safely, bravely and creatively into the future.

* This group included Edmund Barton, Charles Kingston, Philip Fysh and James Dickson

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