Discuss the reasons put forth for the Federation of the Australian Nation.
The nation of Australia formed in 1901 when the British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland voted to become one nation, Australia. The key reasons for the Federation being formed were to develop a single economy, improve defence capability, resolve concerns about Asian immigration and most importantly, in response to a growing awareness of a separate Australian identity and a burgeoning Australian nationalism.
Following the devastating depression of the 1890s there was an appreciation that a common economy derived from being one nation would provide enhanced economic benefits. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, the colonies had begun working together to develop common approaches to issues as diverse as placements of lighthouses, railways and the …show more content…
Early on in the discussion of Federation, it became clear that the new nation would exclude the Chinese, and Federation was intended, in part, to provide a ‘defence against Asian invasion’. One of the defining features of Australia at this time was a strongly isolationist perspective. One of the main thrusts of Federation was to enable the development of a thriving white community described by Grimshaw as the ‘triumphant white colonial project’. Popular opinion was that the colonies needed to be protected from the ‘pollution’ of coloured immigration. Henry Parkes speaking at the 1890 Federation conference stresses that he is not against the Chinese per se, but that he wanted to preserve this land for ‘a people modelled on the type of the British nation. As one nation, it was easier to achieve the aim of excluding non-whites as Australia attempted to define its own identity within the nationalism at the turn of the
The nation of Australia formed in 1901 when the British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland voted to become one nation, Australia. The key reasons for the Federation being formed were to develop a single economy, improve defence capability, resolve concerns about Asian immigration and most importantly, in response to a growing awareness of a separate Australian identity and a burgeoning Australian nationalism.
Following the devastating depression of the 1890s there was an appreciation that a common economy derived from being one nation would provide enhanced economic benefits. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, the colonies had begun working together to develop common approaches to issues as diverse as placements of lighthouses, railways and the …show more content…
Early on in the discussion of Federation, it became clear that the new nation would exclude the Chinese, and Federation was intended, in part, to provide a ‘defence against Asian invasion’. One of the defining features of Australia at this time was a strongly isolationist perspective. One of the main thrusts of Federation was to enable the development of a thriving white community described by Grimshaw as the ‘triumphant white colonial project’. Popular opinion was that the colonies needed to be protected from the ‘pollution’ of coloured immigration. Henry Parkes speaking at the 1890 Federation conference stresses that he is not against the Chinese per se, but that he wanted to preserve this land for ‘a people modelled on the type of the British nation. As one nation, it was easier to achieve the aim of excluding non-whites as Australia attempted to define its own identity within the nationalism at the turn of the