Federation and the Parliament of NSW

Before Federation – to 1889
By the 1880s, NSW had come a long way away from its beginnings as a convict settlement ruled by a British-appointed Governor supported by military force. Transportation of convicts had ended forty years before; a system of elected, responsible government had developed where virtually all adult males had the right to a secret ballot – a situation which made the colony one of the most democratic places on earth; pastoral development then the gold rushes had led to great economic development and prosperity; working people were better off here than almost anywhere else – the Australian colonies were being called a “working man’s paradise”.

The other five Australian colonies were developing in similar ways, with systems of government modelled originally on NSW – the “mother colony”. There had been many proposals calling for the bringing together of the separate Australian colonies into a single nation. The first intercolonial conference met in Melbourne in 1863 to discuss uniform customs, trade and tariff duties. But each continued to go their separate ways on these issues. Some colonies chose to protect their industries with tariffs, others preferred free trade. There were customs posts on colonial borders and duties had to be paid on goods “imported” from one colony to another. As well, the various colonies built their railways with different gauges, so that trains could not cross borders. These problems helped divide the colonies.

In 1867, at another intercolonial conference, held the year that the Canadian colonies federated into a single nation – NSW Premier, Henry Parkes (1815-96), spoke in favour of a “federal bond of connection”. He prepared a bill for a new Council. However, there was little agreement and Parkes and other politicians wavered in their views. In 1885, a Federal Council was set up, partly from Parkes’ initiative, but it achieved little.

Despite the problems, there were also strong reasons supporting some form of federation. The colonies were mainly Anglo-Celtic in culture, institutions and outlook: there was little difference between them. Major-General Edwards' 1888 defence report showed that adequate defence of the continent would be impossible without combining the different colonies’ forces. There was much concern about the activities of other nations in the Pacific, particularly Germany which had colonised New Guinea. Communications issues – the railway gauge problem, the new electric telegraphs spanning the continent, postal services, currency – were forcing the colonies to come to some common agreements. The trade and customs issues caused inconvenience and expense to trade and commerce. Most of the colonies were also concerned about immigration, particularly of non-Europeans, and could see the advantages of a common policy. Federation offered a way of solving these problems.

NSW in the 1890s: Turbulent Times
The early 1890s were difficult times throughout the eastern Australian colonies. Although 66% of NSW's population now lived in urban centres, the economy was heavily dependent on agricultural exports. The long economic boom which began with the gold rushes of the 1850s and which greatly increased local manufacturing and (and land speculation) in the 1880s, began to collapse, beginning with Victorian property collapses and a British banking crisis. Overseas investment dried up; prices for wool and wheat fell dramatically. Most local banks collapsed with many depositors losing their funds. Unemployment and poverty soared, government tax revenues collapsed and public works projects were abandoned. To make matters even worse a long drought began, further damaging the rural industries on which most colonies depended.

The 1880s had seen trade unions advance and they were now strong enough to express their frustrations effectively and to cause alarm amongst employers. In late 1890 a massive national maritime strike erupted when employers refused to negotiate: the strikers on ships and the waterfront were supported by coal miners, transport and agricultural workers. A six month shearer's strike followed, beginning in Queensland in January 1891 when pastoralists cut wages and employed non-union labour. This soon spread throughout NSW and Victoria and was particularly bitter and violent. Both major strikes were lost by the unionists, although some workers, such as the Broken Hill Miners, had successes. The “working man's paradise” seemed under threat. Despite the industrial reverses (and perhaps because of them), the 1890s encouraged the rise of socialism, the Labor Party, nationalist and even republican ideas. Magazines such as The Bulletin, emerging "Australian" artists (such as the Australian impressionists, Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton) and writers (such as Henry Lawson, "Banjo" Paterson and others) contributed to an emerging national sentiment.

In such times, concerns about the “dangers” of immigration of cheap (and non-European) labour grew: one concern was with the "kanaka trade", the importing (or virtual kidnapping) of Pacific Island labourers into the Queensland sugar canefields. There was also increasing concern about the growing strength of Japan and the colonial activities of Germany and France in the Pacific.

Electoral Reform
In this period, some of the significant achievements already made in the democratic system in NSW were consolidated. From 1889 Members of the NSW Parliament began to be paid what was termed as "Parliamentary allowances". Previously only men of independent means could afford to be members of parliament, but now workers and men from all quarters could afford to be members of parliament. This was particularly
important for the new Labor Party.

In 1893 plural voting was abolished. Prior to that, some voters, through property ownership or through being university graduates, had more than one vote. From this time, the principle was "One man, one vote". Similarly (although this was to be changed again for a while in the 1920s) all electorates were to be represented by a single member.

By the end of the nineteenth century almost all adult males could vote, even if not everybody did – voting was not made compulsory until 1929. At least two great inequities remained. Despite the growing women's suffrage movement in the 1880s and 1890s, women could not yet vote in NSW and, although not legally denied the right to vote in NSW, Aboriginal people were effectively disqualified through a range of discriminatory regulations and practices.

Political Parties Emerge
Amidst these difficult economic times, political Parties began to emerge in NSW. By 1889 the opposing Free Trader and Protectionist factions were forming what was, in effect, the first full-scale "party" organisation in NSW, and Sir Henry Parkes’ last Ministry (1889 -1891) was Free Trade party government. He was succeeded by Sir George Dibbs’ Protectionist government of 1891 -1894 and then the Free Traders again under George Reid (1894 -1899).

In the 1891 election, 35 members of the newly formed Labor Electoral League entered Parliament although they split almost immediately over the protection-free trade issue. Their numbers were significant but not
sufficient for Labor to form a government until 1910.

The Women's Suffrage Movement
The NSW Female Suffrage Movement had its origins in the late 1880s, led initially by organisations such as the Women's Christian Temperance Union and such women as Elizabeth Ward. The newspaper, "The Dawn", published by Louisa Lawson (the mother of writer, Henry Lawson) added to the voices for justice for women. The NSW Womanhood Suffrage League was formed in 1891, bringing to prominence the activist Rose Scott and other important campaigners such as Maybanke Wolstenholme and Dora Montefiore.

The movement was greatly spurred on when New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote in 1893, and South Australia followed in 1894-95, also allowing women to stand for election to both Houses of Parliament on the same terms as men.

In NSW several bills for female suffrage were proposed between 1891 and 1901, generally being passed in the Lower House but defeated in the Upper House. Despite widespread ridicule of the idea of women being involved in politics, especially by the media, the movement gathered momentum. Women received the right to vote in Ferderal elections in 1902, the same year as the vote was extended to women in NSW.

The Move Towards Federation Begins
In 1889, NSW Premier Sir Henry Parkes, set a new federation campaign moving in a speech made at Tenterfield in NSW in October, 1889. He particularly emphasised the defence needs of the Australian continent. In February, 1890, the colonial premiers met in Melbourne. They agreed to call a convention the following year.

In March, 1891, 46 delegates from all the Australian colonies and New Zealand, met in the Legislative Assembly Chamber of the Parliament of NSW for the first Australasian Constitutional Convention. In the course of the meeting, the first draft of the Australian constitution was drawn up. The proposed constitution was partly inspired by the Canadian federal example, but adopted key elements of the American federal model, the Swiss referendum process for changing it, and retained the essential elements of the British Westminster model of parliament and government.

However, after the return of the delegates to their respective colonial Parliaments, very little progress took place as each colonial parliament had problems with the idea of federation or was showing little interest. The Federation momentum was revived by popular demand at a conference of people's federal leagues in Corowa in 1893. The leaders who now emerged were NSW's Edmund Barton and Victoria's Alfred Deakin (who eventually became the first two Prime Ministers of Australia, along with Dr John Quick who suggested the processes by which Federation could be achieved. At a meeting in Hobart in 1895, the Premiers generally adopted Quick's proposals and further Constitutional Conventions were held in Adelaide and Sydney (in 1897) and Melbourne (1898), finalising the form of the constitution and agreeing on the referendum process that was to follow in order to have the Australian people adopt the constitution and federation. Popular support was now being demonstrated throughout the six colonies. Another people's convention had been held at Bathurst in 1896 and smaller scale public meetings were widely held.

Federation Achieved
Having decided on the form of the Australian Constitution, the process chosen for adopting it was unusually democratic for the time, although not perhaps for Australia where democratic institutions were more advanced than almost anywhere else. However, the final step also reflected the continuing colonial status of Australia. Despite strong and growing nationalism, federation was in no way an attempt to depart from British influence, although, eventually, that was what happened.

In 1898 popular referendums on the proposed constitution were held in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. All were successful, but the NSW government, under Premier George Reid (popularly known as "yes-no Reid" because he kept changing his mind over federation) had set a requirement for a higher "yes" vote than just a simple majority, and the necessary majority was not reached.

In 1899, the Premiers met again in Sydney, and several amendments were made to satisfy concerns in NSW and Queensland. Another referendum was held – in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia – and the proposition was passed with increased majorities. Federation was on its way.

However, no referendum had been held in Western Australia, where there was concern that the financial arrangements would disadvantage the colony. The proposed Constitution was now taken to the British Parliament at Westminster by a delegation representing all the Australian colonies except Western Australia. The bill was debated, very slightly modified, and passed and signed into law by Queen Victoria in June, 1900.

Western Australia was either not referred to in the Constitution, or listed conditionally, "should it choose to join". In June, after the British Parliament had already passed the Constitution Act, Western Australia held its referendum which also succeeded, mainly because of the large yes vote from the Kalgoorli goldfields. On January 1, 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed in Sydney and celebrated throughout the new nation made up of the six former colonies, now states. The first Federal (or Commonwealth) Parliament was to meet temporarily in Melbourne until a new capital was established in a special Australian Capital Territory, to be located within NSW. The Commonwealth Parliament moved to its new home in Canberra in 1927.

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