The federation of Australia describes how six separate British colonies — New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia — combined to form a single nation. When the Constitution of Australia took effect on 1 January 1901, those colonies became states within the Commonwealth of Australia.
Background and the path to union
Efforts to create a united Australian polity began in the mid‑19th century. Movements for closer ties between the colonies were present in the 1850s and 1860s, but it was during the 1890s that serious drafting took place. A series of constitutional conventions brought delegates together to produce a federal constitution; the draft then went to voters in the colonies and was approved in the necessary referendums.
A leading public figure in the campaign for federation was Sir Henry Parkes, who as Premier of New South Wales helped promote cooperation between the colonies. For a period, neighbouring territories such as Fiji and New Zealand were discussed as possible members, but neither joined the new Commonwealth.
The first federal government
On the proclamation of the Commonwealth, Sir Edmund Barton was appointed to lead the new national government as the Prime Minister of Australia until elections could be held. Those first federal elections confirmed his position and inaugurated the initial Australian parliament.