The Commonwealth of Australia was created when six British colonies, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, joined together in a federation. The idea was debated at conventions in the 1890s, and the colonial populations approved the draft constitution by referendums before the British Parliament passed the necessary act in 1900. Edmund Barton became the first prime minister, and Melbourne served as the seat of government until the new capital, Canberra, was ready in 1927. The federation took place on the continent where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had lived for tens of thousands of years. The new nation remained within the British Empire, and its legislative independence was formally completed with the adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1942, backdated to 1939.
Before and after
- 20 December 1900Discovery of 21P/Giacobini–Zinner
- from 1901 to 1904Discovery Expedition (1901-1904)
- 1901Discovery of europium
- from 1901 to 1910Edwardian era
- 1 January 1901Founding of Australia
- 22 January 1901Death of Victoria
- 27 January 1901Death of Giuseppe Verdi
- 1 February 1901Birth of Clark Gable
- 28 February 1901Birth of Linus Pauling
More in Society, economy & sport
- 12 May 1792Founding of New York Stock Exchange
- 17 February 1863Founding of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
- 23 June 1894Founding of International Olympic Committee
- from 6 April 1896 to 15 April 1896The first modern Olympic Games open in Athens
- 1903Rise of Bolsheviks
- 1907Rise of scouting
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.