Opposition to Federation

Introduction

Despite Federation being achieved in 1901, all of the colonies had their reservations. They had all achieved responsible self-government in the second half of the century and it had brought a new level of pride and patriotism for the colony. Many colonies were concerned that their individual progress could be hindered by Federation, which might have repercussions that would not be in their best interests. There were also a number of individuals and groups against it for various reasons.

New South Wales and Victoria

There were a number of factors working against Federation, especially in the colonies of New South Wales and Victoria. A rivalry, that still exists today, was evident between the two colonies and was even further exacerbated when the question arose that if the colonies were to become a federation, where would the national capital be located. Victoria thought that their city of Melbourne should be named the capital and New South Wales believed it should be Sydney. The dispute was later settled by creating the Australian Capital Territory, which was to contain the nation's capital city of Canberra. See image 1

New South Wales and Victoria also spread doubt about Federation by being at odds over the issue of trade protection. Victoria believed in a policy of 'protectionism,' charging customs duties on many imported items from other colonies and also from overseas so that they would seem more expensive. This was aimed at encouraging consumers to buy locally-produced goods which would, in turn, stimulate local employment and protect manufacturing industries. New South Wales, however, believed in a policy of free trade, which supported the abolition of customs duties from imports. Believing that it would assist their agricultural industry, at the end of the 1800s the New South Wales government removed many taxes on imported goods from other colonies.

New South Wales also had a number of other doubts about how Federation might impact their colony. Unsure of the extent of the power a new national government would possess over the colony, New South Wales was uncertain whether it would always act in their best interest. Possessing the largest population of all the colonies, it was feared that the national government might redistribute territory to other colonies. New South Wales feared that the less well-off colonies would require financial support. The colony was also concerned that it might have to relinquish control over its railways.

Voices of the smaller colonies

There were also a number of doubts surrounding Federation by the colonies of Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. Each of these colonies was smaller in population than New South Wales and Victoria, leaving many of them apprehensive that they would be easily dominated by the two larger colonies. They suspected that the larger colonies might use their power in a national government to ensure that their own interests were secured, disregarding the demands of the rest of the colonies.

Without the transport and communication technology that is available today, those colonists in Tasmania and particularly Western Australia at the turn of the century, felt incredibly isolated from the main population centres on the east coast. Western Australia was connected to the eastern colonies by little more than the Overland Telegraph, which had been operating since 1877 and the mail steamers, which did not pull into Fremantle Harbour until 1900 and took at least five days to travel from the eastern colonies. With such a vast distance of separation, Western Australians were discontent about handing over responsibility for the post and telegraph service to a national government. Western Australians believed that a federal government would be too far away to adequately understand the needs of the local people. See image 2 

Some Queenslanders also argued that Federation would cripple their thriving sugarcane industry. National legislation on immigration, they believed, would restrict non-white migrants and therefore, prevent the immigration of Pacific Islanders (also derogatively known as 'Kanakas') who were being used at the time to compensate for labour shortages in the colony's sugarcane industry. While not everyone was in support of this practice, many believed that the industry was not sustainable without the migrant workers.

Individuals

While Federation is considered to be of substantial importance to many Australians today, at the time, much of the general public were apathetic towards it. They could not understand how Federation would affect their lives, let alone benefit them. The people thought that Federation was only relevant to politicians and were not interested in wasting time discussing the issue when they themselves were contending with the effects of the 1890s Depression. See image 3

Opposition to Federation also came from groups such as trade unions, which believed that it might jeopardise the rights of workers. There were fears that a new national government might overrule any progress made in the colonies and set the rapidly expanding trade union movement back. This included the achievement of the eight-hour day for stonemasons in Victoria, which was earned in 1856 by the Operative Masons Society.