On This Day

The Commonwealth of Australia is formed when the British (Imperial) Parliament Act and the Commonwealth of Australia Con

The Commonwealth of Australia is formed when the British (Imperial) Parliament Act and the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 come into effect

The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing Australian colonies — New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia — united to form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia. The colonies of Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of this process, but they decided not to join the federation. Following federation, the six colonies that united to form the Commonwealth of Australia as states kept the systems of government (and the bicameral legislatures) that they had developed as separate colonies, but they also agreed to have a federal government that was responsible for matters concerning the whole nation.

Events Before

  1. Compulsory primary school education in the Netherlands goes into effect

    Education in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is oriented toward the needs and background of the pupil.

  2. Giacomo Puccini's opera "Tosca", with a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, premieres at Teatro Costanzi in R

    Giacomo Puccini's opera "Tosca", with a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, premieres at Teatro Costanzi in Rome, Italy

  3. The Trades Union Congress and the Independent Labour Party (formed in 1893) meet in London, resulting in a Labour Repres

    The Trades Union Congress and the Independent Labour Party (formed in 1893) meet in London, resulting in a Labour Representative Committee and eventually the modern UK Labour Party in 1906

  4. Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries rediscovers Gregor Mendel's laws of heredity and genetics

    Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries rediscovers Gregor Mendel's laws of heredity and genetics

  5. US Secretary of State John Hay announces that all nations to whom he sent notes calling for an 'open door' policy in Chi

    US Secretary of State John Hay announces that all nations to whom he sent notes calling for an 'open door' policy in China have essentially accepted his stance

Events After

  1. 1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

    1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

  2. Abdulaziz Ibn Saud leads 40 men over the walls of Riyadh and takes the city, beginning the Third Saudi State

    Abdulaziz Ibn Saud leads 40 men over the walls of Riyadh and takes the city, beginning the Third Saudi State

  3. Britain and Japan sign a treaty after months of negotiating which commits each country to supporting an independent Chin

    Britain and Japan sign a treaty after months of negotiating which commits each country to supporting an independent China and Korea, although it acknowledges Japan's 'special interest' in Korea

  4. US military leader George Marshall (22) weds Elizabeth Carter Coles in San Antonio, Texas

    George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the U.S.

  5. American Automobile Association (AAA) is founded in Chicago

    American Automobile Association (AAA) is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America.

More from the 1900s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 1, 1901?
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing Australian colonies — New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia — united to form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia. The colonies of Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of this process, but they decided not to join the federation. Following federation, the six colonies that united to form the Commonwealth of Australia as states kept the systems of government (and the bicameral legislatures) that they had developed as separate colonies, but they also agreed to have a federal government that was responsible for matters concerning the whole nation.
Why is The Commonwealth of Australia is formed when the British (Imperial) Parliamen... historically important?
The colonies of Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of this process, but they decided not to join the federation. Following federation, the six colonies that united to form the Commonwealth of Australia as states kept the systems of government (and the bicameral legislatures) that they had developed as separate colonies, but they also agreed to have a federal government that was responsible for matters concerning the whole nation.

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