1898–1900 Australian constitutional referendums

Last updated

A series of referendums on the proposed constitution of Australia were held between 2 June 1898 and 31 July 1900 in the six colonies that were to become the states of the Commonwealth of Australia. [1] The first four referendums were held in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria in June 1898. [1] Although all four saw a majority vote in favour, the majority in New South Wales was insufficient. [1] Knowledge of the result in New South Wales led to low voter turnout in South Australia.

Contents

Following a series of amendments made to the proposed constitution at the Secret Premiers meeting on 31 January and 1 February 1899, a second referendum was required in the four states, whilst on 2 September, Queensland held a referendum on the constitution for the first time. All five states saw a majority vote in favour.

Three weeks after the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act became law in 1900, Western Australia held a referendum on the constitution, [1] which was also approved. The constitution came into force on 1 January 1901. [2]

Background

A ribbon produced in Sydney Australia Federation Ribbon2.jpg
A ribbon produced in Sydney

Following the National Australasian Convention in 1891, support for federalism reduced in the face of opposition from George Reid and the sudden advent of the Labor Party in NSW, which commonly dismissed federation as a "fad". [3] However, a subsequent revival of the federal movement owed much to the growth of federal leagues outside of capital cities, and, in Victoria, the Australian Natives' Association. The Border Federation League of Corowa held a conference in 1893 which was to prove of considerable significance, and a "People's Convention" in Bathurst in 1896 underlined the cautious conversion of George Reid to the federal cause. At the close of the Corowa Conference John Quick had advanced a scheme of a popularly elected convention, tasked to prepare a constitution, which would then be put to a referendum in each colony. Winning the support of George Reid, the new premier of NSW, the Quick scheme was approved by all premiers in 1895. (Quick and Robert Garran later published The Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth in 1901, which is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative works on the Australian Constitution. [4] ) The election of delegates took place in March 1897, and several weeks later the Convention gathered for its first session in Adelaide, later meeting in Sydney, and finally in Melbourne in March 1898. After the Adelaide meeting, the colonial Parliaments took the opportunity to debate the emerging Bill and to suggest changes. The basic principles of the 1891 draft constitution were adopted, modified by a consensus for more democracy in the constitutional structure. It was agreed that the Senate should be chosen, directly, by popular vote, rather than appointed by State governments.

On other matters there was considerable disagreement. 'Interests' inevitably fractured the unity of delegates in matters involving rivers and railways, producing legalistic compromises. And they had few guides, at a conceptual level, to what they were doing. Deakin greatly praised James Bryce's sage appreciation of American federalism, The American Commonwealth. [5] And Barton cited the analysis of federation of Bryce's Oxford colleagues, E.A. Freeman and A.V. Dicey. [6] But neither of these two writers could be said to be actual advocates of Federation. And for delegates less given to reading (or citing) authors, the great model of plural governance was always the British Empire, [7] which, obviously was no federation at all.

The Australasian Federal Convention dissolved on 17 March 1898 having adopted a bill "To Constitute the Commonwealth of Australia". Referendums on the proposed constitution were held in four of the colonies in June 1898. There were majority votes in all four, however, the enabling legislation in New South Wales required the support of at least 80,000 voters for passage, equivalent to about half of enrolled voters, and this number was not reached. [8] A meeting of the colonial premiers in early 1899 agreed to a number of amendments to make the constitution more acceptable to New South Wales. These included the limiting "Braddon Clause", which guaranteed the states 75 percent of customs revenue, to just ten years of operation; requiring that the new federal capital would be located within New South Wales, but at least a hundred miles (160 km) distant from Sydney; [8] and, in the circumstances of a "double dissolution", reducing from six tenths to one half the requisite majority to legislate of a subsequent joint meeting of Senate and House . In June 1899, referendums on the revised constitution were again held again in all the colonies except for Western Australia, where the vote was not held until the following year. The majority vote was "yes" in all the colonies.

South Australia

Residents of South Australia were staunchly opposed to federation in the mid-19th century due to the dominance of the colonies of Victoria and New South Wales in issues such as trade and tariffs, as well as a desire to keep unique elements of South Australia intact. [9] The mood had shifted by the 1890s, with what was seen as the looming inevitability of federation a motivator to negotiating a good deal for the less populous colonies, with the argument by the Yes campaign that they may never have such favourable terms again. [10] The No campaign however focused on the potential for increased costs for South Australians, as well as decreased land values. [11]

Results

1898 referendums

Results by colony of the 1898 referendums Australian constitutional referendums, 1898.svg
Results by colony of the 1898 referendums
            State                        Date            ForAgainst Turnout 
     Vote          %          Vote          %          Vote          %     
Tasmania 3 June 1898 11,797 81.29 2,716 18.71 14,513 25.0
New South Wales [lower-alpha 1] 4 June 1898 71,595 51.95 66,228 48.05 137,823 43.5
South Australia 4 June 1898 35,800 67.39 17,320 20.54 53,120 30.9
Victoria 4 June 1898 100,520 81.98 22,099 18.02 122,619 50.3
Source: Federation Fact Sheet 1 – The Referendums 1898–1900, AEC

1899 and 1900 referendums

Results by colony of the 1899-1900 referendums Australian constitutional referendums, 1899-1900.svg
Results by colony of the 1899-1900 referendums
Western Australia referendum result by colonial electoral division 1900 Australian constitutional referendum.svg
Western Australia referendum result by colonial electoral division
            State                        Date            ForAgainst Turnout 
     Vote          %          Vote          %          Vote          %     
South Australia 29 April 1899 65,990 79.46 17,053 20.54 83,043 54.4
New South Wales 28 June 1899 107,420 56.49 82,741 43.51 190,161 63.4
Tasmania 27 July 1899 13,437 94.40 797 5.60 14,234 41.8
Victoria 27 July 1899 152,653 93.96 9,805 6.04 162,458 56.3
Queensland 28 September 1899 38,488 55.39 30,996 44.61 69,484 54.4
Western Australia 31 July 1900 44,800 69.47 19,691 30.53 64,491 67.1
Source: Federation Fact Sheet 1 – The Referendums 1898–1900, AEC

Notes

  1. The enabling legislation in New South Wales required a minimum of 80,000 votes in support.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Barton</span> Prime Minister of Australia from 1901 to 1903

Sir Edmund "Toby" Barton was an Australian statesman, barrister and jurist who served as the first prime minister of Australia from 1901 to 1903. He held office as the leader of the Protectionist Party, before resigning in 1903 to become a founding member of the High Court of Australia, on which he served until his death. Barton was highly regarded as one of the founding fathers and leaders of the Federation movement, and for his work in drafting and later interpreting the Constitution of Australia and early commonwealth laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Reid</span> Prime Minister of Australia from 1904 to 1905

Sir George Houston Reid was an Australian and British politician, diplomat and barrister who served as the fourth prime minister of Australia from 1904 to 1905. He held office as the leader of the Free Trade Party, previously serving as the 12th premier of New South Wales from 1894 to 1899, and later as the High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom from 1910 to 1916.

Constitutional conventions in Australia are significant meetings that have debated the Australian Constitution. The first two gatherings debated Federation and what form of Constitution to adopt, while the following conventions debated amendments to the document.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter James (Australian politician)</span> Australian politician

Sir Walter Hartwell James, was the fifth Premier of Western Australia and an ardent supporter of the federation movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Garran</span> First Solicitor-General of Australia

Sir Robert Randolph Garran was an Australian lawyer who became "Australia's first public servant" – the first federal government employee after the federation of the Australian colonies. He served as the departmental secretary of the Attorney-General's Department from 1901 to 1932, and after 1916 also held the position of Solicitor-General of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Lyne</span> Australian politician (1844–1913)

Sir William John Lyne KCMG was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 1899 to 1901, and later as a federal cabinet minister under Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin. He is best known as the subject of the so called "Hopetoun Blunder", unexpectedly being asked to serve as the first Prime Minister of Australia but proving unable to form a government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federation of Australia</span> Process by which six separate British self-governing colonies became the country of Australia

The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia agreed to unite and 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 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. When the Constitution of Australia came into force, on 1 January 1901, the colonies collectively became states of the Commonwealth of Australia.

In Australia, referendums are public votes held on important issues where the electorate may approve or reject a certain proposal. In contemporary usage, polls conducted on non-constitutional issues are known as plebiscites, with the term referendum being reserved solely for votes on constitutional changes, which is legally required to make a change to the Constitution of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Braddon</span> Australian politician (1829–1904)

Sir Edward Nicholas Coventry Braddon was an Australian politician who served as Premier of Tasmania from 1894 to 1899, and was a Member of the First Australian Parliament in the House of Representatives. Braddon was a Tasmanian delegate to the Constitutional Conventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Quick (politician)</span> Australian politician

Sir John Quick was an Australian lawyer, politician and judge. He played a prominent role in the movement for Federation and the drafting of the Australian constitution, later writing several works on Australian constitutional law. He began his political career in the Victorian Legislative Assembly (1880–1889) and later won election to the House of Representatives at the first federal election in 1901. He served as Postmaster-General in the third Deakin Government (1909–1910). He lost his seat in 1913 and ended his public service as deputy president of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration (1922–1930).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalgety, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Dalgety is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, on the banks of the Snowy River between Melbourne and Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secessionism in Western Australia</span> Pro-independence sentiment and movement

Secessionism has been a recurring feature of Western Australia's political landscape since shortly after Federation in 1901. The idea of self-governance or secession has often been discussed through local newspaper articles and editorials. On a number of occasions secession has been a serious political issue for the State, including in a successful but unimplemented 1933 state referendum.

The History of Australia (1851–1900) refers to the history of the people of the Australian continent during the 50-year period which preceded the foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Smith (Australian politician)</span> Australian politician (1851–1937)

Arthur Bruce Smith, commonly referred to as A. Bruce Smith, was a long serving Australian politician and leading political opponent of the White Australia policy. He has been described as the most prominent Australian advocate for classical liberalism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Want</span> Australian politician

John Henry Want was an Australian barrister and politician, as well as the 19th Attorney-General of New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William McMillan (Australian politician)</span> Australian politician (1850–1926)

Sir William McMillan was an Australian businessman and politician. He was a member of the first federal parliament and served as deputy leader of the Free Trade Party under George Reid, but served only a single term before resigning. He had earlier served in the Parliament of New South Wales, including as Colonial Treasurer, and was prominent in the movement for Federation. He was born in Ireland and became a successful businessman in Australia after moving to Sydney at the age of 18.

The Corowa Conference was a meeting of Federationists, held in 1893 in the New South Wales border town of Corowa, which debated the proposed federation of Australian colonies. Although patchily attended and without any immediate consequence, the 'road map' to Federation devised at the Conference was ultimately highly influential.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Australia</span> Supreme law of Australia

The Constitution of Australia is the fundamental law that governs the political structure of Australia. It is a written constitution, that establishes the country as a federation under a constitutional monarchy governed with a parliamentary system. Its eight chapters sets down the structure and powers of the three constituent parts of the federal level of government: the Parliament, the Executive Government and the Judicature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlee Hunt</span> Australian public servant

Atlee Arthur Hunt was a senior official in the Australian Public Service. He was appointed Secretary of the Department of External Affairs in 1901, the year of Australia's Federation.

The Australasian Federal Conventions elections were held on 4 and 6 March 1897 in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania for the purpose of choosing ten representatives from each colony to constitute the Australasian Federal Convention, a key milestone in the Federation of Australia. The election of delegates to such a convention was almost entirely without historical precedent, but the method of electing representatives was criticised at the time, and later, as not well serving of democratic principles.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK) Museum of Australian Democracy
  2. Australia, 31 July 1900: Constitution Direct Democracy (in German)
  3. William Coleman,Their Fiery Cross of Union. A Retelling of the Creation of the Australian Federation, 1889–1914, Connor Court, Queensland, 2021, p84.
  4. "Closer Look: The Australian Constitution". Parliamentary Education Office. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  5. La Nauze, J. A. (1972). The Making of the Australian Constitution. Melbourne University Press. p. 273. ISBN   0-522-84016-7.
  6. William Coleman,Their Fiery Cross of Union. A Retelling of the Creation of the Australian Federation, 1889-1914, Connor Court, Queensland, 2021, pp 152–155.
  7. William Coleman,Their Fiery Cross of Union. A Retelling of the Creation of the Australian Federation, 1889–1914, Connor Court, Queensland, 2021, p402.
  8. 1 2 "Celebrating Federation" (PDF). Constitutional Centre of Western Australia. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  9. David Brooks; Dr Zoe Gill; Dr John Weste (eds.). "South Australian Referenda, 1896-1991" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  10. "Commonwealth League Advertisement" . Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  11. "Anti-Commonwealth Bill League Advertisement" . Retrieved 6 December 2011.