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Question

Difficulty: MediumFederation of 1901 and the Commonwealth

Before the six colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 19011901, which of the following was true about their organization?

  1. They were separate and self-governing, and had their own defense forcesAnswer
  2. B
    They were a single territory governed by a federal parliament in Canberra
  3. C
    They were independent countries with no official ties to the British monarch

Answer

Before Federation, the colonies were separate and self-governing, and they even maintained their own defense forces.
The correct answer is that the colonies were separate and self-governing, even maintaining their own defense forces. This historical detail emphasizes that before the union in 19011901, each colony functioned largely like an independent country in terms of local administration, though all were part of the British Empire.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the status of Australia prior to 19011901.
Australia consisted of six separate British colonies: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania.
Understanding the starting point is essential to explaining the change brought by Federation.
2
Analyze the level of independence each colony had.
Each colony was self-governing and managed its own laws, postage stamps, and even small defense forces.
This highlights that they were not a single unified nation at that time.
3
Contrast this with the post-19011901 structure.
On 11 January 19011901, these colonies united to become the six states of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The process of Federation turned separate entities into a single nation with a federal government.

Key Concept

Pre-Federation Colonial Status

Hints

1
Think about whether Australia was one country or six different parts before 19011901.
2
Each colony had its own postage stamps and laws; did they also have their own soldiers?

Practice More

Review the specific year and date when these colonies officially became the states of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Federation of 1901 and the Commonwealth

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