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Question

Difficulty: MediumEstablishment and Expansion of Colonies

By the year 18601860, the expansion of European settlement had led to significant changes across the Australian continent. Which of the following best describes the status of the colonies at this time?

  1. The borders of the six separate colonies were mostly settled, and each functioned with its own government and laws.Answer
  2. B
    All colonies were unified under a single national parliament to coordinate the expansion of new settlements.
  3. C
    The separate colonies were abolished and the entire continent was governed as a single administrative region from Sydney.

Answer

The borders of the six separate colonies were mostly settled, and each functioned with its own government and laws.
By the year 18601860, the borders of the six colonies we recognize today were mostly fixed. Each of these colonies was independent of the others, possessing its own government, legal system, and even its own defense forces and postage stamps.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the timeframe provided (18601860).
This period is after the initial settlement phase but before the Federation of 19011901.
Understanding the temporal context is essential to determine the political structure of the time.
2
Recall the history of colonial expansion in the 1919 th century.
By 18601860, the six colonies (New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland) had been established.
This confirms that the continent was divided into multiple distinct administrative regions.
3
Determine the relationship between these colonies before 19011901.
Each colony was separate and independent, reporting to the British government rather than to a central Australian authority.
This is the core characteristic of the pre-Federation colonial era.

Key Concept

Colonial Independence and Borders

Hints

1
Think about whether Australia was one single country or a group of separate regions in the mid-1800s.
2
Recall that Federation, which united the colonies, did not happen until 19011901.
3
By 18601860, the six colonies we know today had their own separate governments and laws.

Practice More

Review the specific years each colony was established to understand the timeline of expansion.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Establishment and Expansion of Colonies