when was federation in australia

Federation in Australia took place on 1 January 1901, when the six separate British colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia.

Key date

• Australia became a single nation on 1 January 1901.
• On that day, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania federated as states within the new Commonwealth of Australia.

What happened on the day

• The Commonwealth of Australia was officially proclaimed at a ceremony in Centennial Park, Sydney.

• The first Governor-General (Lord Hopetoun) and the first Prime Minister (Edmund Barton) were sworn in, marking the start of the federal Parliament and government.

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