Australian Federation A history Of
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Federation
The idea of federation first began in 1857 where Victoria felt that a federal union would be in the best interests of all the growing colonies. It took 44 years for it to become a reality, with many ups and downs on the way there.
Trade, transport/communication, defense and immigration were the main reasons for federation, each one having a significant influence on the unity of Australia, as they are explained below.
Trade - There were also economic advantages if federation happened, as anything transported from one colony to another would incur a hefty tax, tariffs were also in place. This was bad for businessmen who simply could not make a profit after being taxed and were forced to keep sale to their own colony. Under federation, these would be removed and free trade would have business's benefiting greatly as production costs were lowered and trade could reach more people. This also meant countries such as Britain would be more willing to invest in our economy and would grant more and more loans. This would be good news as the economy would strengthen considerably.
Transport and Communication With the federation of Australia, passengers on trains would have less difficulty traveling over colonies, as the different track gauge that each colony had in place would be removed, allowing trains to roam freely cross each border without passengers being required to change trains. This would also increase communication between colonies, making it easier to get from one place to another, for business, personal or political benefit...