Who established the Government? Why was the Government established?

Thanks for your questions about the government.

Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901 through a process called Federation, which also established the Australian Government. No individual person established Australia and the government – there were many people who contributed. The government was established to manage the nation.

Before 1901, Australia was not a nation. Instead, the continent was divided into 6 separate British colonies. Each was partly self-governing but still under the law-making authority of the British Parliament. In the 1880s and 1890s, it was suggested the colonies might be stronger and more efficient if they worked together as a nation. This idea led to formal discussions about uniting the colonies.

Several meetings (called conventions) were held to draft the Australian Constitution, which is the set of rules by which Australia is run. In 1899 and 1900, the draft was approved by a vote of the people in referendums. In 1900, it was agreed to by the British Parliament. On 1 January 1901, the colonies united to become Australia and would be run according to the Constitution. This resulted in the creation of a federal Parliament, with the colonies becoming Australia's 6 states. Through Federation, the states transferred some of their law-making power to the Australian Parliament.

The Australian Parliament was created to manage issues that affected the whole country, such as defence, immigration, trade, and foreign affairs. Within Parliament, the government is formed by the political party, or coalition of parties, with a majority of members elected to the House of Representatives. The government is responsible for setting policy, proposing new laws and putting new laws into action for Australia.