Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 82
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
their slogan of `Australia for the Australians'. Immigration probably contributed towards
this growing xenophobia. It certainly made a major contribution to the development of
colonial society."1° Acts directly aimed at restricting the influx of Chinese were passed in
New South Wales in 1881 and 1887, and in 1898 New South Wales enacted another
restrictive law that was aimed at excluding all non -Europeans, including those who were
British subjects.
Female suffrage was one of the two great political issues in the last decade or so of the
nineteenth century. Women had been given the vote in New Zealand in 1893, and in
South Australia in 1894; in New South Wales several bills for female suffrage were
proposed between 1891 and 1901, generally passing in the Lower House but being
defeated in the Upper. Finally, with the Royal assent to the New South Wales Women's
Franchise Act, 1902 on 20 May 1903, women were given the right to vote in State
elections.
Federation was the other great political issue of the last decade or so of the nineteenth
century. Between the 1860s and the 1880s, representatives from the six colonies had
met to discuss the passing of common laws on matters such as postal and telegraph
services, defence and immigration. By the 1880s major moves towards Federation had
started which slowly took form in the 1890s.
Finally, in the early 1890s the impetus for Federation was strengthened with the
confluence of a number of common colonial concerns and interests, such as the tariff,
communications, transport and trade, the depression of the 1890s, trade unionism, and
strikes and lockouts. However, the issues which eventually brought the colonies together
were immigration and defence.
With the Federation of the Australian colonies in 1901, the Colony of New South Wales
became the State of New South Wales. The extra tier of government changed the role of
the New South Wales Parliament. Some of its responsibilities — such as coinage,
defence, postage and customs duties — were transferred to the Federal Parliament. The
State Government retained matters not specified as Federal responsibilities in the new
Constitution.
The many alterations to the New South Wales Constitution since 1855 were consolidated
in a new Constitution Act in 1902 and, following a referendum, the Legislative Assembly
was reduced to 90 Members to take account of the narrower responsibilities and the new
level of political representation which the electors now had through their Federal
Parliamentarians.
Colonial Secretary, later Chief Secretary
Printed Constitution Acts, Governor General's Commission
and Instructions, and Queen's Warrants, 1842-59
CGS 1056,
[4/7073]
A collection of Acts concerning the Government of New South
Wales and Tasmania, and the Constitution; and the Governor
General's commission and instructions.
Included are some of the major acts relating to parliamentary
institutions in New South Wales such as 5 & 6 Vic c.76 An Act for
the Government of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land,
assented to on 30 July 1842; 13 & 14 Vic c.59 An Act for the
better Government of Her Majesty's Australian Colonies, assented
to on 5 August 1850 (otherwise known as the Australian Colonies
Government Act); 14 Vic No.48 An Act to provide for the division
10 Clark, op cit, p.240
State Records Authority of New South Wales
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