Australia became a nation when the six self-governing colonies, now states, united in 1901. Before this, the colonies were politically separate, with their own laws and parliaments. During the long political process that led to Federation, a stronger sense of Australian nationalism developed.
The Commonwealth of Australia was inaugurated on 1st January 1901 in Centennial Park, Sydney. In March, elections were held for the new Federal Parliament, and in May the celebrations focused on Melbourne, where the first Federal Parliament was opened in the Royal Exhibition Building.
Detail of an invitation to the opening of the first Commonwealth Parliament celebrations in 1901, designed by John Longstaff and Norman Lindsay.
Museum Victoria Collection
Detailed information on a range of Federation topics is available in the information sheet series Our Federation Journey.
An online exhibition, Melbourne's Celebrations: May 1901, features photographs of the May celebrations taken by amateur photographer G.H. Myers, as well as items from the museum's collection.
The Royal Exhibition Building played a major role in the Federation celebrations of 1901.
More information about preparations for this event was discovered in the Watson folios during research for Museum Victoria's Centenary of Federation programs.
Charles Nuttall: The opening of the first Federal Parliament, 9 May 1901
Museum Victoria Collection
