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Contemporary sources - The Observer

Observer Masthead

1882-1884 | 1885-1887 | 1888-1889 | 1890-1892 | 1893-1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 | 1900 | 1901

1882
Observer 28 October 1882 p. 25 col. C. [no title] 'The subject of federation has been discussed from manifold points of view in Australia, yet thus far it has hardly gained admission to the region of practical politics.'
Observer 25 November 1882 p. 8 col. C. 'Federation.' 'Who . . . says federation is not advancing at railway speed in this part of the world?' [Railway link between Melbourne and Adelaide sanctioned by their State Parliaments, thus eventually enabling the Sydney to Adelaide link.]
1883
Observer 19 May 1883 p. 30 col. B. 'Competition amongst Young Men's Literary Societies.' 'Prizes are offered for the best two essays on "The federation of the Australian colonies."'
Observer 16 June 1883 p. 8 col. E. 'Proposed annexation of the New Hebrides.' '. . . the Cabinet considered the matter, and decided to join with the other colonies by concurring in the proposal.'
Observer 28 July 1883 p. 8 cols. A,B. 'Mr Archibald Forbes on Australian federation.' 'The irreconcilability of interests [between colonies] will bar the road to federation . . . [colonies] think each of itself first, and the Commonwealth afterwards, if at all.'
Observer 25 August 1883 p. 25 cols. A,B. 'Federation of the colonies.' 'Whatever may be the eventual result of the negotiations that have been initiated respecting the annexation of New Guinea and the New Hebrides, there can be little doubt that the agitation which has been started here and taken up in England in favour of federation will be ultimately successful.'
p. 33 col. B. Literary competition. 'The subject selected by the Committee for the essay was "The federation of the Australasian colonies," and the first prize... was awarded to Mr J.R. Anderson.'
Observer 22 September 1883 p. 33 col. A. 'The Annexation and Federation Convention.'
Observer 8 December 1883 p. 24 cols. D,E. Editorial. 'The Annexation and Federation Convention.' 'Coming to the question of federation, we are glad to find that the feeling in its favour is stronger than we thought it was, and that there is a prospect of the important idea being put into practical shape. [Convention members] drafted a Bill constituting a Federal Council of Australasia . . .'
1884
Observer 16 February 1884 p. 24 col. E; p. 25 col. A. 'The Federal Council Bill.' 'On Tuesday the Chief Secretary moved the adoption of an address to the Queen in favour of the Federal Council Bill, as drafted by the Sydney Convention of last year . . . this is by no means a complete measure. In the first place, the Council is too weak in point of numbers . . . another point which requires amendment is the range of subjects for the Council's consideration.'
Observer 23 February 1884 p. 24 cols. D,E. 'Federation of Australasia.' 'In South Australia, probably, we are prepared to go further in the matter of federation than the Sydney Convention would venture to go . . . We occupy the enviable position of having a border which at one point or another touches each of the other Australian colonies. We are, therefore, interested perhaps more than any of them in pushing on the great question of federation. Our tariff, also, standing as it does midway between that of Victoria and New South Wales, would enable us without much sacrifice of principle more easily to yield to that fiscal policy which commanded the vote of the majority of colonies.'
Observer 19 July 1884 p. 28 col. B. 'Australasian Federation Bill.' 'The Enabling Bill for the purpose of bringing about the federation of Australasia has been drafted under instructions from the Colonial Office.'
Observer 16 August 1884 p. 8 cols. B-D. 'Queensland. Interview with the ex-Premier of Queensland. Annexation and Federation.' [Includes 'Planting the British flag in New Guinea'; 'Afraid of France.'] p. 28 col. D. 'The Federation resolutions.' [Mr Ward's proposed amendments to the Draft Bill to constitute a Federal Council of Australasia include: 'That all members of the Federal Council should be elected by the people of the colonies they respectively represent.']
Observer 13 September 1884 p. 8 col. E. 'Federation in Victoria.' 'Mr Service, as Chairman of the Committee of the Sydney Convention, today notified to the Governments of the other colonies the adoption by the South Australian House of Assembly of the Convention resolutions.'
Observer 27 September 1884 p. 7 col. B. 'Australian Federation and the Australian Natives' Association.' [Melbourne meeting resolutions: support Federation; 'desirability of a protectorate being at once established over islands of the Pacific by Great Britain to prevent that annexation by foreign powers'; hoped 'France would see the wisdom of ceasing the deportation of criminals to New Caledonia.']
Observer 1 November 1884 p. 25 cols. A,B. 'Federation and annexation.' '. . . the Government have secured the adoption of an address to the Queen praying the introduction of a Federal Enabling Bill in the Imperial Parliament . . . Closely allied to the question of federation is the question of annexation. England's announcement that she will proclaim a protectorate over part of New Guinea has been received with satisfaction all over Australia, if we exempt Victoria.'
Observer 13 December 1884 p. 31 cols. B,C. 'The Federation of Australasia.' [All colonies but New South Wales agree to Sydney Convention's resolutions. In New South Wales 'the Draft Bill to create a Federal Council has been severely criticised . . . the scheme is described as premature, grotesque, and even preposterous'; objection to 'numerical strength of the Federal Council.']
Observer 20 December 1884 p. 25 cols. A,B. 'The Enabling Bill and amendments.'
Observer 27 December 1884 p. 13 cols. A,B. 'Germany and New Guinea.' [German annexation confirmed.] p. 13 col. B. 'The Federation Enabling Bill.' [Amendments proposed by Colonial Office.] p. 30 cols. A-C. 'French transportation to New Caledonia.' [Transportation of French criminals.]