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1897
Observer 23 January 1897 p. 24 cols. D,E; p. 25 col. A. Editorial. 'The Federal Convention and the choice of delegates.'
Observer 30 January 1897 p. 11 cols. B,C. 'The Federal Convention.' [Proclamation announcing election of representatives for Federal Convention.]
p. 23 col. E. Electoral notices. [Federal Convention.]
p. 24 cols. D,E. Editorial. ' "Foundation Day" and Federation.' 'Foundation Day of 1897 [January 26] is intended to be famed hereafter as Federation Birthday. This morning there will be issued in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia writs for the nomination and election of a total of forty delegates to the first official popular Federal convention ever authorized in the colonies . . . [however] the great majority of the people . . . seem to be extremely apathetic concerning the whole matter . . . Never before in the history of South Australia has the franchise of the voter represented so great an influence for good or ill as it will have on March 6, when the ten delegates have to be chosen.'
p. 29 col. C. 'The Federal Convention. The regulations.' [Regulations made under the provision of the Australasian Federation Enabling Act [South Australia] 1895.]
Observer 6 February 1897 p. 25 cols. A,B. 'Federation Convention. Electors and their votes.' 'It was never intended that the Convention elections should assume the shape of party combats.'
Observer 13 February 1897 p. 2 cols. A,B. Electoral notices. [Federal Convention.]
p. 29 col. D. 'Nomination Day for the Federal Convention.' 'The public on Friday took very little interest in the formal proceedings . . . there were "audible smiles" and sotto voce ejaculations of "Who's he?" when certain names were read out. The name of "Catherine Helen Spence" evoked sincere applause.'
p. 32 col. E. 'The Federal Convention. List of candidates.' [33 nominations listed; 'The only cheer raised during the reading of the nominations was at the announcement that Miss Spence was a candidate.']
Observer 20 February 1897 p. 24 cols. D,E. Editorial. 'The Premier on Federation and the Capital I.'
p. 30 col. D. 'The Federal Convention.' 'The issue of a ticket for the Federal Convention by the Liberal Union caused great surprise in the ranks of the members of the Union.'
pp. 42-45. 'The Federal Convention.'
p. 42 cols. D,E; p. 43 col. A. 'The Hon. C.C. Kingston at the Town Hall.'
p. 43 cols. A-C. 'Sir John Downer at Gawler'; p. 43 cols. C,D. 'Address by Mr P. McM. Glynn.'
p. 43 cols. D,E; p. 44 col. A. 'The Hons. E. Ward and W. Russell at Pt. Pirie.'
p. 44 cols. A,B. 'Mr W. Copley at Minlaton.'
p. 44 cols. B,C. 'Address by the Leader of the Labour Party.'
p. 44 cols. C-E; p. 45 col. A. 'Labour candidates.'
p. 45 cols. A,B. 'Messrs Brooker and Poynton at Hindmarsh.'
Observer 27 February 1897 p. 2 cols. A,B. Electoral notices. [Federal Convention.]
p. 24 col. E; p. 25 cols. A-C. 'The Federal Convention.' [Western Australia to attend the Convention; Queensland has not yet passed a 'Federation Enabling Act'; C.H. Spence.]
Supplement pp.1-4. 'Federation - What is it?' by R.C. Baker.
Observer 6 March 1897 p. 11 col. D. 'The Federal Convention. The Voting-paper.' [Facsimile of the voting paper; '. . . all men and women who are registered electors to the House of Assembly are entitled to vote.']
p. 12 cols. A,B. 'The Federal Convention. How the scrutiny will be conducted.'
p. 24 cols. D,E. Editorial. 'Federal Election Day.' '. . . Mr Kingston has been playing his old game of bullying, bluff and bounce . . . he goes blustering about the country like a dog suffering from an incipient attack of rabies . . . The mention of the Premier's self-seeking eccentricities suggests reference to the most conspicuous difference between the Convention elections in South Australia and those in the other colonies. In New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, the Premiers have most explicitly and earnestly protested against the polling being conducted under conditions of party warfare. In South Australia, however, the leader of the Government has striven most unmistakably to introduce personal and party prejudice into the contest . . . '
p. 28 col. D. 'Federal Convention. Party tickets. Country v. City.' 'The introduction in this colony of "petty party warfare" into what should be a natural choice of the best and ablest men to represent South Australia at the Federal Convention . . .'
p. 28 cols. D,E. [Interstate returns.]
Observer 13 March 1897 p. 11 col. E; p. 12 cols. A-C. 'Federal Convention. Result of scrutiny. Labour Party defeated.'
p. 12. [Photographs: C.C. Kingston, F.W. Holder, Dr Cockburn, J.H. Gordon.]
p. 13 cols. A-D. 'The Federal Convention. Election Day, Saturday, March 6. Details of voting.' [South Australian voting statistics.]
p. 24 cols. D,E. Editorial. 'The Federal Convention Election.'
p. 24 col. E; p. 25 col. A. 'The Convention and its work.'
Observer 20 March 1897 p. 24 cols. D,E. Editorial. 'The Federal Convention.' [Adelaide as site for the Convention: "Register" urged Kingston to try to bring this about; Presidency of Convention; Constitution should recognise God as Supreme Ruler; both Houses should be opened with prayer.]
p. 29 col. A. 'The Federal Convention Poll'; 'The candidates at the declaration of the Poll'; 'The Premier's magnanimity.'
p. 32 col. A. 'Federal Convention. The scrutiny.'
p. 32 cols. A,B. 'The Federal Roll.' [New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia.]
Observer 27 March 1897 p. 12 col. A. 'The Federal Convention. Opening proceedings. A brilliant scene. Mr Kingston elected President.'
p. 12 cols. B-D. 'Second Day's sitting. Commonwealth Bill dropped. Mr Barton Leader of the Convention. Some interesting speeches.'
p. 12 cols. C,D. 'The Federal Convention. Arrangement of seats.' [diagram]
p. 12 cols. D,E; p. 13 cols. A-D. 'The Federal Banquet. A brilliant assemblage.'
p. 24 cols. D,E. Editorial. 'Opening of the Federation Convention.'
p. 27 cols. A,B. 'The Federation Convention. Third Day's sitting. Sir R.C. Baker nominated as Chairman of Committees. Adjourned debate on Mr Barton's resolutions.'
p. 27 cols. B-E; p. 28 cols. A,B. 'Fourth Day's sitting. Message from the Queen. Sir R.C. Baker Chairman of Committees. Interest increasing.'
p. 27 cols. D,E; p. 28 cols. A,B. 'Fifth Day's sitting. Battle of the cameras. Western Australians.'
p. 28 cols. B-D. 'Federation notes.' [Include: 'The National Convention of 1891'; 'The Federal Convention and Queensland'; 'One adult one vote'; 'Australian Natives' Association and Federation'; 'The work of the Convention'; 'Federal Convention delegates'; 'The Bathurst financial scheme.'] Illustrated supplement. 'The Federation Convention.' [Includes photographs of delegates.]
p. 41 cols. A-E. 'The Federal Convention.' [Details of voting.]
p. 42 cols. A-D. 'Federation Convention. The South Australian Elections. Declaration of the poll.'
p. 42 cols. D,E. 'Arrival of the delegates.'
Observer 3 April 1897 p. 12 cols. A-C. 'The Federation Convention. Sixth sitting. Flutter of petitions. Closing the generality debate.'
p. 12 cols. C-E; p. 13 cols. A-D. 'Seventh sitting. A day with orators.'
p. 13 cols. D,E; p. 14 col. A. 'Federation notes.' [Include: 'Australian federal finance'; 'Payment of delegates.']
p. 24 cols. C-E. Editorial. 'The Federal Capital and national names.'
p. 30 cols. A-C. 'The Federation Convention. Eighth sitting. Preliminary resolutions carried. Committees appointed.'
p. 30 cols. C,D. 'Ninth Day. A formal sitting. The Committees at work.'
p. 30 cols. D,E; p. 31 col. A. 'Tenth Day. Breach of privilege. Enterprise of the Press; The Committees at work.'
p. 31 cols. A-C. 'Federation notes.' [Include: 'Convention's work'; 'The Federal Constitution.']
p. 44 cols. B,C. 'Notes on the Federal Convention.' By C.H. Spence.
Observer 10 April 1897 p. 28 cols. A-C. 'The Federal Convention. Eleventh Day; Twelfth Day; Thirteenth Day; Fourteenth Day; Fifteenth Day. State Rights question.'
p. 28 cols. C-E; p. 29 col. A. 'The Committees at work. The Judiciary Committee; The Constitutional Committee; The Finance Committee.'
p. 29 cols. A-C. 'Federation notes.' [Include: 'The Federal Capital'; 'Federal Convention. State Rights question.']
Observer 17 April 1897 p. 10 col. E; p. 11 col. A. 'Federation. The Commonwealth Bill.'
p. 11 cols. A-C. 'The Federation Convention. Sixteenth Day. The Bill explained. The States-Rights question.'
p. 11 cols. C-E; p. 12 col. A. 'Seventeenth sitting. "The Senate" restored.'
p. 12 col. A. 'Federation notes.' [Include: 'A "scene" in the Constitutional Committee'; 'The Federal Convention - a crisis.']
p. 31 cols. A-C. 'The Federation Convention. The Committees at work. The Finance Committee; Eighteenth sitting. The States-Rights question.'
p. 31 cols. C-E. 'Nineteenth sitting. The Houses of Parliament.'
p. 32 cols. A-D. 'Federation notes.' [Include: 'The Federal Constitution'; 'Commonwealth Bill'; 'Adult suffrage.']
Observer 24 April 1897 p. 12 cols. C-E; p. 13 col. A. 'The Federation Convention. Twentieth sitting. Riparian rights.'
p. 13 cols. A-C. 'Twenty-first sitting. Trade and finance.'
p. 13 cols. C,D. 'Twenty-second sitting.'
p. 24 cols. C-E. Editorial. 'Federal finance and the railways.'
p. 27 cols. C-E. 'The Federation Convention. Twenty-third sitting.'
p. 27 col. E; p. 28 cols. A,B. 'Twenty-fourth sitting. Finishing touches.'
p. 28 cols. B,C. 'Twenty-fifth sitting. Close of the session; Probable Federal expenditure.'
p. 28 cols. C,D. 'Federation notes.' [Include: 'Federation Convention.' 'The first chapter under the Federal Enabling Act has been closed, the Constitution having been drafted, and the Convention adjourned to Sydney.']
Observer 1 May 1897 p. 16 cols. A-C. 'The Federal Constitution. Recognition of the Almighty.'
Observer 5 June 1897 p. 15 cols. C-E. 'The Federation Convention. "Hansard" analysed. Interesting figures.'
Observer 10 July 1897 p. 24 cols. C-E. Editorial. 'Federation.' '. . . what progress has been made by politicians in drawing up the schedules of suggested amendments which are to be sent to second Conference?'
Observer 31 July 1897 p. 27 col. B. 'Federation.' [Victoria's Legislative Assembly: 'The bulk of the speeches were against rushing into any federation whereby the larger states would be on an equality with the smaller ones . . .']
Observer 4 September 1897 p. 24 cols. C-E. Editorial. 'The Federal Convention.' 'The apparent apathy of the public is not to be wondered at, if only because it is a natural result of the despairing confusion caused by the hypercritical comments of a small band of politicians, who do not want federation on any terms . . .'
Observer 11 September 1897 p. 13 cols. A-E. 'The Federation Convention.' [September 4, Sydney.]
Observer 18 September 1897 p. 12 cols. A-D. 'The Federation Convention.' [September 10, 11, 13, 14, Sydney.]
p. 24 cols. D,E. Editorial. 'Federal "wreckers" at work.' 'The large States are not exactly greedy, but they want everything.'
p. 27 col. D. 'The Federation Convention.' [September 15, 16, Sydney.]
p. 43 cols. D,E; p. 44 cols. A,B. 'Australasian National League. Annual meeting and social.' [South Australian Branch.]
Observer 30 October 1897 p. 42 cols. C,D. 'The Federation Movement.' 'Although the Sydney meeting failed to make any substantial progress in the framing of a Constitution it exercised an educational influence , and it accomplished something in moulding public opinion and in enlightening electors who will ultimately be asked to pronounce by referendum a verdict on the whole question.'
Observer 4 December 1897 p. 25 cols. A,B. 'Federation in the balance.' 'The character of what may be termed the federal "sideshows" which have engaged attention since the adjournment of the Convention at Sydney is not calculated to strengthen the hands of the delegates who are to meet in Melbourne in January.'