Main Content

History

The Swan River Colony - Prior to 1890

In 1832, after three years of Governor Stirling’s leadership of the Swan River Colony, a Legislative Council of four government officials were appointed to assist him in the task of running the colony.

In 1839 Governor John Hutt, Stirling’s successor, added three leading colonists to the Legislative Council taking the number of members up to seven.  The Legislative Council developed a more independent voice as further colonists were appointed.

Settlers who came to the new colony were granted land according to the amount of property, servants, equipment and animals they brought with them.  Other people were able to purchase land in later years and the cost of purchasing it was extremely cheap.  Before long however those with a lot of land found themselves without enough workers to properly run the farms.  Due to this labour shortage Western Australia was made a penal colony with the first convict ship arriving on 1 June 1850.

By 1859 all Australian Colonies apart from Western Australia had their own parliaments leading to colonists in the State demand the right to govern themselves.  The British Government, however, was against the move to establish a parliament in Western Australia because of its slow rate of growth and the presence of convicts.

In 1865 and again in 1867 the citizens of the Colony petitioned to ask that they elect representatives to some of the positions on the Legislative Council.

By 1868 six colonists and six Government officials were appointed to the Legislative Council by Governor John Hampton.

1870 heralded the end of the convict era for Western Australia and this introduced new problems for the colony including the loss of money paid by the British Government for prisoner's upkeep and wardens.

Eventually colonists won the right to elect some members to the Legislative Council but the Governor could still veto the Council's decisions and some colonists remained dissatisfied.  Colonists continued to argue for self-government and by the 1880's the call for political change was so strong that it could not be denied.

In 1887 the Legislative Council voted in favour of a change to self-government.  A new Constitution was drafted by Governor Broome and sent to London for approval.

The British Government initially suggested splitting Western Australia into two colonies at the 26th parallel near Shark Bay because it was reluctant to give control of such a large territory to a relatively sparsely populated colony, however this did not occur.

The House of Lords in London supported the Constitution Bill but this was not the case in regards to the House of Commons.  Some members in the House of Commons called for an enquiry because they were worried that the Bill restricted voting rights to men who owned or leased property and effectively excluded many people.  The majority of men in the colony, all women and Aboriginal people had no political rights under the proposed Constitution Bill.

In 1889 a special Western Australian deputation to Britain, led by Governor Broome, managed to overcome opposition and persuaded members to support the Bill.

The British Government made it clear that without acceptance of Section 70 of the Constitution there would be a further postponement of the granting of responsible government.  Section 70 stated that an amount equal to one percent gross revenue shall be paid to the Crown each year for the purpose of providing food and clothing, education and assisting generally to promote the preservation and well-being of the Aboriginal people.

Section 70 was the central instrument insisted upon by the Imperial Government to provide a minimum standard of legal protection for the indigenous population.  It vested control of native affairs in the hands of a Board accountable to the English Crown and not the new Parliament. This clause was largely unpopular with the colony leaders.

In 1890 the Constitution Bill was passed by the House of Commons and approved by Queen Victoria.  With the Queen's Assent being granted Western Australia's Constitution came into legal existence on 21 October 1890.

Thanks to historian and author Ruth Marchant James for her contribution to this article.

 

Timeline leading up to Proclamation Day 1890

1832         Lieutenant Governor James Stirling presided over an authoritative Legislative Council, which consisted of four officials as members.  These were Captain Frederick Chidley Irwin, Colonial Secretary Peter Brown, Surveyor General John Roe and Advocate-General George Fletcher Moore.

1839        Governor John Hutt increased the number of Councillors to eight.

1850’s        Each Australian colony, with the exception of Western Australia, was granted responsible government.  New South Wales and Victoria in 1855, Tasmania and South Australia in 1856 and Queensland in 1859.

1867        A growing number of colonists resented the Crown Colony government system and at a public meeting demanded the right to select a representative when a Council seat became vacant.

1870        Representative government was introduced following the cessation of convicts.  The new Council was comprised of eighteen members – twelve elected officials and six non official members.  Candidates had to own a substantial property and voters had to be adult males possessing property worth 100 pounds or paying 10 pound rent for a house.

1875        The Legislative Council in Western Australia made an unsuccessful appeal for self-government.  The colony was still sparsely populated, however, and not enough progress had been made to convince the British government.

1883        Public support for the introduction of responsible government gained popularity.  Mr Stephen Parker was one of the colony’s strongest advocates for independence.

1886        Mr M Venn put forward a similar motion calling for responsible government.  By then the Council consisted of 26 members, seventeen of these being elected.

1889        An election was held in January to allow voters the opportunity to express an opinion and as a result a new Constitution was drafted.  In December a delegation consisting of Sir Frederick Napier Broome, who had just completed his term of office as Governor, Sir Thomas Cockburn Campbell and Mr Stephen Parker, travelled to England to present a case for self-government in Western Australia.

1890        On 15 August the Constitution received Royal Assent.  The news that Western Australia would be fully self-governed with two houses of parliament, elected by the people, received wide spread enthusiasm.

1891        On 20 January Governor Sir William Robinson officially opened the new parliament.  With responsible government achieved the State’s first premier, John Forrest, provided a decade of stable government.

1893        A motion for the abolition of the Aborigines Protection Board passed the Legislative Assembly and Council without a disaster.

1894        Parliament again passed the legislation repealing Section 70.  It was claimed that Section 70 was ‘an anomalous provision…incompatible with the spirit of self-government…and largely unworkable politically’.

1898        Although this action failed to gain Royal Assent until 1905, the government proceeded to pass and proclaim its own Act assuming authority over ‘native affairs’.

1901        Western Australia became an original State in the Australian Federation when as one of six Federated States it joined the newly established Commonwealth of Australia.  Many responsibilities were transferred from the State to the Federal Parliament. John Forrest made the transition from State to Commonwealth Parliament and was sworn in as a member of the Federal Cabinet.