New Zealand declines to join Australia
- When
- 1 January 1901
- Reach
- Nationwide
A royal commission weighed federation with the new Commonwealth of Australia and recommended against it. The Australian constitution still leaves the door open.
New Zealand had sent delegates to the early federation conferences, and section 6 of the Australian Constitution names it as a potential state. The 1901 commission found the 1,200 miles of Tasman Sea, different labour laws and a distinct relationship with Māori all argued against. Seddon was more interested in a Pacific empire of New Zealand’s own, and annexed the Cook Islands and Niue the same year.
Regions affected
Sources
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Related
New Zealand becomes a Dominion
The colony was renamed a Dominion — a change of title that Prime Minister Joseph Ward wanted for its prestige, and which altered almost nothing legally.
WellingtonThe Liberals take power
The world’s first organised political party to hold national office began two decades of reform that made New Zealand a byword for social experiment.
The provinces are abolished
Nine provincial governments were swept away and replaced by central government plus counties and boroughs — the shape of local government for the next century.
Māori Representation Act
Four Māori seats were created as a temporary measure, giving Māori men the vote twelve years before all Pākehā men got it.