chronology

This page highlights key Australian federal constitutional developments.

     precursors

1854 opening of telegraph line from Melbourne city to Williamstown

1856 Victoria, NSW and South Australia colonies agree to collaborate on establishment of intercolonial telegraph network

1865 Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865

1879 Australia's first telephone service opened in Melbourne

     establishment

1901 Constitution takes effect on inauguration of Commonwealth of Australia under UK Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900

1901 Australia colonial networks become responsibility of federal Postmaster-General (PMG) under Constitution's provisions regarding "telegraphic, telephonic and other like services"

1903 High Court established in accord with Chapter III of Constitution under Judiciary Act 1903

1903 Australian Patents Act 1903

1904 federal conciliation and arbitration system established under
Commonwealth Conciliation & Arbitration Act 1904

1905 Australian Trade Marks Act and Copyright Act 1905

1906 Australian Designs Act 1906

1906 Constitutional amendment changes Senators' terms under
Constitution Alteration (Senate Elections) Act 1906

1907 under UK Australian States Constitution Act 1907 the reservation powers of Governors limited to Bills that altered the Constitution or legislature of a State.

1910 Constitution Alteration (State Debts) Act 1909 gives Commonwealth unrestricted power to take over State debts

1910 Surplus Revenue Act 1910 reflects first regularised scheme of Commonwealth grants to States

1911 Northern Territory separated from South Australia under SA Northern Territory Surrender Act 1907 and Commonwealth Northern Territory Acceptance Act 1910

1911 Australian Capital Territory separated from New South Wales under Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 and Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1910

1914 Commonwealth Crimes Act 1914

1919 Australia has separate representation at Versailles Peace Conference

1917 UK government notes that Governors-General were to be regarded as representatives of Crown and thus not representatives of (or answerable to) UK Government

1920 Australia becomes independent member of League of Nations

1920 High Court overturns 'implied immunities' and 'reserved State powers' doctrines in intergovernmental relations, extending Commonwealth powers

1922 Queensland Legislative Council abolished under Qld Constitution Act Amendment Act 1922

     financial powers

1926 High Court in Victoria v Commonwealth ('Roads Case') confirms that specific purpose payments from Commonwealth to States could be directed to areas of government responsibility not included in formal Commonwealth responsibilities under Constitution.

1926 Balfour Declaration recognises 'self-governing communities comprised of Great Britain and the dominions' as "autonomous ... within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs"

1926 Amalgamated Society of Engineers v Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd ('Engineers Case')

1927 Loan Council established under Financial Agreement Act 1928, bringing state government borrowing under central control

1927 Royal Commission on the Constitution

1928 Constitutional amendment gives constitutional validity to Loan Council, reflected in Constitution Alteration (State Debts) Act 1928

1930 Imperial Conference accepts that the monarch will henceforth act on the advice of the relevant country and not UK Government in appointing Governor-General.

     move away from UK

1931 UK Statute of Westminster 1931 reflects agreement that Australia and other Dominions are "autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate to one another in any respect of their domestic or external affairs, though united one to another by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations". UK Parliament retained ability to legislate for Australia with Commonwealth's 'request and consent'

1932 NSW Governor dismisses State Government

1933 Commonwealth Grants Commission established under
Commonwealth Grants Commission Act 1933

1937 Victoria Park v Taylor case

1939 Australia considered to be automatically at war with Germany following UK declaration of war

1942 Statute of Westminster adopted by the Commonwealth Parliament under Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942, with adoption backdated to 3 September 1939 (date on which war was declared by UK)

1942 High Court in South Australia, Victoria, Queensland & Western Australia v Commonwealth ('First Uniform Tax Case') confirms federal legislation establishing Commonwealth's effective monopoly over income taxation

1946 Constitutional amendment gives Commonwealth power to make special laws with respect to certain social services, Constitution Alteration (Social Services) Act 1946

1948 Nationality & Citizenship Act 1948 is first Australian citizenship legislation

1951 unsuccessful referendum on banning of Communist Party

1956 Joint Committee on Constitutional Review

1957 unsuccessful State challenge to Commonwealth monopoly over income tax in Victoria v Commonwealth

1967 Constitutional amendment gives Commonwealth power to make special laws with respect to Aborigines living in the States and to include indigenous people in national census - Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) Act 1967

1968 Privy Council (Limitation of Appeals) Act 1968 restricts matters that could be appealed from High Court to UK Privy Council, with abolition of appeals to Privy Council from other federal courts and Territory supreme courts

1971 Strickland v Rocla Concrete Pipes Ltd decision by High Court extends Commonwealth power over Australian trade conducted by corporations

1973 monarch becomes 'Queen of Australia' under Royal Styles & Titles Act 1973

1973 Australian Constitutional Convention

1974 Trade Practices Act 1974

1975 High Court in New South Wales v Commonwealth confirms that sovereign rights over territorial seas and continental shelf vested in Commonwealth

1975 Privy Council (Appeals from the High Court) Act 1975 prohibits appeals being taken from High Court to Privy Council without a certificate from the High Court (which has indicated that it will not issue such a certificate)

1975 Telecommunications Act 1975

1975 Australian Constitutional Convention

1975 Governor-General dismisses Commonwealth Government, with monarch declaring inability "to intervene in person in matters which are so clearly placed within the jurisdiction of the Governor-General by the Constitution Act"

1976 Australian Constitutional Convention

1977 Constitutional amendments carried to provide retirement age for all federal judges, ensuring a replacement Senator should be from the same party as the departing Senator and giving ACT and NT voters the right to vote in constitutional referenda

1978 Self-government established in the Northern Territory under Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978

1983 in Commonwealth v Tasmania ('Dams Case') High Court suggests that external affairs power of the Constitution gives Commonwealth power to legislate on matter of international concern irrespective of whether Australia is party to a treaty on that matter

1983 Australian Constitutional Convention

1984 'Advance Australia Fair' declared the National Anthem (with 'God Save the Queen' as the Royal Anthem)

1985 Australian Constitutional Convention

1986 Australia Act 1986 confirms that Commonwealth and Australian States have 'sovereign, independent' status from Britain (with UK to no longer legislate for any part of Australia, State Governors not representatives of UK Government and States able to legislate to repeal or amend any UK legislation extending to them)

1985 Constitutional Commission into possible revision of Australian Constitution

1988 Self-government established in ACT under Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988

1989 Australian Academic Research Network (AARNet) established

1992 Mabo case suggests that customary laws of Australia's indigenous people may have legal standing, providing that those laws have not been extinguished by legislative or executive actions

1992 Radiocommunications Act 1992

1992 Broadcasting Services Act 1992

1993 Republic Advisory Committee appointed to produce options paper describing minimum constitutional changes necessary to achieve an Australian federal republic

     in the age of the internet

1997 State excise/franchise tax regimes struck down

1997 Telecommunications Act 1997

1998 Constitutional Convention about whether Australia should become a republic

1998 Northern Territory Statehood referendum fails

1998 High Court in Sue v Hill confirms that UK is a foreign power for purposes of determining Australian citizenship

1999 States pass uniform request legislation to allow Commonwealth Parliament to amend s.7 of Australia Act 1986

1999 unsuccessful referendum on proposed constitutional amendment to change Australia to a republic

1999 referendum on inserting a new preamble to the Constitution - Constitution Alteration (Preamble) Act 1999

1999 Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999

2000 Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000





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