AOS 2: Nation Race and Citizen

1888 - 1814

Term 2 - 2015

Nation, race and citizen 1888–1914

In 1888 NSW celebrated the centenary of European settlement. People in the colonies looked back to decades of growth and struggle and forward to the possibilities of a new and great nation The latter decades of the nineteenth century represented a period of prosperity and growth, pastoral expansion, urbanisation, immigration (largely from Britain), the rise of unionism and the emergence of nationalist themes in art, literature, architecture and science. There was a widely accepted notion of egalitarianism and a focus of national identity on the culture of the bush. The last decade of the century also brought major industrial conflicts, a severe depression and a crippling drought. The achievement of nationhood in 1901 fuelled new visions for life in Australia.

Many people believed that a new society was being created, free from the ills of the old world. They identified some crucial tools for making Australia a safer and kinder place of opportunity, including old age pensions and maternity benefits, industrial arbitration and the ‘living wage’, town planning, sanitation reform and the ‘New Education’.

Throughout the 1890s and during the first decade of the new century Australians debated who could and who couldn’t belong to this new society. On the one hand, this meant creating a white Australia, excluding Indigenous Australians from citizenship and expelling non-Europeans such as the Kanakas from the nation. On the other hand, Australians also debated the roles of male and female citizens and their differing responsibilities to the new nation. Twentieth-century ideas formed about who could be Australian, and, increasingly, ‘nationhood’ came to mean those with a white British background. In the early years of the new nation, Indigenous Australians, unskilled or poorly skilled workers, and non-European immigrants were denied access to the full benefits of this new nation.

On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse the vision of nationhood that

underpinned the concepts of citizenship, and evaluate its implementation in the

early years of the new nation.

Frederick McCubbin - Down on His Luck

Romanticising the bush and the ‘bushman’

Key points/questionsDot points:

1. The hopes and fears which helped create the new nation and shaped ideas about citizenship,

belonging and responsibilities.

Question: What were the hopes and fears of the colonists that led them to unite in one nation and give up some of

their powers to a central government?

2. The processes of inclusion and exclusion which formed a nation of Australian Citizens up to

1914.

Question: Who was included in the new society and who

was excluded?

3. The benefits and responsibilities extended to those who belonged to the new nation, including work, education and welfare legislation, women and motherhood, national defence and conscription.

Question: Were the hopes different groups such as women, the poor, the working class, the radical literary

groups and the politicians?

Between our areas of study 1860 - 1888

- Improvement in the standard of living - Gold Rushes pretty much finished. - The Chinese were resented - 1885 (September) 300 Chinese went on strike for - higher wages - going against the belief that they - would ‘take jobs’ and work under bad conditions. -

Between the years 1860 - 1888

Changes in Education, communication and transport. Improvements in railways (becoming main mode of

transport for goods). 1866 - NSW education act - free compulsory education.

1872 - In Victoria.

1888 - Centenary of settlement

*Festivities in the newly named Centennial Park in NSW.

The Brisbane Courier summarised the achievements: Gaining of self-government, the ending of

transportation of convicts, and the development of other colonies separate from NSW.

The idea of uniting colonies was present.

FearsFear of invasion or annexation by external powers.

Need for security and a strong defence system. This fear caused by:

- European imperialism - The colonies’ distance from Britain - The presence of large, unfamiliar Asian civilisations to the north - The size of the Australian continent and the numerically small

population - Australia’s rich resources

European Imperialism1853 French colonised New Caledonia

1882 - Russian fleet marred of the coast of South Australia

1884 - Germany proclaimed the northeast of New Guinea.

Russia: a particularly strong fear

Distance from Britain Once transportation of convicts ended, British

troops left Australia (last left in 1870) leaving each colony to form its own defence forces.

Colonists felt isolated and vulnerable to attack Leading to the idea that colonies should unify -

making the cost of building modern battleships and defence forces easier.

Military Report

1889 - Defence Report of Major General Edwards recommended joint action should be taken by the

colonies. Speech made by Sir Henry Parkes at Tenterfield in

NSW in favour of federation (October 1889) The beginning of the movement for federation.

Fear of Asian Neighbours

1890’s - Focus moved from fear of European Imperialism to the ‘teeming Asians’.

- Growth of Japanese military power (fears especially - increased after Japan defeated Russia in 1904 - 1905) - “yellow peril” - “the awakening east”

A White AustraliaOfficial stance on the inevitability

of the disappearance of Aborigines - The Age 1888 - The Bulletin - Anti Chinese editorial

Anti-Chinese protest (30,000 people)

Theory of racial hierarchy the idea of “development”

“advanced” British thought to be the most advanced of the

white societies. Theories of race and human development.

Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism