Items · Federation 1890-1910

Letter from Alfred Deakin to John Kirwan.

Letter of support to John Kirwan from Victorian federalist, and later Prime Minister of Australia, Alfred Deakin

Letter from the Premier of New South Wales, George Reid, to John Kirwan

Letter from Alfred Deakin to John Kirwan clearly indicates the pressure being brought to bear on Chamberlain to persuade Western Australia to federate

Letter from George Leake to John Kirwan two weeks before the referendum

Invitation to attend the celebrations surrounding the opening of the first Federal Parliament

Invitation to the Reverend Charles Riley, Bishop of Perth, to attend the celebrations surrounding the opening of the first Federal Parliament

Invitation to witness the opening of Parliament

Electoral distribution in WA, 1900

Voting was limited to the white adult male population. Goldfields residents felt they were discriminated against because of the distribution. Battye Library

Eleven good reasons to join the Federation

Miners camps on the goldfields

First train entering Coolgardie

At Kalgoorlie

Article describing the celebration of Commonwealth day in Kalgoorlie.

Western Australia and Federation - To the editor

Letter to the editor regarding Federation

Joseph Chamberlain MP

Joseph ('Joe') Chamberlain (1836-1914), Industrialist and politician; MP for Birmingham. Sitter in 105 portraits.

Memorandum from the Premier of Western Australia, in reference to the proposed transcontinental railway from Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta

Speech by the Right Honourable Sir John Forrest, on the federation of Australia

Speech by the Right Honourable Sir John Forrest, on the federation of Australia, on the terms proposed in the Commonwealth Bill passed by the Federal Convention, 1898, at St. George's Hall, Perth, on Friday, 27th May, 1898

8th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse, Boer War

Written on back of mount: Left to right: Back: Lethlean, Smallpage, Williams, Roberts, Edwards, Challenger; Centre: Finch, Birch, Farmen, Roberts, Mills, Johnson; Front: Grant, Webber, Robinson, Sayers. Cpl Williams was 1st man killed at Gallipoli. Names identified from Boer War nominal roll: John Lethlean, Eugene Best Smalpage, Arthur Williams, Matthew Henry Roberts, Leonard Douglas Edwards, William Frederick Challinger, Kenneth John Stuart Finch, Walter Richard Birch, Herbert Farmer, Stephen Richard Harrick Roberts, William Checkley Mills, George Johnson, John Edward Grant, John Webber (Trumpeter), John Moore Robinson OR Charles Robinson, George Butters Sayer. This image has erroneously identified as 11th Battalion AIF in the past.

Float HMS Commonwealth participating in a procession at Kalgoorlie

Thomas Hair (left) with James Hair (right) on the parade float, HMS Commonwealth, 1901. The crew is mainly Japanese laundry workers using drink bottles as telescopes.

Manifesto of Eastern Goldfields Reform League of Western Australia : separation for federation

Crowd gathered on the Perth Esplanade to celebrate the Federation of Australia on Commonwealth Day

Stereograph of the crowd gathered on the Perth Esplanade to celebrate the Federation of Australia on Commonwealth Day, 1 January 1901.

The Swan souvenir : a historical memento of the opening of the first parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia

Cover title: Swan Souvenir of the Royal visit to Australia. Subtitle: Highly-finished photos of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York ; the first Governor-General, Earl of Hopetown ; the Countess of Hopetown ; Sir Arthur Lawley, State Governor of West Australia, and Lady Lawley ; First Federal Ministry ; views of the various Arches ; Processions and most interesting events.

First through train on the Trans Australian Railway

Petition to her Majesty the Queen

Proposed new state - boundaries from Petition to Her Majesty from persons residing in the town of Albany and the district near it

Petition to Her Majesty the Queen from persons residing in the town of Albany and the district near it, together with a report on the statements made in the petition by the Right Honourable Sir John Forrest. Includes framed map of Western Australia (1900), showing the proposed area of secession. ACC 8275A.

National League of Western Australia : member's card issued to Miss C. Layman, Wonnerup: Federation on fair terms

Exit the Geebung party

Cartoon from The Bulletin

Opening of Trans-Australian Railway, Western Australian celebrations, November 1917 : souvenir programme

Includes programmes of 3 musical concerts and menu of refreshments in Parliament House.

Driving the last spike on the Trans-Australian Railway Line

1 photoprint : b&w.

Pneumonic influenza : monster demonstration

Community reaction to the Spanish flu epidemic.

Members of the Naval & Military Club

Presented to the Naval & Military Club by Lt. Gen. Sir J. Talbot-Hobbs (Sole Survivor) May 13, 1935. Photograph taken 1901. L. to R. (top) Lt. Col. McWilliams A.M.C., Capt. Kynden R.A.A., Capt. S.A. Darvall DAAc., Major J. Talbot-Hobbs (bottom) Bishop Riley Senior Chaplain CMF., Col. Richards and C.B. Commandant.

Four railway construction workers on the Trans-Australian Railway

Railway construction workers in the desert, 1911-13

Kalgoorlie Commonwealth Day

Celebrating the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. The float was constructed and manned by Japanese of the goldfields and represented a Japanese man-of-war (Ref: Kalgoorlie Miner). They were used again in the 1903 procession marking the opening of the Goldfields Water Supply.

Voters participating in the Referendum on the Commonwealth Bill for Federation congregate outside polling booth at Bunbury

Crowd in front of the "Kalgoorlie Miner" office waiting for election results

Sir John Forrest and military officer (unidentified) at a railway station on the inaugural journey of the Trans-Australian Railway

Executive Council, Goldfields Reform League, June 1900

Hon. George Leake, Attorney General, Sept.-Dec. 1886 & 1901-02

Head and shoulder portrait.

Separation for Federation petition

Separation for Federation Petition sent to Queen Victoria. Men identified by John Kirwan: - Front row: H.M. Jackman, Dr Henry Ellis, J.W. Kirwan, John Reside and J.M. Fowler. - Back row: Clergyman (identified as Rev. A. Plane by Mollie Lukis), W.R. Burton, H. Gregory.