Tenterfield Oration
Encyclopedia
The Tenterfield Oration was a speech given by Sir Henry Parkes
at the Tenterfield School of Arts
, New South Wales
, Australia
on 24 October 1889 asking for the Federation
of the six Australia
n colonies, which were at the time self-governed but under the distant central authority of the British
Colonial Secretary
.
The town of Tenterfield suffered from the disunited administration of the States, as it was distant from the New South Wales
state capital of Sydney
and rather closer to commercial centres across the border in Queensland
. Border importation tariff
s were imposed by Queensland at this time and people in neighbouring districts were strongly in favour of free trade
.
The primary reason Parkes gave for Federation in the Tenterfield Oration was the united defence
of the Australian continent.
An excerpt from the speech follows: SIR HENRY PARKES AT TENTERFIELD BANQUET TO THE PREMIER
Sir HENRY PARKES, who was received with applause, said, in reply…
"General Edwards had also advised that the forces of the various colonies should be federated for operation in unison in the event of war, so as to act as one great federal army. If an attack were made upon any of the colonies, it might be necessary for us to bring all our power to bear on one spot of the coast. More, however, was necessary if they were to have the federal system, so strongly recommended, and which must appeal to the sense of every intelligent man. … There were two very important questions to which their attention ought to be directed. They must have heard something of the Federal Council … if they were to carry out the recommendations of General Edwards, it would be absolutely necessary for them to have one central authority, which could bring all the forces of the different colonies into one army. Some colonial statesmen had said that this might be done by means of the Federal Council; but this Federal Council had no power to do anything of the sort, as it was not an elective body, but merely a body appointed by the Governments of the various colonies. … The great question which they had to consider was, whether the time had not now arisen for the creation on this Australian continent of an Australian Government … Australia had now a population of three and a half millions, and the American people numbered only between three and four millions when they formed the great commonwealth of the United States. The numbers were about the same, and surely what the Americans had done by war, the Australians could bring about in peace. (Cheers.) Believing as he did that it was essential to preserve the security and integrity of these colonies that the whole of their forces should be amalgamated into one great federal army, feeling this, and seeing no other means of attaining the end, it seemed to him that the time was close at hand when they ought to set about creating this great national government for all Australia. This subject brought them face to face with another subject. They had now, from South Australia to Queensland, a stretch of about 2,000 miles of railway, and if the four colonies could only combine to adopt a uniform gauge, it would be an immense advantage to the movement of troops. These were the two great national questions which he wished to lay before them. … He believed that the time had come, and if two Governments set an example, the others must soon of necessity follow, and they would have an uprising in this fair land of a goodly fabric of free Government, and all great national questions of magnitude affecting the welfare of the colonies would be disposed of by a fully authorised constitutional authority, which would be the only one which could give satisfaction to the people represented. This meant a distinct executive and a distinct parliamentary power, a government for the whole of Australia and it meant a Parliament of two Houses, a house of commons and a senate, which would legislate on these great subjects."
Sir Henry Parkes at Tenterfield, 24 October 1889, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 1889, p. 8.
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
at the Tenterfield School of Arts
Tenterfield School of Arts
The Tenterfield School of Arts is a hall in the town of Tenterfield in New South Wales, Australia. It is notable as the place where Sir Henry Parkes delivered the Tenterfield Oration, a speech proposing that the six separate British colonies in Australia should unite into a single federation.The...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 24 October 1889 asking for the Federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
of the six Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n colonies, which were at the time self-governed but under the distant central authority of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Colonial Secretary
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
.
The town of Tenterfield suffered from the disunited administration of the States, as it was distant from the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
state capital of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and rather closer to commercial centres across the border in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. Border importation tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s were imposed by Queensland at this time and people in neighbouring districts were strongly in favour of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
.
The primary reason Parkes gave for Federation in the Tenterfield Oration was the united defence
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
of the Australian continent.
An excerpt from the speech follows: SIR HENRY PARKES AT TENTERFIELD BANQUET TO THE PREMIER
Sir HENRY PARKES, who was received with applause, said, in reply…
"General Edwards had also advised that the forces of the various colonies should be federated for operation in unison in the event of war, so as to act as one great federal army. If an attack were made upon any of the colonies, it might be necessary for us to bring all our power to bear on one spot of the coast. More, however, was necessary if they were to have the federal system, so strongly recommended, and which must appeal to the sense of every intelligent man. … There were two very important questions to which their attention ought to be directed. They must have heard something of the Federal Council … if they were to carry out the recommendations of General Edwards, it would be absolutely necessary for them to have one central authority, which could bring all the forces of the different colonies into one army. Some colonial statesmen had said that this might be done by means of the Federal Council; but this Federal Council had no power to do anything of the sort, as it was not an elective body, but merely a body appointed by the Governments of the various colonies. … The great question which they had to consider was, whether the time had not now arisen for the creation on this Australian continent of an Australian Government … Australia had now a population of three and a half millions, and the American people numbered only between three and four millions when they formed the great commonwealth of the United States. The numbers were about the same, and surely what the Americans had done by war, the Australians could bring about in peace. (Cheers.) Believing as he did that it was essential to preserve the security and integrity of these colonies that the whole of their forces should be amalgamated into one great federal army, feeling this, and seeing no other means of attaining the end, it seemed to him that the time was close at hand when they ought to set about creating this great national government for all Australia. This subject brought them face to face with another subject. They had now, from South Australia to Queensland, a stretch of about 2,000 miles of railway, and if the four colonies could only combine to adopt a uniform gauge, it would be an immense advantage to the movement of troops. These were the two great national questions which he wished to lay before them. … He believed that the time had come, and if two Governments set an example, the others must soon of necessity follow, and they would have an uprising in this fair land of a goodly fabric of free Government, and all great national questions of magnitude affecting the welfare of the colonies would be disposed of by a fully authorised constitutional authority, which would be the only one which could give satisfaction to the people represented. This meant a distinct executive and a distinct parliamentary power, a government for the whole of Australia and it meant a Parliament of two Houses, a house of commons and a senate, which would legislate on these great subjects."
Sir Henry Parkes at Tenterfield, 24 October 1889, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 1889, p. 8.