Colony of New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colony of New South Wales
British Crown Colony
1788–1901
Flag (1876–1901) Coat of arms
Anthem
"God Save the King/Queen"
Government
• Type	Self-governing colony
Monarch
• 1788–1820	George III (first)
• 1837–1901	Victoria (last)
Governor
• 1788–1792	Arthur Phillip (first)
• 1899–1901	William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp (last)
Legislature	Parliament of New South Wales
History
• Established	18 January 1788
• Separation of Van Diemen's Land	3 December 1825
• Separation of South Australia	28 December 1836
• Separation of New Zealand	1 July 1841
• Separation of Victoria	1 July 1851
• Separation of Queensland	6 June 1859
• Separation of the Northern Territory	6 July 1863
• Federation of Australia	1 January 1901
Preceded by Succeeded by Southland Colony of Tasmania Colony of South Australia Colony of New Zealand Colony of Victoria Colony of Queensland New South Wales
Today part of	Australia New Zealand

The Colony of New South Wales was a big part of the British Empire for many years. It existed from 1788 until 1901. In 1901, it joined with other colonies to form Australia, becoming one of its states.

At its largest, this colony was huge! It covered what is now New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory, and even New Zealand. New South Wales started to govern itself more in 1856. Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson became its first leader, chosen by Governor Sir William Denison.

A Look Back: The Story of New South Wales

Evolution of Australia's states and territories.

How the Colony Began

On January 18, 1788, the First Fleet arrived in Australia. Captain Arthur Phillip led this group of ships. They came to start the first British settlement in Australian history.

Captain Phillip was the governor of this new settlement. He first explored Botany Bay, but it wasn't a good spot. He then found Port Jackson and sailed into Sydney Cove on January 25, 1788.

The next day, January 26, men went ashore to set up camp. They put up a flagpole and raised the British flag, the Union Jack. Officers toasted the Royal Family and the new colony.

More people came ashore in the following days. On February 7, 1788, Governor Phillip formally announced the Colony of New South Wales. Life was very hard at first, especially because there wasn't enough water.

Van Diemen's Land Becomes Its Own Colony

Van Diemen's Land|Colony of Tasmania In 1825, Major-General Ralph Darling became the Governor of New South Wales. He visited Hobart Town. On December 3, 1825, he announced that Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) would become a separate colony.

South Australia Forms Its Own Colony

Colony of South Australia#The Proclamation of South Australia (1836) The British Parliament passed a law in 1834. This law, called the South Australia Act 1834, allowed the colony of South Australia to be created. It officially separated from New South Wales on December 28, 1836.

New Zealand Becomes a Separate Colony

Colony of New Zealand On November 16, 1840, the British government created a special document. This document, called the Charter for Erecting the Colony of New Zealand, stated that New Zealand would become its own colony. It officially separated from New South Wales on July 1, 1841.

Victoria Separates from New South Wales

Colony of Victoria On July 1, 1851, Victoria became completely independent from New South Wales. This marked the start of the new Colony of Victoria. Elections were held for its first local government.

Queensland Becomes a Separate Colony

Separation of Queensland|Colony of Queensland In 1851, people in Queensland held a meeting. They wanted Queensland to separate from New South Wales. On June 6, 1859, Queen Victoria signed a document to make Queensland a separate colony.

Brisbane was chosen as the capital city. On December 10, 1859, Queensland officially separated from New South Wales. George Bowen became the first Governor of Queensland. The first election in Queensland was held in May 1860. Robert Herbert became the first Premier of Queensland.

People in the Colony: Demographics

In 1891, a count of the population was taken. This is called a Census.

• The Colony of New South Wales had 1,123,954 people.
• There were 608,003 males and 515,951 females.
• This number included people living in the area now known as the Australian Capital Territory.
• This count did not include all Aboriginal people.

How Australia Became a Nation: Federation

The Federation of Australia was a big step for the country. It was when six separate British colonies decided to join together. These colonies were Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia.

They formed the Commonwealth of Australia. This change meant that New South Wales stopped being a colony and became a state of Australia.

The Australia Act of 1986

The Australia Act 1986 was an important law. It made the Australian states fully independent from the United Kingdom. Before this, there were still some old British laws that applied.

This Act meant that the British government no longer had power over the Australian states. It confirmed Australia's full independence.