Central Queensland Territorial Separation League facts for kids
The Central Queensland Territorial Separation League was a group formed in Rockhampton in 1889. Its main goal was to make the Central Queensland area a separate colony from the rest of Queensland. At that time, Queensland was a colony of Britain.
The people who wanted separation, called "Separatists," had two main complaints. First, they felt their region didn't have enough say in the colonial Parliament, which was located far away in Brisbane. Brisbane was about 700 kilometres (435 miles) south of Rockhampton. Second, they believed that taxes and money from Central Queensland were being used to benefit the government in Brisbane, rather than their own area.
The idea of dividing Queensland into smaller colonies had been discussed since Queensland became separate from New South Wales in 1859. Earlier attempts to separate Central Queensland had also happened in the 1860s and 1870s, but they were not successful.
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Leaders of the Movement
George Curtis (1845–1922) was a well-known businessman and landowner in Rockhampton. He became the first president of the Central Queensland Territorial Separation League. In 1893, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, which is like the local parliament. He used his position there to push for the League's goals.
In 1892, Archibald Archer and John Ferguson travelled to England. They went as representatives for the Central Queensland Territorial Separation League. They met with Lord Knutsford, a British official, to discuss their ideas.
Why Separation Didn't Happen
Ultimately, the Central Queensland Territorial Separation League's campaign was not successful. In 1901, the Australian colonies joined together to form the country of Australia. This event is called the Federation of Australia.
The new Australian Constitution changed things. It stated that only the original colony (which became a "State") could decide if it wanted to be divided further. This meant the British Government no longer had the power to split up Australian states.
Even after this, there were more movements in the 1950s to create a new state in Central Queensland, with Rockhampton as its capital. However, these attempts also failed.
Women's Central Queensland Territorial Separation League
The women of Rockhampton also played a big part in the separation movement. In October 1892, they started their own group called the Women's Central Queensland Territorial Separation League. About 200 women attended their first meeting at the Rockhampton School of Arts.
The women decided to support the efforts of their husbands, brothers, and friends. Their main focus was to create a special petition to Queen Victoria. A petition is a formal request, often signed by many people.
The Petition to the Queen
The petition explained their complaints. It pointed out how huge Queensland was, being twelve times bigger than England and Wales combined. It was even larger than countries like France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal put together! They also highlighted that the capital, Brisbane, was located far away in the very south-east corner of this massive colony.
The women felt that this distant government ignored the central part of the state. They believed that local money was being used mostly for the benefit of Brisbane and Southern Queensland.
The League members gathered signatures for the petition themselves. They did not hire anyone to do it. They travelled through towns and even remote bush areas. One woman, Margaretta Ramm, rode long distances alone. She faced tough conditions, including heavy rain and her horse getting stuck in mud.
The petition ended up being over 33 metres (108 feet) long! It was signed by about 4,000 women who were 21 years old or older. A later report from the League said that if the age limit had been 18, they could have added another 2,000 names.
A copy of this important petition is kept at the State Library of Queensland. It is considered a valuable item in the John Oxley Library and is too delicate to be handled often.
