Under the Southern Cross we Stand, a sprig of Wattle in our hand

Very sad to see this repeated but would likely have needed a far earlier POD to avoid.
I feel that is is very much the case, yes. Tasmanian aboriginals were also almost competely isolated, so had virtually no immunity to "common" diseases.
 
I just hope with Australia becoming far more multicultural, we don't end up with a stolen generation again. That practically gutted Aboriginal culture and people.

As for WW1, I can see Australia being neutral at first, seeing as the Central Powers have no support anywhere near by and Aus having no reason to join.
I can see them joining the war if Japan attacks China. Australia would support China as America did in WW2 OTL, leading to Japan attacking Australia like they did WW2, pulling Britain in due to the alliance, drawing Aus into the war. I don't see America fighting Aus in this case.

Maybe the war will have Britain, France and Russia vs the Central powers in Europe, with a Australia, China and America vs Japan, Britain and France in Asia. As for why America would join Aus, I could see them making a defensive alliance plus us the war as a excuse to go all anti-imperialism with the Europeans.
 
1 January 1889 - Statesmans Year Book - Australasia
Issued 1 January 1889, - An extract from the Statesman's Year Book 1889

Protectorate of Australasia

Capital:Melbourne
Largest City: Melbourne
Official Language: None
National Language: English
Religion: 44% Catholic, 43% Protestant, 7% No religion, 3.4% Buddhist, 0.7% Taoist, 0.3% Islam, 0.2% other, 1.4% unanswered
Government: Federal Parliamentary Protectorate
Lord Protector: Richard Plantagenet
Prime Minister: Henry Parkes
Legislature: Parliament, with an Upper House, called the House of Commons and the Upper House, the Senate
Independence from the United Kingdom: 16th April 1857 "Australasia Day"
Area (Not including protectorates): 8,006,238 square km, Percentage Water: 1.91%
Population: 6.546 million
States:13
States by Data:
Aurelia: Capital Melbourne, Area: 221,614 square km (6th), Population: 1,711,000 (1st), House of Commons Seats: 26, Senate Seats: 7
New South Wales: Capital: Sydney, Area: 562,321 (5th), Population: 1,544,000 (2nd), House of Commons Seats: 24, Senate Seats: 7
Capricornia: Capital: Brisbane, Area: 1,582,256 square km (2nd), Population 684,000 (3rd), House of Commons Seats: 10, Senate Seats: 5
South Australia: Capital: Adelaide, Area: 1,245, 356 square km (4th), Population 504,000 (4th), House of Commons Seats: 8, Senate Seats: 5
New Zealand: Capital: Christchurch, Area: 152,185 square km (7th), Population 464,000 (5th), House of Commons Seats: 7, Senate Seats: 5
Aotearoa: Capital: Auckland, Area: 113,729 square km (9th), Population 399,000 (6th), House of Commons Seats: 6, Senate Seats: 5
Tasmania: Capital: Hobart, Area(incl Macquarie Island): 90,886 square km(11th), Population 272,000 (7th), House of Commons Seats: 5, Senate Seats: 5
Fiji: Capital: Suva, Area: 18,768 square km (12th), Population 198,000 (8th), House of Commons Seats: 3, Senate Seats: 3
Swan River: Capital: Perth, Area: 1,425,614 square km (3rd), Population: 196,000 (9th), House of Commons Seats: 3, Senate Seats: 3
Combined Islands: Capital: Noumea, Area: 18,625 square km (13th), Population: 179,000(62,000 native) (10th), House of Commons Seats: 2, Senate Seats: 3
New England: Capital: Armidale, Area: 140,023 square km (8th), Population: 172,000 (11th), House of Commons Seats: 3, Senate Seats: 3
Riverina: Capital: Albury, Area: 107,608 square km (10th), Population 165,000 (12th), House of Commons Seats: 2,Senate Seats: 3
North Australia: Capital: Palmerston, Area: 2,327,253 (1st), Population, 106,000(35,000 native) (13th), House of Commons Seats: 1, Senate Seats: 3

Armed Forces:
Army: 22,000 regular soldiers, 46,000 militia and cadets
Navy: 2 pre dreadnoughts (starting construction), 4(+2 under construction) protected cruisers, two ironclads, four armoured frigates, two armoured corvettes, 15 gunboats
 

Pangur

Donor
Issued 1 January 1889, - An extract from the Statesman's Year Book 1889

Protectorate of Australasia

Capital:Melbourne
Largest City: Melbourne
Official Language: None
National Language: English
Religion: 44% Catholic, 43% Protestant, 7% No religion, 3.4% Buddhist, 0.7% Taoist, 0.3% Islam, 0.2% other, 1.4% unanswered
Government: Federal Parliamentary Protectorate
Lord Protector: Richard Plantagenet
Prime Minister: Henry Parkes
Legislature: Parliament, with an Upper House, called the House of Commons and the Upper House, the Senate
Independence from the United Kingdom: 16th April 1857 "Australasia Day"
Area (Not including protectorates): 8,006,238 square km, Percentage Water: 1.91%
Population: 6.546 million
States:13
States by Data:
Aurelia: Capital Melbourne, Area: 221,614 square km (6th), Population: 1,711,000 (1st), House of Commons Seats: 26, Senate Seats: 7
New South Wales: Capital: Sydney, Area: 562,321 (5th), Population: 1,544,000 (2nd), House of Commons Seats: 24, Senate Seats: 7
Capricornia: Capital: Brisbane, Area: 1,582,256 square km (2nd), Population 684,000 (3rd), House of Commons Seats: 10, Senate Seats: 5
South Australia: Capital: Adelaide, Area: 1,245, 356 square km (4th), Population 504,000 (4th), House of Commons Seats: 8, Senate Seats: 5
New Zealand: Capital: Christchurch, Area: 152,185 square km (7th), Population 464,000 (5th), House of Commons Seats: 7, Senate Seats: 5
Aotearoa: Capital: Auckland, Area: 113,729 square km (9th), Population 399,000 (6th), House of Commons Seats: 6, Senate Seats: 5
Tasmania: Capital: Hobart, Area(incl Macquarie Island): 90,886 square km(11th), Population 272,000 (7th), House of Commons Seats: 5, Senate Seats: 5
Fiji: Capital: Suva, Area: 18,768 square km (12th), Population 198,000 (8th), House of Commons Seats: 3, Senate Seats: 3
Swan River: Capital: Perth, Area: 1,425,614 square km (3rd), Population: 196,000 (9th), House of Commons Seats: 3, Senate Seats: 3
Combined Islands: Capital: Noumea, Area: 18,625 square km (13th), Population: 179,000(62,000 native) (10th), House of Commons Seats: 2, Senate Seats: 3
New England: Capital: Armidale, Area: 140,023 square km (8th), Population: 172,000 (11th), House of Commons Seats: 3, Senate Seats: 3
Riverina: Capital: Albury, Area: 107,608 square km (10th), Population 165,000 (12th), House of Commons Seats: 2,Senate Seats: 3
North Australia: Capital: Palmerston, Area: 2,327,253 (1st), Population, 106,000(35,000 native) (13th), House of Commons Seats: 1, Senate Seats: 3

Armed Forces:
Army: 22,000 regular soldiers, 46,000 militia and cadets
Navy: 2 pre dreadnoughts (starting construction), 4(+2 under construction) protected cruisers, two ironclads, four armoured frigates, two armoured corvettes, 15 gunboats
Loving this! What happened to the state of New England?
 
18 February 1889 - Lalor passes, new battleships
18 February 1889, Parkville, Melbourne, Aurelia, Australasian Protectorate

Caroline Plantagenet took her sister Jocelyn's hand as she worriedly watched her father. Since her mother had died some nine years ago, her father had been in a reduced state. Now, it seemed, his health problems were getting worse. When she was younger, it seemed that he was a colossus, now, it seemed he was often sick, complaining of pins and needles in his feet, in particular.

Peter Lalor had been among the last of the "old guard" from Eureka and they had repeated the Eureka oath at his funeral. "We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties." Most of the men may have gone now, the most prominent left, of course, her father. That did not mean that the ideals espoused. Over the last 34, years, democratic ideas and concepts had quickly emerged, gaining traction. It was a defining time for authorities to recognise democratic rights for all citizens. Before then, and since, people had arrived from vastly different backgrounds, including farmers, explorers, and activists. Many brought their values and ideas like Chartism, a movement which rose from the working class of Britain and involved ideas such as securing the vote for all adults. The short and long-term impacts of these ideas helped fuel the desire for change to gain Australia’s independence from Britain.

Eureka was the moment they asserted their rights. A time when the people demanded equal and fair treatment, to take part in the democratic process. The key values that underpin Australasia’s democracy came from shared values, beliefs. That, and mateship. Values such as equality, fairness, and justice – to be given the opportunity to have a ‘fair go’. It was for that reason Lalor was a key figure in the establishment of a nation.

22 February 1889, Garden Island Graving Dock, Sydney, New South Wales, Australasian Protectorate

It felt appropriate that the first of the new class of two ships, the ships that would be the new flagship of the APN was to be named Lalor. As Caroline Plantagenet drove in the first rivet, she was proud of that. She listened to the constructor pointing out that the ship would be small for a battleship, perhaps more lightly armoured than some and equipped with only 9 inch main guns, yet, for all that, at 9,728 tons, she would be the largest ship actually built in Australasia so far, although she was soon to be superseded by the Carpricornia Class. He indicated that she had been designed to be able to maintain a high speed of between 18 and 19 knots. In fact, they were to prove capable of almost 20 knots.
Lalor Class Pre dreadnought
Centurion_class_battleship_diagrams_Brasseys_1896.jpg
 
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JamesG

Donor
Am interested in getting people's thoughts as to if I should continue this. My original plan was to move to around 1893 and then proceed in amore detailed manner up to WW1 and beyond, but it does seem to be a timeline that has not attracted a great deal of interest and I guess that makes me wonder if a continuation is a worthwhile exercise....happy to hear people's thoughts on the matter.
I only just realised you were back after editing you're other stuff! If you're happy to continue, please do, because I'll be reading.
 
It would be interesting to see how TTL’s world wars would go, but that’s a bit far ahead in the future…
Weel, I'm at the stage where things will slow down a bit now that 1889 has been reached. There will be a few conflicts, political changes coming up now.
I only just realised you were back after editing you're other stuff! If you're happy to continue, please do, because I'll be reading.
Thanks, I will be getting on with it now.
 
I've always wondered in these situation where the bulk of the story will span both 19th centuries later, whether it should go in pre 1990, post 1900 or both TBH.
 
I've always wondered in these situation where the bulk of the story will span both 19th centuries later, whether it should go in pre 1990, post 1900 or both TBH.
If the POD is pre-1900 then it should be in pre-1900 regardless of whether or not the bulk of this is post-1900.
 
1 March 1889 - No to the Hawaiian King
1 March 1889, 192 Wellington Parade, Aurelia, Australasian Protectorate

The remainder of supper was cleared away, as the three men sat down. It was the Hawaiian King who, yet again, led the conversation. "I need allies to break the stranglehold the American's have exerted on our islands. They have disenfranchised most of the island's native inhabitants; have moved to establish themselves as the sole source of power on the islands.. It had all been very clever. We now lack the power and resources to decide our own future. Only an outside power can provide the support necessary now to effect change."

Richard Plantagenet sighed. This was the second visit to Australasia of King Kalākaua of Hawaii. What he wanted in 1889 was much like what he wanted in 1886. However, now there was a difference. The Bayonet Constitution had been promulgated in Hawaii, which sadly stripped many of their voting and civil rights. However, a series of scandals, one major and others minor, had robbed the King himself of any moral legitimacy. He looked across at the Prime Minister, who nodded.

"Your Majesty, you came here in 1886, less than three years ago. At that time, we said we would do what we could through diplomatic channels. At that time, I made it quite clear that we were bound by treaty not to interfere in affairs, particularly American affairs, North of the equator. However, as I indicated at the time, the United States involvement in Samoa may give us some wriggle room to intervene or interfere in Hawaii. As I indicated at the time, I was of the opinion that it would require a bit of a miracle to get the American influence, so deeply entrenched in the islands, to relax. Yet we made some, very tentative steps towards the Samoan King Malietoa Laupepa and the Tongan King in regards a possible Polynesian Confederation. We had just started talks with Germany that may have convinced them to relax their interests in Samoa, interests that almost brought war two years ago. We had started the process to try and deliver that miracle.

Yet, in 1887, you have embroiled yourself in the Tong Kee bribery scandal, about opium of all things. These scandals are what delivered the Bayonet Constitution, what bankrupted your position of authority. You asked for an ordinary miracle, you know, not a stupid one."

King Kalākaua pushed down his anger, his anxiety. "What about the concept of a Polynesian Confederation?"

Henry Parkes replied. "If this is possible and it's a big if, it will not be under Hawaiian leadership, I am sorry to say. It's too big a risk, for too little reward, for scant chance of success now. All I can say is this. If anything does happen, your family are welcome to come to Australasia, where you will receive all due honors.

If you wish to build more support here, all I can suggest is that you send your niece here to finish school when the time comes. She is the only heir left of your fathers seven children, am I correct in saying so?"

Kalākaua sighed. So, it was to be no help. They were right in one respect, though. His niece was the only child of the next generation. It was one of many problems facing the House of Kalākaua and Hawaii itself, he supposed.
 
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16 May 1889 - Eden gets the Navy and Army Colleges
16 May 1889, Albury, Riverina, Protectorate of Australasia

There were advantages of being the Premier of a smaller State and he supposed that this would be one of them. It had been nigh on seven years that the discussion as to the location for a suitable military academy for the Protectorate Army, as well as Navy College for the Protectorate Navy. Of course, this had precipitated any number of proposals, with 10 of the 13 states submitting proposals, with locations as diverse as Palmerston, Dunedin and Fremantle.

In the finish, it had been Eden in Riverina that had been selected. There were a few reasons for this. Firstly, it already had extensive port facilities due to it's involvements with the whaling industry, now in decline. It was set on undulating land adjacent to the third-deepest natural harbour in the southern hemisphere. This made it a natural pick for a naval college.

Because Eden is equidistant between Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania, it was put forward by some as a potential capital, but this achieved little support in the 1850's. From the Army's point of view, it was also a good location. Accessible by sea, with varying terrain such as mountains, beaches, forest and plains, all in close proximity. The settlement close to Eden, Boydstown, had failed, but numerous sturdy sandstone buildings still remained.

William Cleaver Woods was not only Premier of Riverina, but also a militia Colonel. His army contacts, as well as his political contacts, had helped secure the location for Riverina. The influx of cadets, the money spent, would all help his home state. His was not the only small state to benefit from recent army announcements. The army had selected the German Gewehr 1888 as it's new rifle and the newly built Protectorate munition works at Armidale would manufacture these under license to replace the hodge podge of weapons currently on issue.

Meanwhile, the navy had confirmed it's bases as Auckland, Sydney and Fiji, with it's slipyards at Sydney, Hobart and Williamstown.
 
Would i be correct in assuming that Australia will have a much larger and earlier tradition of mounted infantry and cavalry given the geography of Oz? possible marine corps as well if the decision makers have enough foresight since they don't have to fight any traditional territorial defensiveness from the branches since they are so new.
 
I have a question about the Australasian Prime Ministers so far.

In this post you gave Peter Lalor the position of Prime Minister (even though he wasn’t ever elected), so shouldn’t he technically be the first PM? Right now you have Henry Parkes as the first (and third) Prime Minister.
Should the list instead look something like this?


1. Peter Lalor (No Party Affiliation) 1855-1860

2. Henry Parkes (Australasian Union) 1860-1869

3. William Forster (Liberal/Labour Coalition) 1869

4. Henry Parkes (Australasian Union) 1869-1891

5. George Reid (Australasian Union) 1891-1892


I edited the list to remove Adye Douglas, who I had mistakenly put as the 5th PM
 
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Would i be correct in assuming that Australia will have a much larger and earlier tradition of mounted infantry and cavalry given the geography of Oz? possible marine corps as well if the decision makers have enough foresight since they don't have to fight any traditional territorial defensiveness from the branches since they are so new.
Initially, the focus of any national army will be home defense. For that purpose, light horse is ideal, especially considering the capabilities of militia soldiers, which form the bulk of any army.
 
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