What sort of political scenario would be necessary in order for the peaceful unification of the British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, West Australia, and Queensland into the Dominion of Australia in 1901 to be butterflied away?
What sort of ramifications would arise from a situation in which Australia, if British, is politically balkanized? Which colonies would be the most autonomous from London? How does this affect the economic and socio-cultural development of the Australian island-continent? Any further issues?
 
What sort of political scenario would be necessary in order for the peaceful unification of the British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, West Australia, and Queensland into the Dominion of Australia in 1901 to be butterflied away?
What sort of ramifications would arise from a situation in which Australia, if British, is politically balkanized? Which colonies would be the most autonomous from London? How does this affect the economic and socio-cultural development of the Australian island-continent? Any further issues?

Western Australia nearly voted not to join. That could have made NSW even more likely to throw a tantrum and leave when the capital was made Melbourne, and then the federation is basically DOA
 
Does this have any effect on the contemporaneous South Africa federation process? Or are the realities of both countries too far apart?
 
Does this have any effect on the contemporaneous South Africa federation process? Or are the realities of both countries too far apart?
While both countries had a "Dutch" past, with New Holland and the Boers, there is almost no influence on modern day politics from the Dutch in Australia. I live in Western Australia, the part typically considered "most Dutch", and I have never met a dutch man. WA didn't want to join for different reasons, such as a desert separating the city (it's still the most isolated city in the world). There is no Boer tension in WA, and so the Boers would have no reason to think "there's another Dutch colonial country, we can hold with them".
 
Henry Parkes doesn't make the Tenterfield address in 1889, followed by the 1891 market crash. While there was talk of federation before 1889, it was Parkes who really got it going by elaborating on what shape the nation would take. The 1891 market crash would effectively wipe out any trace of the federation movement since in a market crash that severe, the colonies are going to be looking out for themselves. Uniting into a singular country is going to be the last thing on their minds.
 
There was also some talk of Tasmania trying to leave the Commonwealth of Australia fairly early on, due to a (not necessarily unjustified) belief that they were being ignored in favour of the mainland states. So if you have a 'federation collapses' scenario they might be one of the first to leave, after WA.
 
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