The weekend will mark the pivotal moment in Australian history which many believe set the stage for the federation of the Australian colonies.
The Corowa Conference was held in 1893, and brought together representatives from New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia to discuss the possibility of forming a federation.
Before Federation, Australia was a group of six sparsely populated, uncooperative, self-governing colonies.
At the conference, John Quick, a lawyer from Bendigo and member of the Australian Natives Association, proposed a plan to ensure the involvement of the people in the decision to federate. Upon Dr Quick’s motion being accepted and later taken up by the 1895 Premier’s Conference, the people were officially involved with the Federation movement and were able to have a say in who drafted the constitution and whether that constitution would be accepted.
Until the Corowa Conference, the Federation Movement had been largely a political movement. After the Corowa Federation Conference the Federation Movement became a popular movement.
The conference is a source of great pride for the people of Corowa, and the town has since been honoured with the title "birthplace of Federation" in recognition of its role in the Federation movement.
To mark the 130th anniversary of the conference, the Corowa and District Historical Society has organised a special weekend, including an anniversary dinner on Saturday, July 29 which will include a debate on the topic of Federation.
The debate promises to be a lively and engaging affair, with experts to be invited to discuss the significance of Federation and the impact it has had on Australian society.
The weekend will also include a cemetery walk and more, with details to be released in coming weeks.
“We hope that the event will be a fitting tribute to the vision of the people who worked tirelessly to bring about Federation, and a reminder of Corowa’s role in the movement,” CDHS committee member Lesley New said.
“We will have more details in coming weeks so stay tuned.”
To learn more about the Corowa Conference, be sure to visit the Corowa Federation Museum in Queen Street.
