What was life like living in post-Federation, pre-war Australia (1900-1914)?

Question

For example (and these are what I need help with the most):

- City and Country Life

- Entertainment/Leisure Activities

- Famous People of the 1900s (and some good information sites if necessary)

Thanks!

P.S. I have been doing my own research, I was just wondering if anyone else could help me at all.

P.P.S. And yes, I do know that Federation was in 1901, but I'm ideally going from turn-of-the-century.

Answer 1

This is the immediate post Federation period of Australia history.

In terms of the British Empire which still existed and which Australia was still part of - it was the Edwardian period. King Edward VII had taken over from his mother Queen Victoria.

Appart from the larger cities of Sydney and Melbourne, Australia was mainly rural. It depended on exports of wool and wheat to Great Britain.

Entertainment revolved around sport, Rugby League and Rugby Union and Cricket for the men and Tennis for both sexes and some swimming and Netball and Horseback riding for those fortunate enough to have a horse.

For those living in the city there was some very occasional opera and ballet and other theatre. But these forms of entertainment were in their infancy in Australia. You would look to Dame Nellie Melba as the first outstanding Opera performer to come out of Australia at this time.

http://www.awm.gov.au/forging/australian...

http://www.rba.gov.au/CurrencyNotes/Note...

http://www.whitehat.com.au/Australia/Peo...

http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A...

http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourn...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Melb...

You can look up Australia's early prime ministers at

http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/meetpm....

http://www.nma.gov.au/education/school_r...

Origins of Australias involvement in WW I started in this period which was affluent and resulted in some nations having expansionist policies - hence they went to war.

http://users.cyberone.com.au/ibuckley/ww...

http://www.australiaday.com.au/studentre...

http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/s...

Some Australians were very opposed to conscription introduced by the Australian government to get soldiers to fight Britains war.

http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-14_u-42_t-47...

http://dl.filmaust.com.au/module/3/

http://www.actf.com.au/learning_centre/s...

http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/Pubs/RN/20...

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007...

Some other sites

http://www.treasury.gov.au/documents/110...

http://www.spx.nsw.edu.au/src/history.ht...

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-army...

http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/topics/tr...

Governors General since 1901

http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/people/a...

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/h...

http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/a...

The National Library Site may give you other information too

http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/gov/

Reserve Bank pre WW I

http://www.rba.gov.au/Speeches/1998/sp_d...

http://www.noble.com.au/auctions/catalog...

Commonwealth Bank

http://about.commbank.com.au/display/0,1...

Farming in Australia 1900 to 1920

This site show the Chinese market gardeners

http://www.chia.chinesemuseum.com.au/bio...

Market Gardens in Western Australia

http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au/wepon/land/ht...

Coffee Growing in Australia

http://www.australiancoffee.com/articles...

Migration

http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/...

http://www.jcu.edu.au/aff/history/articl...

Australian Economy

http://www.anz.com.au/business/info_cent...

Chinese heritage

http://www.chaf.lib.latrobe.edu.au/abstr...

Australian Women & voting

http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/library/l...

http://www.abc.net.au/ola/citizen/women/...

http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/Australi...

http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE...

High Court Established

http://www.hcourt.gov.au/about_02.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Court_...

http://www.naa.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitio...

Wool Growing in Australia

http://www.uow.edu.au/content/groups/pub...

http://about.elders.com.au/heritage/toda...

http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Wool

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collecti...

The Powerhouse Museum site is full of historical stuff. You are sure to find some relevant stuff here.

http://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/libra...

The story of Geelong is tied into the Western Districts which is Australias major fine wool growing dirtrict.

Australian Culture at this time

http://www.culture.gov.au/articles/bush/

This is a large paper with the period you are seeking in it

http://www.dtf.wa.gov.au/cms/uploadedFil...

This has a section in it on wheat growing in the early 20th ccentury

http://www.agrifood.info/perspectives/20...

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/we...

http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/sa/ind...

Famous Austalians

http://home.iprimus.com.au/crothwell/fam...

Flynn of the Inland

http://www.wilmap.com.au/people/flynn.ht...

Nancy Bird Walton

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/n...

http://www.australianbiography.gov.au/su...

http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP...

Charles Kingsford Smith

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/k...

http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A...

Charles Gavan Duffy

http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/speaker...

http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A...

Shakleton, Mawson & Scott's expediton to Antartica

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/shackleton/...

http://www.shackleton-endurance.com/

http://www.icssydney.com.au/media/docs/a...

http://www.shackleton-endurance.com/imag...

This should be a start. I know that in some of the sites you are going to have to search out the relevant parts. This is best that I could do. Actually it is a topic that I find interesting myself. That is why I have gotten so many sites

Cheers!!!