Why is the Federation of Australia important?

Question

Dont just say it is also say why?

Answer 1

Before federation Australia was divided into six separate colonies, each behaving like a separate country.   People living in one colony crossing into another had to go through border checks and customs just like entering another country.

The independent nature of all of these colonies also created cross border problems.  Taxation and customs laws were different for each colony.   There were three incompatible rail guages in use by the various rail companies in each colony.  This alone delayed the construction of the national coast to coast Indian-Pacific railroad for more than 150 years.  Passengers and cargo where highly inconvenienced by having to change to a different train on a different rail guage when travelling to other colonies.  

In recent years Federation has given Australia uniform road laws (and signage) across the nation.  Drivers licenses now have uniform categories and tests nationally.   The other benefit of the federation is that states requiring aid for economic or cost of transport reasons such as Tasmania and South Australia get a bigger cut of the taxation pie which is governed by the federal constitution and acted on by the Federal Government.   They also instituted nation wage standards (and a CPI indexed minimum wage), national health and pension schemes and built the national highway linking all Mainland States and territories.  Only recently the Federal government created a body uniting 3 separate state committees to make better use of the limited water resources of the Murray-Darling river system.   Australians as a whole get a fairer, more consistent and efficient national system as a result.

Answer 2

Well because it was when we actually became a country in our own right and not just separate colonies of Britain.

There were so many people being born in Australia and calling it home but they were so far from britain on a completely different land with different values and without an actual combined country to call home. It's when we got the right to be called Australians. It's a massive moment in our history because it's when we got to be people of a country, not Britain, cos we weren't British.

'We are young and free'

Answer 3

Otherwise each state would be a seperate country with its own laws, military, immigration etc