Federation of the colonies

On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and voting.[90] After the 1907 Imperial Conference, Australia and the other self-governing British colonies were given the status of “dominion” within the British Empire.[91][92] The Federal Capital Territory (later renamed the Australian Capital Territory) was formed

in 1911 as the location for the future federal capital of Canberra. Melbourne was the temporary seat of government from 1901 to 1927 while Canberra was being constructed.[93] The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the federal parliament in 1911.[94] Australia became the colonial ruler of the Territory of Papua (which had initially been annexed by Queensland in 1883[95]) in 1902 and of the Territory of New Guinea (formerly German New Guinea) in 1920. The two were unified as the Territory of Papua and New Guinea in 1949 and gained independence from Australia in 1975.[96][97][98]

In 1914, Australia joined Britain in fighting World War I, with support from both the outgoing Commonwealth Liberal Party and the incoming Australian Labor Party.[99][100] Australians took part in many of the major battles fought on the Western Front.[101] Of about 416,000 who served, about 60,000 were killed and another 152,000 were wounded.[102] Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli as the birth of the nation — its first major military action.[103][104] The Kokoda Track campaign is regarded by many as an analogous nation-defining event during World War II.[105]