AUSTRALIA BF 
‘dition left Melbourne to cross the continent. It was under 
the command of R. O’Hara, Burke, and W. J. Wells, 
astronomical and meteorological observer. The disastrous 
end of the expedition is well known. Several relief expe- 
ditions went in search of them, and at length the sole sur- 
vivor King was found. He had been preserved from star- 
vation by the kindly aid of the natives. Since then there 
have been many explorers. 
The first convention looking towards the political 
union of the five Australian colonies and Tasmania, was 
held at Hobart in January, 1886. Another conference took 
place in 1891, at Sydney, New South Wales, attended by 
delegates from each of the colonies. A draft Bill to con- 
stitute the commonwealth of Australia was adopted by the 
convention, and it was agreed that it should be submitted 
for approval to the Legislatures of the several colonies. 
The Bill met with success in the lower branch of but one 
legislature—that of Victoria. In January, 1895, there was 
a conference of the premiers of the five colonies at Hobart, 
and the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales passed 
a Fedral Enabling Actin November of that year, and notice 
of motion was given in cther legislatures to bring in a similar 
Bill. The first practical step was taken in 1898. A con- 
vention of representatives of New South Wales, Victoria, 
Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia, suc- 
ceeded in drafting a constitution which was submitted to 
the popular vote in each of these colonies in June. The 
Constitujion provided for a Governor-General appointed by 
the Crown; a Federal Parliament, represented by the 
Governor-General, a Senate, and a House of Representa- 
tives. The powers of the Parliament were set forth in 
thirty-nine articles, and covered trade with other coun- 
tries, taxation, coinage, weights and measures, foreign 
corporations, pensions, arbitration, etc. Free trade between 
the states of the Federation was recognized. By the terms 
of the plebiscite, an affirmative vote of substantially one- 
