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near Greece, and was to have a distinguished career in the
Colonial Office. While both the Letters Patent and the Order-in-Council appointing Bowen as Governor were duly published by the New South Wales Government, separation could not be accomplished until the Letters Patent had also been published
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on 10 December 1859, and this has given rise to confusion over whether 10 December 1859 should be remembered as
Separation Day or Proclamation Day. The former may be preferred, for it was only with the publication of the Letters Patent in Queensland that separation became a legal reality, though it
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as districts which were likely to become colonies in the foreseeable future. The Act inspired Lang to renewed efforts, and between 1851 and 1854 he held nine meetings to gain further support for separation. He was, in fact, preaching to the converted as the inhabitants of the northern district had
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in May 1860 for a term of five years. Bowen was to appoint their successors for life, and from the outset the nominee character of the Upper House proved highly unpopular. Attempts to amend the
Constitution to make the Upper House elected were to continue until the Legislative Council was finally
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had 26 elected members sat for the first time on 22 May 1860. In
Queensland's first parliament, there was little evidence of the party politics, which would not begin to emerge until the second elections were held in 1863. Instead, they acted with a considerable degree of unanimity to pass
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legislation that set
Queensland on its future course. The agenda largely revolved around land and immigration, primary and secondary education, extension of voting rights, state aid to religion, the census, transport, primary industry and the provision of labour.
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were all potential candidates favoured by parochial interests. Brisbane eventually emerged victorious, and the reality of a new colony moved a step closer in 1856, when the
British government agreed that the time was ripe to create a new northern colony.
179:, which enabled the creation of new Australian colonies with a similar form of government to New South Wales. In other words, they would have a bicameral parliament watched over by a vice-regal representative. Importantly, specifically mentioned were
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the following year and continued to operate as a penal establishment until 1842, when the remaining convicts were withdrawn and the district opened to free settlement. By then squatters had already established themselves on the
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Yet while they could reach consensus on the need for separation, whether a new colony would be free or unfree became a divisive issue. Lang and the majority of townspeople supporters favoured free immigration. The powerful
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in
Queensland. As Governor Bowen was due to arrive on 6 December 1859 with the Letters Patent formally proclaiming the new colony, a reception committee was organised as early as September to arrange the celebrations.
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On 10 December 1859, Bowen also appointed an
Executive Council to operate as a provisional government until a parliament had been elected. Under the terms of separation, however, it was left for Sir
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148:. Agitation soon commenced for the creation of a separate northern colony which could look after local interests, with the clamour being no less apparent in the fledgling township of
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171:. Lang's call for the creation of a northern colony in 1844 was defeated in the Council by 26 votes to seven, and matters were held in abeyance until 1850 when the
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administered
Governor Bowen's oath, after which the Queen's Commission was read to the assembled throng by the newly appointed Colonial Secretary,
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Inclement weather intervened meaning
Governor Bowen did not arrive until the evening of 9 December 1859. The following day Governor and
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fraternity was heavily reliant on cheap labour and so advocated a renewal of convict transportation. While urban growth in Brisbane and
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is celebrated on 6 June every year, the anniversary of Queen Victoria signing the Letters Patent to create Queensland on 6 June 1859.
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Among other things there was uncertainty over the location of a southern border. Lang was among many others who believed that the
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finally dictated for the former, there was still disagreement over where a new capital should be located. Brisbane,
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The following month, unofficial news was received that the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir
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Land that forms the present-day State of Queensland was excised from the Colony of New South Wales
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were welcomed by an estimated crowd of 4,000 exultant colonists when they stepped ashore at the
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The Proclamation of Queensland document, proclaimed by Governor George Bowen, 10 December 1859
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should become part of a northern colony; the New South Wales Government disagreed, and when
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can be equally accepted that this was also an official proclamation of their content.
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Separation Day was celebrated as a public holiday on 10 December from 1860 to 1920.
527:. Vol. XIV, no. 810. Queensland, Australia. 13 December 1859. p. 2.
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celebrations, Queensland being proclaimed a new colony was announced as one of the
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In the vanguard of those seeking representative government was the Reverend
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702:"Item ID1431995, Transcript of the Proclamation of Queensland document"
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in Brisbane. They were then conveyed by carriage to the temporary
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was an event in 1859 in which the land that forms the present-day
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The Letters Patent were published in the inaugural issue of the
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European settlement of Queensland began in 1824 when Lieutenant
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In 2009, Queensland celebrated its sesquicentenary, known as
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131:. The settlement was transferred to the north bank of the
679:"Item ID1431975, The Proclamation of Queensland document"
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been increasingly neglected by the government in Sydney.
489:"Proclamation Day, when Queensland became a new colony"
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Letters Patent issued by Queen Victoria on 6 June 1859
406:of Queensland for its role as a "Defining Moment".
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578:"Separation Day: the "true birth of Queensland""
326:, a building which now serves as the deanery of
650:This Knowledge article was originally based on
553:. Queensland State Archives. 19 November 2015.
656:(2008) by Dr Murray Johnson published by the
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273:Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands
519:"ARRIVAL & RECEPTION OF HIS EXCELLENCY"
744:States and territories established in 1859
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539:– via National Library of Australia.
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271:. Bowen had recently served as Britain's
614:"PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND'S 150 ICONS"
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167:, representative for Moreton Bay in the
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696:images of original handwritten document
664:licence (accessed on 10 February 2015,
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248:to create Queensland on 6 June 1859 at
46:Map of Queensland at Separation in 1859
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531:from the original on 25 February 2022
499:from the original on 14 February 2017
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177:Australian Colonies Government Act
103:in Australia was excised from the
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576:Roberts, Katy (9 December 2016).
487:David Gibson (10 December 2015).
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123:, commanding a detachment of the
739:1859 establishments in Australia
653:"The birth of modern Queensland"
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590:from the original on 11 May 2021
551:"The birth of modern Queensland"
452:"The birth of modern Queensland"
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79:Desire for better representation
371:Queensland Legislative Assembly
127:, founded a convict outpost at
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363:Queensland Legislative Council
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347:Queensland Government Gazette
159:Rev. John Dunmore Lang, 1888
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583:State Library of Queensland
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359:Governor of New South Wales
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749:19th century in Queensland
734:History of New South Wales
300:Queensland Separation Flag
252:, the border was fixed at
142:New South Wales government
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107:and created as a separate
754:Pre-Separation Queensland
706:Queensland State Archives
683:Queensland State Archives
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267:to be the colony's first
105:Colony of New South Wales
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398:In 2009, as part of the
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35:Separation of Queensland
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524:The Moreton Bay Courier
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668:on 10 February 2015).
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269:Governor of Queensland
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28:considered for merging
618:Queensland Government
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285:George Ferguson Bowen
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125:40th Regiment of Foot
263:, had appointed Sir
261:Edward Bulwer-Lytton
109:Colony of Queensland
759:1850s in Queensland
658:State of Queensland
462:State of Queensland
366:abolished in 1922.
328:St John's Cathedral
244:finally signed the
101:State of Queensland
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416:Queensland borders
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173:British Parliament
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495:. Fairfax Media.
450:Johnson, Murray.
165:John Dunmore Lang
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709:. Retrieved
686:. Retrieved
662:CC-BY 3.0 AU
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626:. Retrieved
622:the original
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711:10 February
688:10 February
641:Attribution
610:Bligh, Anna
594:25 February
535:13 February
472:10 February
222:Rockhampton
185:Moreton Bay
175:passed the
55:6 June 1859
17:‹ The
764:Q150 Icons
728:Categories
561:2 February
503:2 February
422:References
404:Q150 Icons
316:Lady Bowen
71:Separation
63:Queensland
287:and Lady
214:Gladstone
206:Cleveland
202:Toowoomba
194:squatting
129:Redcliffe
26:is being
666:archived
588:Archived
555:Archived
529:Archived
497:Archived
466:Archived
410:See also
150:Brisbane
60:Location
30:. ›
19:template
218:Ipswich
210:Gayndah
198:Ipswich
115:History
84:Outcome
660:under
628:24 May
146:Sydney
76:Motive
713:2015
690:2015
630:2017
596:2022
563:2016
537:2017
505:2016
474:2015
400:Q150
393:Q150
283:Sir
220:and
183:and
95:The
68:Type
52:Date
144:in
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