1897 Colonial Conference

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1897 Colonial Conference
Host countryUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland United Kingdom
Dates24 June–8 July 1897
Venue(s)Colonial Office, Whitehall
CitiesLondon
Heads of Government11
ChairJoseph Chamberlain
(Secretary of State for the Colonies)
Follows1894
Precedes1902
Key points
Imperial council, imperial defence

The 1897 Colonial Conference was a conference between the

colonies of the British Empire. The conference was convened in London by Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain in 1897 on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Chamberlain's intention was to draw the self-governing colonies into closer co-operation with the United Kingdom.[1]

Delegates were sent to the conference by

Victoria and Western Australia, and the South African Cape Colony and Colony of Natal.[1]

Chamberlain proposed the creation of a permanent Imperial Council made up of delegates from the colonies to act as an Empire-wide parliament with the power to bind the colonies on imperial matters but this was rejected by the colonies due to fears of loss of autonomy. Chamberlain also propose that colonies increase their contributions to the Royal Navy but only some colonies agreed to increase their contributions and no permanent arrangement was agreed to.[1]

Chamberlain also proposed a

preferential trade but no decision was made by the delegates.[2][3]

Participants

The conference was hosted by Queen Victoria, with her Colonial Secretary and the premiers of various colonies:

Nation Name Portfolio
United Kingdom United Kingdom Joseph Chamberlain Secretary of State for the Colonies (Chairman)
William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
Sir John Bramston Assistant Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
 Canada Sir Wilfrid Laurier Prime Minister
British Cape Colony Cape Colony Sir John Gordon Sprigg
Prime Minister
Colony of Natal Sir Harry Escombe Prime Minister
Dominion of Newfoundland Newfoundland Colony Sir William Whiteway Premier
New South Wales Colony of New South Wales Sir George Reid Premier
New Zealand Colony of New Zealand Richard Seddon Premier
Queensland Colony of Queensland Sir Hugh Nelson Premier
South Australia South Australia Charles Kingston Premier
Tasmania Colony of Tasmania Sir Edward Braddon Premier
Victoria
 Sir George Turner Premier
Western Australia Western Australia Sir John Forrest Premier

[4][5]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0313262578
    .
  2. ^ "Colonial Conference". Sydney Mail. 10 July 1897. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  3. ISBN 0313262578
    .
  4. ISBN 9781876268442
    .
  5. ISBN 9780665007187
    . Retrieved 27 December 2014.

External links
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