How did Federation affect Australia's links with England?

Answer 1

Not very much at all -- Australia ( the Commonwealth of Australia ) was still considered to have a ' Colonial status ' .

That is the six separate colonies that were in Australia prior to ' Federation ' became the ' States of ' the Commonwealth of Australia and the Commonwealth itself became ' the Colony ' .

Section 8 of the Constitution Act ( of which the Australian Constitution is Section 9 ) states that it is the Commonwealth that is to be the ' Colony ' .

The lawyers Quick and Garran who helped write the Australian Constitution described Australia's Parliament as a ' Colonial legislature '

The British Parliament could ( if it had wanted to ) pass laws that would override Australian Law . That made the British Parliament still Sovereign over Australia .

However it was the policy of the British Parliament not to do so without consulting the Australian Parliament first .

It should be noted that at Federation all people living in Australia were and remained long after - British subjects .