Skip to main content

Home

Main navigation

  • Explore the collection
    • Search the collection: RecordSearch
      • What's in the collection
      • Defence and war service records
      • First Australians
      • Immigration and citizenship
      • Proof of arrival records
      • Cabinet
      • Intelligence and security
      • Prime ministers
      • Search for people
      • Visit our other websites
      • #ArchivesAtHome
      • Stories from the archives
  • Help with your research
      • What's in the collection
      • Using the collection
      • Getting started
      • Research centres
      • Research guides
      • Research grants and scholarships
      • Research agents
      • Ask us about the collection
  • Learn
      • School visits
      • Learning resources
      • Competitions and special programs
  • Information management
      • Agency Service Centre
      • Building interoperability
      • Building trust in the public record
      • Check-up PLUS
      • GAIN Australia
      • Getting started
      • Information governance
      • Information management legislation
      • Information management policies
      • Information management standards
      • Records authorities
      • Types of information and systems
      • Information management and data capabilities
  • Visit us
      • Events and exhibitions
      • Research centres
      • Our locations
      • Cafe Constitution
  • About us
      • Our organisation
      • Our services
      • Membership
      • Employment
      • Partnerships and collaborations
      • Media and publications
      • Contact us
  • Toggle search
  • Toggle menu

Offscreen Menu

Menu

MAIN MENU

  • Explore the collection
    • What's in the collection
    • Defence and war service records
    • First Australians
    • Immigration and citizenship
    • Proof of arrival records
    • Cabinet
    • Intelligence and security
    • Prime ministers
    • Search for people
    • Visit our other websites
    • #ArchivesAtHome
    • Stories from the archives
  • Help with your research
    • What's in the collection
    • Using the collection
    • Getting started
    • Research centres
    • Research guides
    • Research grants and scholarships
    • Research agents
    • Ask us about the collection
  • Learn
    • School visits
    • Learning resources
    • Competitions and special programs
  • Information management
    • Agency Service Centre
    • Building interoperability
    • Building trust in the public record
    • Check-up PLUS
    • GAIN Australia
    • Getting started
    • Information governance
    • Information management legislation
    • Information management policies
    • Information management standards
    • Records authorities
    • Types of information and systems
    • Information management and data capabilities
  • Visit us
    • Events and exhibitions
    • Research centres
    • Our locations
    • Cafe Constitution
  • About us
    • Our organisation
    • Our services
    • Membership
    • Employment
    • Partnerships and collaborations
    • Media and publications
    • Contact us

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the National Archives' website and collection contain the names, images and voices of people who have died.

Some records include terms and views that are not appropriate today. They reflect the period in which they were created and are not the views of the National Archives.

A room with desk and chairs and cataloged books shelved on bookcases around the room.

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Learn
  3. Learning resources
  4. Learning resource themes
  5. Government and democracy
  6. Prime ministers and politicians
  7. Fall of the Deakin government and forming of the Watson government – coded message sent by Governor-General

Fall of the Deakin government and forming of the Watson government – coded message sent by Governor-General

Fall of the Deakin government and forming of the Watson government – coded message sent by Governor-General.
Fall of the Deakin government and forming of the Watson government – coded message sent by Governor-General.

Details

Learning resource record

Creator:

Lord Henry Stafford Northcote, Governor-General

Date:

1904

Citation:

A6662, 237

Keywords:

  • Chris Watson
  • Alfred Deakin
  • Governor-General
  • Labor Party

About this record

These two cablegrams form part of correspondence from the governor-general's office reporting the fall of the Deakin government to the British secretary of state for the colonies on 22 and 23 April 1904. The first cablegram refers to an amendment and is signed by Governor-General Lord Northcote. The second document begins with a coded message which was transmitted via cablegram. A translation of the coded message appears at the foot of the page.

Educational value

  • These documents refer to events that led to the first federal Labor government in Australia and the first national labour government in the world just four years after Federation. Following the resignation of the Deakin government, Chris Watson (1867–1941) was sworn in as Prime Minister, leading a minority government that had the informal support of a group of Protectionists.
  • Votes against a government Bill such as the one central to this cablegram message do not necessarily lead to a government's resignation. Labor had forced the vote to achieve an amendment to the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill so that it would apply to state public servants. Deakin had opposed the amendment and declared it to be a matter of confidence–that is, he would not continue to govern if the amendment was carried. Watson was unprepared for leadership and had no immediate chance of effecting a legislative program.
  • The documents reveal that the governor-general acted as the communication conduit between the governments of Australia and Britain through the office of the secretary of state for the colonies. Appointed on the advice of the British Government, governors-general were British civil servants as well as the Queen's representative in Australia. This changed after 1926 when the British dominions were declared to be fully self-governing.
  • In his role as Governor-General, Henry Stafford Northcote (1846–1911), played an active part in the events he reports in these documents. In the first decade after Federation, federal politics was an unstable affair with no party having a majority in either house. In commissioning Chris Watson to be the new leader rather than dissolving parliament, Northcote followed Prime Minister Deakin's advice and took a path to try to achieve some stability in the new Federation.
  • The record of the cablegram sent to the Colonial Office contains the words sent and a translation of those words. This refers to the common practice of government cablegram communications using code as a way of protecting the secrecy of the messages sent. All cable messages had to be retransmitted through many successive stations, with each retransmission adding to the risk of error and security breaches.
  • Having followed Deakin's advice by commissioning Watson to form government, Northcote later refused Prime Minister Watson's advice to dissolve the parliament to allow for a federal election following the Labor government's defeat in a vote in the House of Representatives. This was the first of the four occasions in Australia's history when the governor-general has used his reserve powers. Watson resigned and George Reid, the leader of the Free Traders, became Prime Minister.

Related themes

Theme

Gough Whitlam - Addressing the National Press Club.

Prime ministers and politicians

Discover records about past prime ministers and politicians and the major events and policies of their governments.

Theme

Demonstration against the Dissolution of Parliament by Sir John Kerr and support for Mr Gough Whitlam at Parliament House, 1975.

Government and democracy

Learn how Australia became a nation and how we make laws and elect people to represent us in Parliament.

Need help with your research?

Learn how to interpret primary sources, use our collection and more.

Get help

Acknowledgement of Country

The National Archives of Australia acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the people, their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging.

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to our newsletter

Site map

  • Contact us

    • +61 2 6212 3600
    • archives@naa.gov.au
    • ABN: 36 889 228 992
  • For researchers

    • RecordSearch
    • What's in the collection
    • Using the collection
    • Ask us a question about our records
    • Getting started with your research
    • Research guides
    • Grants and scholarships
    • Our other websites
  • For government

    • Agency Service Centre
    • Check-up PLUS
    • Building trust in the public record policy
    • Getting started with information management
    • Information governance
    • Records authorities

    For students & teachers

    • School programs
    • Plan a school visit
    • Competitions and special programs
    • Learning resources
  • Shop

    • Browse our products

    Visit us

    • Admission to the Archives is free
    • Events and exhibitions
    • Research centres
    • Our locations
  • About us

    • What we do
    • Our organisation
    • Our services
    • Our history
    • Partnerships
    • Work for us
National Archives of Australia
  • Privacy
  • Freedom of information
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
National Archives of Australia