Chapter 8: Here I Come, Australia!

On April 2, 1900, after a brief three-day rest, the fleet set sail again, this time for the endpoint of their journey, Australia.

Australia, up until now, has only been a regional term. In reality, it is comprised of six colonies: Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania.

Despite the fact that these six colonies are on the same continent and share the same culture, due to various colonization issues in history and colonial strategies, they were divided into six colonies, each with their own government and without interference from the others.

Starting from modern times, the various colonies of Australia have faced some common issues, including tariffs, transportation, postal services, defense, and the restriction of Asian immigration. As a result, the colonies had to consider holding a colonial conference to discuss a uniform standard.

In November 1880, the Melbourne Colonial Conference agreed to establish a federal commission, and the largest and most developed colony of New South Wales drafted the bill for the federal commission. This was also a sign of the unification and union of Australia.

In 1883, the federal commission was established, and after a year, the various colonies began to demand support for the federal commission bill from the British government.

In 1891, Australia's first political party, the Labor Party, was established. The development of the labor union movement broke down the boundaries that had long been maintained between the various colonies, and the call for free trade and unionization between the colonies became louder.

In 1893, the federal commission held the Federal Alliance Representatives Conference in Corowa, urging and recommending that each colony take measures to prepare for the establishment of the federation.

Even as early as 1898, the Australian Federal Commission had begun preparing for a referendum on the establishment of a federation, but progress was slow due to the disorder between the colonies.

It wasn't until recently, when Queen Victoria announced that Australia would become Arthur's new territory and decided to unify the six colonies into one complete Australian kingdom, that the call for unity between the colonies began to decrease, and they began to look forward to the new Australian kingdom.

After half a month of sailing, the fleet arrived in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, on April 27.

New South Wales was the earliest colony established by the British in Australia and is currently the most populous and economically developed colony in Australia.

During the process of Australian federalization, New South Wales also had the most say and was responsible for drafting the bill for the federal commission.

Based on the situation in Australia, if one can control New South Wales, they will essentially control the situation in Australia.

At the port of Sydney, there were already crowds of people waiting to welcome the fleet. At the forefront of the crowd were the prime ministers and officials of each colony, standing in a dense row...On the Sydney harbor, the welcoming crowd had already filled the area. At the forefront were the prime ministers and officials of each colony, standing in a dense row and creating a lively scene.

On the side of the welcoming crowd, a group of soldiers eagerly awaited. They belonged to the various colonial armies and directly obeyed the orders of the Ministry of Defense and Queen Victoria.

After the fleet slowly docked, the welcoming crowd immediately erupted into strong cheers. After the ceremony and music, Arthur assisted Queen Victoria as they slowly stepped onto Australian soil.

"Long live Her Majesty the Queen! Long live His Grace the Duke!" The onlookers spontaneously burst into cheers, warmly welcoming the arrival of the two rulers.

Unlike in the Suez Canal and India, Queen Victoria did not step forward, but instead signaled with her eyes for Arthur to do so.

Arthur immediately understood and walked lightly to the front, looked up at the excited crowd, and finally stood in front of the six prime ministers.

"Your Highness, welcome home!" the six prime ministers said together.

Arthur was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized. Australia was now his only territory, and his future home would also be in Australia. Unless there were special circumstances, Britain was unlikely to return.

"You must be the prime ministers of each colony, right? How has Australia been recently?" Arthur smiled and asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. Please allow me to introduce the prime ministers of each colony to you," said the leader with a smile, with a hint of flattery.

"Uh-huh," Arthur nodded, indicating for the man to continue.

"Your Highness, I am Evan H. Parkes, the Prime Minister of New South Wales," the man continued, "These are Victoria's Prime Minister Walter Black, Queensland's Prime Minister Andrew John Potter, Tasmania's Prime Minister Richard Noble Chapman, Western Australia's Prime Minister Pierre Silvio Berlusconi, and South Australia's Prime Minister Thomas Cheek. Upon learning of your arrival, they immediately rushed from their respective regions to greet you and Her Majesty the Queen."

"Uh, were these people also called here by you?" Arthur asked curiously, looking at the excited crowd around him.

"No, Your Highness. You may not know this, but the six colonial branches of Australia are no longer suitable for the current situation. The different systems between the colonies have made trade and communication extremely difficult, causing significant problems for both the colonies and their inhabitants. People have been looking forward to the federation of Australia for a long time, and it is because of you that Australia now has the opportunity to unite. Thank you, Your Highness!" Evan H. Parkes, the Prime Minister, said gratefully, bowing to Arthur again as he spoke.

"It's nothing, Prime Minister Evan. From now on, I am also a part of Australia. Isn't it everyone's responsibility to maintain the unity of Australia?" Arthur smiled and helped up Prime Minister Evan.

"Well, Prime Minister Evan, please take me and Her Majesty to rest first. The long sea voyage has been exhausting. Also, please have these people return to their work and lives. We can't delay their work because of welcoming me," Arthur said with a smile.

"Yes, Your Highness, please follow me. I have arranged for the top floor of the government building to be cleared out. Although the conditions are not good, it is the only option for you and Her Majesty to stay temporarily," Evan Parkes, the Prime Minister, explained apologetically to Arthur and Queen Victoria as he led the way.

Before the federation of Australia was established, the Australian economy relied mainly on the sale of minerals, agriculture, and fisheries. Although it improved the situation where the colonies had to import food from Britain in the early days, it could only achieve subsistence. Furthermore, the lack of connectivity between the colonies meant that the overall economy of Australia was not developed, and its industry was very backward. The finances of each colony were also very tight. Although New South Wales was the wealthiest, it was still a far-fetched dream to build a palace that was suitable for Arthur and Queen Victoria's status.