ABSTRACT
2001, in the new millennium according to the European Christian calendar, was a significant year on many accounts for Australia; it was a year which marked Australia's centenary of Federation. In a year as significant as this, we were able to witness, as denizens of Melbourne, some of the celebratory events of Federation. As an event that was marked as different to Australia Day, where annual, centennial and bi-centennial celebrations mark the arrival of the first convict ships in 1788 to establish the penal colony of Botany Bay, the centenary of Federation was represented as the “political” establishment of Australia as a modern nation-state.
