The proclamation of the Commonwealth of Australia and the opening of the first Federal Parliament were grand affairs, symbolic of the optimism of a young country in an ancient land. These culminating events in the grand story of Federation were rich in the decoration and martial ceremony beloved of the British Empire. Behind these celebrations is a long and colourful story of conflicts reaching back over decades. The rivalries of the colonies, vast distances and human ambitions contrived to deny the Federal idea, while a common heritage and the very evident need for cooperation (against a background of farcical error) helped to promote it. In the end the feeling of a national identity, including a growing pride in cultural and sporting achievements, shifted the balance. This text and superb collection of historic pictures carries the story from colonial days through the developments that shaped the country and the national ideal to the great political process that finally created a new nation.