John Forrest

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John Forrest : biography

22 August 1847 – 2 September 1918

The major political question of the time, though, was federation. Forrest was in favour of federation, and felt that it was inevitable, but he also felt that Western Australia should not join until it obtained fair terms. He was heavily involved in the framing of the Australian Constitution, representing Western Australia at a number of meetings on federation, including the National Australasian Conventions in Sydney in 1891 and in Adelaide in 1897, and the Australasian Federal Conventions in Sydney in 1897 and in Melbourne in 1898. He fought hard to protect the rights of the less populous states, arguing for a strong upper house organised along state lines. He also argued for a number of concessions to Western Australia, and for the building of a trans-Australian railway. Although he was largely unsuccessful in his endeavours, by 1900 he was convinced that better terms were not to be obtained, so called the referendum in which Western Australians voted to join the federation, and Western Australia became a part of Australia in 1901.

Forrest’s legacy

Forrest’s legacy can be found in the Western Australian landscape, with many places named by him, or after him. These include:

  • the small settlement of Forrest on the Trans-Australian Railway;
  • Glen Forrest;
  • Forrestdale;
  • John Forrest National Park;
  • Forrest Chase;
  • Forrestfield and
  • John Forrest Secondary College in Morley.

In addition, the electoral Division of Forrest was created in 1922; the suburb of Forrest, Australian Capital Territory is named after Forrest, as one of the many suburbs of Canberra named after Australia’s first federal politicians.

The Forrest Highway, opened in September 2009, was named after him. The Eyre Highway was first known as the Forrest Highway when it was first established as an unsealed road in 1942.

John Forrest is one of many railroad builders featured as a possible computer-controlled competitor in the simulation game Railroad Tycoon 3.

On 28 November 1949 the Australian post office issued a commemorative stamp that featured John Forrest.Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue Part 1 British Commonwealth