In 1879, Mr. (afterward Sir) Thomas Mc Illwraith formed his first government. On 4 April 1883, he made a dramatic and sensa tional attempt to annex New Guinea, directing H. M. Chester, at Thursday Island, to cross Torres Straits and on behalf of Her Majesty's government in Queensland to hoist the British flag and proclaim the annexation to that colony of that part of the island not claimed by the Dutch. This act was repudiated by Lord Derby, who, however, on 10 Oct. 1884 declared a British protectorate over the southern part of the island; Germany seized the remainder.
In November 1883, Mc!!!wraith was de feated and Mr. (afterward Sir) Samuel Grif fith succeeded him. During his term of office a convention of Australian representatives was held in Sydney, at which a scheme for the es tablishment of a Federal Council of Australasia, drafted by Griffith, was adopted and it after ward became law by Imperial legislation. A Crown Lands Act was passed by the Griffith administration in 1884. It encouraged Crown tenants to improve their holdings, facilitated bona-fide settlement and discouraged the spec ulative acquisition of land. The first Griffith Ministry was succeeded (13 June 1888) by the second 'Mclllwraith government, which had only a brief tenure of office, being on 20 Nov. 1888, supplanted by the Morehead Ministry which lasted until 1 Aug. 1890. The second Grif fith Ministry was then formed. In April 1891, Griffith took an active part in a Federal con vention held in Sydney at which a draft con stitution for the union of the Australian colonies was adopted.
The Kanaka labor question became important about this time and the Griffith Ministry advised the reintroduction of Polynesian laborers. On 14 April 1892, the Pacific Laborers' Extension Bill was passed, notwithstanding strong objec tions urged against the introduction of colored races into Queensland. On 11 Jan. 1893, Grif fith was appointed chiefjustice. Mr. (after ward Sir) Hugh Muir Nelson occupied the post of acting Chief Secretary pending the ar rival from England of Sir Thomas McI1lwraith who, on 27 March, became Premier of his third and last administration. In October follow
ing he resigned the premiership in which he was succeeded by Sir Hugh Muir Nelson. In 1894 the great strike of shearers occurred in Queensland, leading to a reign of lawlessness which resulted in the passage of the Peace Preservation Act. In 1896 a Meat and Dairy Produce Act was passed which gave a stimulus to the primary industries. Increased facilities for land settlement were offered.
On 13 April 1898, Sir Hugh Nelson resigned the premiership and was appointed president of the Legislative Council. The task of form ing a new government was entrusted to T. J. Byrnes who gave promise of a brilliant political career which was cut short by his death at the early age of 36, after five months of office. Mr. (afterward Sir) James R.. Dickson then be came Premier. He was an ardent Federalist and exercised the power of his influence in favor of Queensland joining the Common wealth which was then on the eve of being established. He represented Queensland at a conference of premiers at which the Constitu tion, as adopted by the Convention, was slightly modified. In September 1899 the Constitution was submitted to the people of Queensland by a referendum and was approved by a large ma jority. In December 1899, a Labor Ministry was formed by Anderson Dawson; it lasted six days and R. Philp, a former colleague of Dick son, then formed a ministry. Philp held office until 17 Sept. 1903. The Labor party, having in the meantime increased in members and in fluence, became sufficiently strong to take a share in the executive government of the country, and accordingly Arthur Morgan vacated the speaker's chair and formed a Liberal Labor government in which the Liberals and Laborites were equally represented. In January 1906, Morgan resigned the premier ship and became vice-president of the Execu tive Council, William Kidston, leader of the Labor party, becoming Premier, a position he held until February 1911, when he was suc ceeded by Mr. D. F. Denham, who held office until 1 June 1915, when he was defeated by Mr. T. J. Ryan who formed a labor govern ment.