<P> In 1856, under a new Constitution, the New South Wales Parliament became bicameral with a fully elected Legislative Assembly and a fully appointed Legislative Council with a Government taking over most of the legislative powers of the Governor . On 22 May 1856, the newly constituted New South Wales Parliament opened and sat for the first time . The right to vote for Legislative Assembly was extended to all adult males in 1858 . </P> <P> In 1901, the six Australian colonies united to form the federal Commonwealth of Australia . The first election for the Commonwealth Parliament in 1901 was based on the electoral laws at that time of the six colonies, so that those who had the right to vote and to stand for Parliament at state level had the same rights for the 1901 Australian federal election . Only in South Australia (since 1895) and Western Australia (since 1899) did women have a vote . Tasmania retained a small property qualification for voting, but in the other states all male British subjects over 21 could vote . Only in South Australia (which included the Northern Territory) and Tasmania were indigenous Australians even theoretically entitled to vote . A few may have done so in South Australia . Western Australia and Queensland specifically barred indigenous people from voting . </P> <P> In 1902, the Commonwealth Parliament passed the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902, which established a uniform franchise law for the federal Parliament . The Act declared that all British subjects over the age of 21 years who had been living in Australia for at least 6 months were entitled to a vote, whether male or female, and whether married or single . Besides granting Australian women the right to vote at a national level, it also allowed them to stand for election to federal Parliament . This meant that Australia was the second country, after New Zealand, to grant women's suffrage at a national level, and the first country to allow women to stand for Parliament . However, the Act also disqualified Indigenous people from Australia, Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands, with the exception of Māori, from voting, even though they were British subjects and otherwise entitled to a vote . By this provision, Indian people, for example, were disqualified to vote . The only exception was in relation to those who were entitled under Section 41 of the Australian Constitution to a vote . Section 41 states that any individual who has gained a right to vote at a state level, must also have the right to vote in federal elections . The then Solicitor - General, Robert Garran, interpreted the provision to mean that Commonwealth voting rights were granted by section 41 only to people who were already State voters in 1902 . The effect was not to enable those who subsequently acquired the right to vote at a State level, but who were expressly excluded from the franchise by the 1902 Act, such as Indigenous Australians, to also vote at the federal level . Also, those otherwise entitled voters who are subject to a crime which carries a penalty of over one year in prison are disqualified to vote . There was also no representation for any of the territories of Australia . </P> <P> In the meantime, State franchise laws continued in force until each one chose to amend them . </P>

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