<P> However, in the modern sense of the term, the first self - governing colony is generally considered to have been the Province of Canada, in 1841; the colony gained responsible government in 1849 . All the colonies of British North America became self - governing between 1848 and 1855, except the Colony of Vancouver Island . Nova Scotia was the first colony to achieve responsible government in January--February 1848 through the efforts of Joseph Howe, followed by the Province of Canada later that year . They were followed by Prince Edward Island in 1851, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland in 1855 under Philip Francis Little . The Canadian colonies were federated as a Dominion in 1867, except for Newfoundland, which remained a separate self - governing colony, was a separate Dominion in 1907 - 1934, reverted to being a crown colony in 1934, and joined Canada in 1949 . However, the term "self - governing colony" is not widely used by Canadian constitutional experts . </P> <P> In Australasia, the term self - governing colony is widely used by historians and constitutional lawyers in relation to the political arrangements in the seven British settler colonies of Australasia--New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia--between 1852 and 1901, when the six Australian colonies agreed to Federation and became a Dominion . New Zealand remained a separate colony until 1907, when it too became a Dominion . </P> <P> In southern Africa, the Cape Colony was granted representative government in 1852, followed by responsible government in 1872 . Natal became self - governing in 1893, Transvaal in 1906 and Orange Free State in 1908 . These four colonies were united as a unitary Dominion, the Union of South Africa, in 1910). Southern Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe), became a self - governing colony in 1923 . </P> <P> Malta was also a self - governing colony between 1921 and 1933, 1947 and 1958, and 1962 until independence two years later . </P>

What document is the first instance of self-government in the english colonies