page_title: Berrigan, New South Wales
section_title: Involvement In Federation
hierarchical_section_title: Berrigan, New South Wales / History / Involvement In Federation
caption_attribution_description: English: Gate at Berrigan Public School at Berrigan, New South Wales
context_page_description: Berrigan is a town on the Riverina Highway in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Berrigan is in the Berrigan Shire local government area and contains the Berrigan Shire Council offices. At the 2016 census, Berrigan had a population of 1,260.
context_section_description: Because of its location near the border with Victoria, Berrigan was one of the pioneers in the push for an Australian Federation. It was at the suggestion of the Berrigan Australian Natives' Association that the first meeting of the Federation League was held.  Due to its centrality, the meeting was held in Corowa.
  Berrigan historian Ian Fuzzard wrote the following in his 1965 book, Berrigan: Today & Yesterday: 
  Berrigan also had the singular distinction of playing a leading role in the creation of Federation. Very little credit was given to this town for the important lead they gave and many other bigger centres endeavoured to steal the limelight and glorification that subsequently followed in the wake of successful moved for the federation of the colonies. Three big conferences were held to discuss the aspects of implementation of Federation, these being held at Corowa, Bathurst and Adelaide. It is with the initial meeting held at Corowa in 1894 that Berrigan played such an outstanding role, as it was at the instigation and representations of the local federation league that the Corowa conference was held. Realising such an important gathering was a foregone conclusion, Albury endeavoured to see the venue and Corowa was ready to chicken out and allow its larger neighbour to take over. However, the Berrigan league stood firm on its principle that the meeting was to be held at Corowa and on their insistence Corowa was later to reap the glory of posterity. 
  Ironically the curtain was rung down on this incident without Berrigan even gaining the recognition of its efforts that were so fully deserved. A large banquet was held at Corowa on December 7th, 1900, to honour Dr Quirk and Edmund Barton (both of whom were later knighted) for the part these gentlemen played in the securing of Federation. The Advocate, reporting on the function had these cryptic remarks to say: “On a very oppressive summer night in a crowded hall, clouded with dust and smoke, guests were subjected to four solid hours of speech making in which the greatest disappointment being Edmund Barton.” The most notable omission from these lengthy speeches was any reference to the Berrigan Federation League in the part they played in the promotion of the original conference which the two honoured gents played such important parts. The only person associated with Berrigan who was invited to the banquet, was Douglas Drummond, who was a leading member of the Berrigan League, but who had at the time of the banquet, left Berrigan to reside in Lockhart. However, Berrigan at least had on ally in Corowa as the next issue of the Free Press carried a letter from a reader signing himself “Nut Cracker” in which he stoutly points out the manner in which Berrigan gains the conference for Corowa and how the locals almost allowed it to slip away.
caption: Front gates of Berrigan Public School, celebrating its centenary
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