Federal Idea in Australia from the Second Half of the 19th Century to 1901

My thesis's topic is the evolution of the idea to create a federated Australia in the second half of the 19th Century. The end date of my thesis is set to 1901, when the Commonwealth of Australia was constituted. I will try to outline the main tendencies of the evolution of the federal idea. How has its form changed? How was the unification of Australia imagined by different parties? I would also like to look into the topic of New Zealand, why its government stood out of the Commonwealth. I will be using official records of the debates of various intercolonial conventions and articles from newspapers, which are digitalized. I will also be working with literature by Australian historians. I would also like to mention some frontline persons, who are responsible for the Commonwealth. Key Words: Australia, federalism, Commonwealth of Australia, unification of Australia, dominion, British Empire, parliamentary system, Westminster syste