It was characteristic of the two most powerful advocates of Australian Federation that one, at the beginning of his career and fired by a conviction of Divine guidance, should seek in Talmudic fashion for evidences of the Law in the lives and thoughts of divines, while the other, wishing to crown a long career and secure his place in history, should voice his call publicly. Thus in October 1889 as Alfred Deakin the future ‘apostle’ of the movement was engrossed in a commentary on Emanuel Swedenborg, the leonine and secular-minded Premier of New South Wales, Sir Henry Parkes, was calling for a federation of the colonies from ‘the rooftop of Australia’ at Tenterfield. The announcement was a complete surprise to Deakin, although they had held private discussions on the subject at the beginning of that year. While he was under no illusion about Parkes' motives, this unexpected support was regarded by Deakin as the ‘sign’ in the course of events sedulously searched for since that glorious prophetic fulfilment two years before. He now knew that the movement was to come to fruition.

Things moved quickly from the time of Parkes' pronouncement. An Australasian Federation Conference was held in Melbourne five months later in February 1890 to which delegates, including those from New Zealand and Fiji, were sent by their legislatures.