John Forrest had strong support by some papers and most importantly by the Legislative Council. Liberal politicians George Leake and Walter James along with late politician John Kirwan were John Forrest's major opposition and extremely pro-federation. The discovery of Gold lead to an increase in an Eastern goldfield workers and miners who disliked the John Forrest government and soon also became a strong support base for the push towards federation. Each group had their own strong ideas and reasons as well as a great deal of propaganda to support those ideas and reasons. Western Australia was clearly divided on the federation issue between 1898-1900.
At the time, the discovery of gold may have seemed like the world had had been lifted on the Forrest governments shoulders with Western Australia finally able to core out of the 3 decade rut. Ironically, however it was the theory of gold that created John Forrest with his strongest opposition to his anti-federation campaign. T"Othersiders made up the majority of the Goldfields union members, workers and miners. John Forrest despised the idea of t"othersiders gaining the wealth that should rightly fully belong to the Western Australian people. His dislike for t"othersiders caused hostility and they soon began to criticize him. The t"othersiders started to support federation in the belief that it would giver them stronger representation, more rights and protect them against Western Australian politicians.( The Debate, 2001, www.liswa.wa.gov.au/federation/index.html) The premier continued to oppose a vote on federation and the legislative council refused to hold a vote on a constitutional bill. This caused even more anger between the goldfield's residents and the Forrest government. (Separation for federation, 2001, www liswa.wa.gov.au/federation/index.html) This led to the t"othersiders to go to drastic measures.
It was at a meeting with the goldfield's residents, that the idea to have Western Australia sub-divided was put forward.
