Places the constitutional framework of the State in its historical and political context and provides for the first time a detailed analysis of all the provisions of the Constitution Act 1902 (NSW) including their legislative history and examples of their use.

Providing an interdisciplinary overview of Australian constitutional law and practice, this Handbook situates the development of the constitutional system in its proper context. It also examines recurrent themes and tensions in Australian constitutional law, and points the way for future developments.

This book describes how ideas about federalism influenced those who drafted the Australian Constitution.