Produced by the South Australian Schools Constitutional Convention Committee 2001 Printing arranged by the South Australian State Electoral Office Australia’s Constitution  What is a Constitution? A constitution is a set of rules for governing or managing the affairs of a country, State or any  organisation, such as a basketball or football club.   These rules may be unwritten and based on tradition or conventions. Most constitutions are formal written documents that people are able to read. What is the Australian or Federal Constitution? The Australian Constitution originated in the 1890s when the delegates and representatives from the Australian Colonies drafted a document which would unite the Colonies into a federal system. The Constitution sets out the rules, principles and structures under which the national government must operate.  It establishes: ·   the structure for the federal system of government   ·   the basis for relations between the central government and the States. State Constitutions Each State has its own written Constitution. South Australia’s  Constitution was passed in 1856. The Northern Territory’s and the Australian Capital Territory’s constitutions exist as self -government Acts passed by the Commonwealth Parliament.