 When the six colonies of the Australian continent federated to form a self-governing nation in 1901, Australia favoured the British model of government as they had misgivings about America's powerful postwar "monarchical" presidency.Australians also opposed the importation of "coloured labour", in part due to fears of a similar civil war breaking out in Australia.A further precautionary measure was evident in the addition of the word "indissoluble" to the Federal Constitution of 1897–1898 in Adelaide, to prevent the "political heresy" of as engaged in by the Confederacy.