 The "Australian Encyclopaedia", entry under "ballot", points out that it became law in Victoria on 19 March 1856 and in South Australia on 2 April 1856; though the South Australian proposals had been made first.In Victoria there were very vague ideas about the working of a secret system of voting.Chapman's special contribution was that he devised a method that was workable, and drafted the first bill to become law in any part of the world.