For much of 1902 , Barton was in England for the coronation of King Edward VII , which was postponed from June to August , delaying Barton ′ s return . Accompanying him on this trip was Sir John Forrest , Minister of Defence , and the trip was also used to negotiate the replacement of the naval agreements between the Australian colonies and the United Kingdom ( under which Australia funded Royal Navy protection from foreign naval threats ) by an agreement between the Commonwealth and the United Kingdom at the 1902 Colonial Conference . Deakin disliked this arrangement and discontinued it , moving for a substantial expansion of Australia 's own navy in 1908 . On their way home from the United Kingdom , Barton and Forrest visited Canada , including Toronto , Ottawa ( where they were guests of the Governor-General ) , and the Pacific Coast
1902 Colonial Conference
1902 Colonial Conference
Edmund Barton