Who they were
Born in Sydney, Barton moved from law into politics and, succeeding Henry Parkes, became a leading figure of the federation movement, deeply involved in drafting the constitution.
What they did
When the Commonwealth came into being on 1 January 1901, he became its first prime minister. His government passed foundational laws for the new nation, including immigration restriction and industrial arbitration.
Legacy
He left the prime ministership in 1903 to become a justice of the newly created High Court of Australia. Barton is remembered as an architect of Federation and its first leader.