When the Commonwealth of Australia was formed with federation of the six colonies in 1901, following royal assent of the "Commonwealth of Australia Act 1900", it became classified as a Dominion of the British Empire. This accorded Australia somewhat greater independence, though it was legally a self-governing British colony. After the end of World War I, each of the Dominions (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa but not Newfoundland) independently signed the Treaty of Versailles, but under the collective umbrella of the British Empire. Each Dominion also became a founding member of the League of Nations in its own right. This was an important international demonstration of the independence of the Dominions.