At the turn of the twentieth century, every Australian state had its own Presbyterian church, formed from unions in the nineteenth century. According to Ian Breward, in 1879, "leading Presbyterians in the eastern colonies began exploring the possibilities of meeting in federal assemblies." The Federal Assembly of the Presbyterian Churches of Australia and Tasmania was formed in 1886, as a means of drawing the constituent churches closer together. The involvement of New Zealand, seemed a possibility for a time, but then fell through.