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In which city did the Australian Commonwealth Parliament meet before Canberra?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Prior to the construction of the Australian Parliament House, the Federal Parliament met in Melbourne, capital city of Victoria, for the simple reason that it was the only city with a building large enough to house the parliament.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoAustralia has only ever had one capital city, and that was and is Canberra.
It is often thought that Melbourne was the temporary national capital from federation in 1901 until the opening of Canberra in 1927. In actuality, Melbourne was never officially the capital city of Australia, but it was the temporary seat of power in Australia - a fine line of difference. From 1901 to 1927, the Australian Parliament met in Parliament House, Melbourne, which it borrowed from the parliament of the state of Victoria, which in turn sat in the Exhibition Building.
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Why did Australia's capital change?
Australia's capital never changed. There was no capital when the colonies federated to form the states of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. It was several years before the site for Canberra was selected, and the foundations were not dug until 1913.Melbourne was the temporary seat of power in Australia - a fine line of difference. From 1901 to 1927, the Australian Parliament met in Parliament House, Melbourne, which it borrowed from the parliament of the state of Victoria, which in turn sat in the Exhibition Building. This had to occur whilst the city of Canberra and Parliament House was being built.
Where did Australia's Federal Parliament meet before the construction of Canberra?
Prior to the construction of the Australian Parliament House, the Federal Parliament met in Melbourne, capital city of Victoria, for the simple reason that it was the only city with a building large enough to house the parliament.
What was the former capital of Australia?
It is often thought that Melbourne was the temporary national capital from federation in 1901 until the opening of Canberra in 1927. In actuality, Melbourne was never officially the capital city of Australia, but it was the temporary seat of power in Australia - a fine line of difference. From 1901 to 1927, the Australian Parliament met in Parliament House, Melbourne, which it borrowed from the parliament of the state of Victoria, which in turn sat in the Exhibition Building. Sydney was never the capital, or even acting capital of Australia.
Where was federal government located before canberra was built?
Melbourne, see Parliament of Australia on Wiki :)
Why was parliament held in Melbourne prior to Canberra being built?
At Federation, on 1 January 1901, Canberra did not exist as a city or even a town, and it was only surveyed in 1913. The first Australian Parliament following Federation of the states met on 9 May 1901 in the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne. This was because it was the only building in any Australian city that was large enough to house the entire Australian parliament. From 1901 to 1927, Parliament met in Parliament House, Melbourne, which it borrowed from the parliament of the state of Victoria, which also sat in the Exhibition Building.
When was Canberra chosen to be the capital of Australia?
The city of Canberra was built for the purpose of it becoming the national capital of Australia, and land for the Australian Capital Territory (originally Federal Territory of Australia) was purchased from New South Wales for the purpose.Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, had been rivals since before the goldrush days. After Federation in 1901, it was therefore decided that the nation's capital should be situated between the two cities. A location was chosen which was 248km from Sydney and 483km from Melbourne.Section 125 of the Constitution of Australia provided that:"The seat of Government of the Commonwealth shall be determined by the Parliament, and shall be within territory which shall have been granted to or acquired by the Commonwealth, and shall be vested in and belong to the Commonwealth, and shall be in the State of New South Wales, and be distant not less than one hundred miles from Sydney.Such territory shall contain an area of not less than one hundred square miles, and such portion thereof as shall consist of Crown lands shall be granted to the Commonwealth without any payment therefore. The Parliament shall sit at Melbourne until it meets at the seat of Government."Once it was decided that Australia's capital would be neither Melbourne nor Sydney, the Federal Capital Territory was founded, on 1 January 1911, in the Yass-Canberra district. The Yass/Limestone Plains area, where Canberra now stands, had actually been settled as far back as the 1820s.From 1901 to 1927, the Australian Parliament met in Parliament House, Melbourne, which it borrowed from the parliament of the state of Victoria, which in turn sat in the Exhibition Building. However, Melbourne was never the capital city of Australia.
Why did Federal Parliament move to Canberra?
Quite simply, Canberra is the capital of Australia. Following Federation of the states, agreement could not be reached on whether Sydney (which was the older and larger city) or Melbourne (which was the richer city) should be the capital of Australia. There was a stalemate as neither would agree to the other being the capital. Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, had been rivals since before the goldrush days. It was therefore decided that the nation's capital should be situated between the two cities. Section 125 of the Constitution of Australia provided that: "The seat of Government of the Commonwealth shall be determined by the Parliament, and shall be within territory which shall have been granted to or acquired by the Commonwealth, and shall be vested in and belong to the Commonwealth, and shall be in the State of New South Wales, and be distant not less than one hundred miles from Sydney. Such territory shall contain an area of not less than one hundred square miles, and such portion thereof as shall consist of Crown lands shall be granted to the Commonwealth without any payment therefore. The Parliament shall sit at Melbourne until it meets at the seat of Government." A location was chosen which was 248km from Sydney and 483km from Melbourne. The federal parliament sat in Melbourne until then, as Melbourne was the only city with a building large enough to house parliament. It could not move until the Parliament building was built in Canberra. This is now called "Old Parliament House" as a new parliament was opened in 1988. Parliament moved to Canberra in 1927.
What was Australia's capital city before Canberra'?
It is often thought that Melbourne was the temporary national capital from federation in 1901 until the opening of Canberra in 1927. In actuality, Melbourne was never officially the capital city of Australia, but it was the temporary seat of power in Australia - a fine line of difference. From 1901 to 1927, the Australian Parliament met in Parliament House, Melbourne, which it borrowed from the parliament of the state of Victoria, which in turn sat in the Exhibition Building. Sydney was never the capital, or even acting capital of Australia.
Did canberra open in 1925?
Canberra is a city, so it did not "open" at a particular time. It was officially founded with the turning of the first sod of earth in 1913, and it gradually grew from there. The original Parliament House opened in 1927, but there were people living in Canberra many years before that.
Why was Canberra built where it is?
Canberra is the national capital of Australia. The reason Canberra was chosen as the location of the national capital was that Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, had been rivals since before the goldrush days. It was therefore decided that the Australian capital should be situated between the two cities. A location was chosen which was 248km from Sydney and 483km from Melbourne, within easy access of both cities. Farming land was taken up for this purpose. Section 125 of the Constitution of Australia provided that: "The seat of Government of the Commonwealth shall be determined by the Parliament, and shall be within territory which shall have been granted to or acquired by the Commonwealth, and shall be vested in and belong to the Commonwealth, and shall be in the State of New South Wales, and be distant not less than one hundred miles from Sydney. Such territory shall contain an area of not less than one hundred square miles, and such portion thereof as shall consist of Crown lands shall be granted to the Commonwealth without any payment therefore. The Parliament shall sit at Melbourne until it meets at the seat of Government."
Why is the federal Parliament located in Canberra?
The city of Canberra was built for the purpose of it becoming the national capital of Australia, and land for the Australian Capital Territory (originally Federal Territory of Australia) was purchased from New South Wales for the purpose.Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, had been rivals since before the goldrush days. After Federation in 1901, it was therefore decided that the nation's capital should be situated between the two cities. A location was chosen which was 248km from Sydney and 483km from Melbourne.Section 125 of the Constitution of Australia provided that:"The seat of Government of the Commonwealth shall be determined by the Parliament, and shall be within territory which shall have been granted to or acquired by the Commonwealth, and shall be vested in and belong to the Commonwealth, and shall be in the State of New South Wales, and be distant not less than one hundred miles from Sydney.Such territory shall contain an area of not less than one hundred square miles, and such portion thereof as shall consist of Crown lands shall be granted to the Commonwealth without any payment therefore. The Parliament shall sit at Melbourne until it meets at the seat of Government."Once it was decided that Australia's capital would be neither Melbourne nor Sydney, the Federal Capital Territory was founded, on 1 January 1911, in the Yass-Canberra district.
Is Canberra the capital of Australia?
Yes. Canberra has always been the capital of Australia. Although the city was only used as a capital from 1927, there was no other capital of Australia before then. There is a misconception that Melbourne was once the capital of Australia because it housed the Federal parliament for 27 years. The only reason for this was that Melbourne was the only Australian city with a building large enough to hold the Parliament. Melbourne was never the capital of Australia.
