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In Australia, the first Federal Parliament sat in Melbourne on 9 May 1901. Melbourne was never the nation's capital, but it was the only city with a building large enough to house the Federal Parliament.

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15y ago
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13y ago

Australia's Federal Parliament is located in Canberra, the national capital. Between Federation in 1901 and the construction of Parliament House in Canberra, Parliament had to sit in Melbourne, which was the only city with a building large enough to house the Parliament.

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12y ago

The first Australian Federal Parliament was opened in the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne which was the only building large enough to house the 14,000 guests. Contrary to what many people mistakenly believe, this does not mean that Melbourne was ever the capital city of Australia.

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11y ago

The first Federal Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia met in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria. This was for the very simple reason that Melbourne was the only city with a building large enough to hold all the Parliamentarians plus the guests, and because Canberra, the Federal Capital, had not even been founded yet.

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16y ago

== == The new Parliament House is located in Canberra on Capital Hill. It overlooks the old Parliament House.

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13y ago

The Australian Federal Parliament sits in Canberra, Australia's national capital.

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15y ago

Australia's Parliament House is in Canberra, the nation's capital city. Canberra is in the Australian Capital Territory, which lies within the boundary of the state of New South Wales.

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Q: In what city in Australia did the Commonwealth Parliament first sit?
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Why was Melbourne Australia's first capital?

Melbourne was never the capital city of Australia. Considerable rivalry existed between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. For this reason, it was decided that the national capital could not be either city. However, 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.


What was Australia's capital city in 1901 and 1928?

Australia did not have a capital city in 1901. The new Federal Parliament met in Melbourne, simply because it was the only city with a building (the Royal Exhibition Building) large enough to house the Parliament. However, Melbourne was never officially awarded the status of "National capital" or even "temporary capital". It was merely the temporary seat of power. Canberra was established as Australia's capital city in 1927, when the first Parliament House was constructed.


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.


Where are the houses of Parliament in Australia?

The house of the Federal Parliament is in Australia's national capital, Canberra. Each of the states has its parliament house in the capital city of that state, but parliament may meet anywhere they choose to in the state.


Why is Canberra called the political capital of Australia?

Canberra is Australia's official capital city. It is the seat of Federal Parliament, and therefore the political capital of Australia. It is not a state capital.

Related questions

Which city was used as home of the first parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia?

In Australia, the first Federal Parliament sat in Melbourne on 9 May 1901. Melbourne was never the nation's capital, but it was the only city with a building large enough to house the Federal Parliament.


What city was the first city in Australia to host a commonwealth games?

Sydney, in 1938 became the first Australian city to hosted the Commonwealth Games.


What city had Australia's first parliament house?

Canberra.


Where is the Parliament house of the commonweth?

The Commonwealth Parliament is located in the city of Canberra.


What city in Australia houses the federal parliament?

Australia's capital city, Canberra, houses the Federal Parliament.


What was chosen as the nation's first capital?

Canberra has always been Australia's capital. Prior to Canberra, Melbourne was the city where the Parliament met, simply because it was the only city in Australia with a building large enough to house the Parliament. There is a misconception that Melbourne was Australia's first capitaly city, but it never was.


In what city was federal parliament first situated?

Australian Federal Parliament first met in Melbourne, because that was the only city with a building large enough to hold the Parliament. Melbourne was never actually Australia's capital.


Where was Australia's first Parliament?

In Australia, the first Federal Parliament sat in Melbourne on 9 May 1901. Melbourne was never the nation's capital, but it was the only city with a building large enough - the Royal Exhibition Building - to house the Federal Parliament.


Which Commonwealth member has Canberra as its capital city?

Australia


In which city did the Australian Commonwealth Parliament meet before 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.


Which city will host the2006 commonwealth games?

Melbourne, Australia hosted the 2006 edition of the Commonwealth Games.


What happened in Australia on 9 May?

9 May is a significant date in Australian history.9 May 1901 marks the date when the first Commonwealth Parliament was opened in Australia, by the Duke of Cornwall and York, who later became King George V. This was just four months after the colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia. The first Parliament was held in the only building in Austalia that was large enough to house all the guests and the representatives: the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. Parliament continued to borrow the Exhibition Building until a site for Australia's national capital could be chosen, and a Federal Parliament House could be built. this is also e reason why many people incorrectly believe that Melbourne was Australia's first capital city (it wasn't).On 9 May 1927, the Federal Parliament moved from Melbourne to the newly built Parliament House in Canberra.To continue the theme, on 9 May 1988, which was the bicentennial year celebrating European settlement in Australia, the new (and current) Parliament House was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.