Why did Canberra become the capital city of Australia?

Answer 1

Melbourne and Sydney were both of the opinion that they were premier city of Australia and were not willing to cooperate with the other in setting up a capital in either city. So having nothing to loose but taxpayers money a new city was created in the middle of nowhere that no one would disagree with.

Answer 2

Although Australia's two largest and wealthiest cities were Sydney and Melbourne, rivalry between them since before the goldrush days essentially prohibited either city from becoming the national capital. It was therefore decided that the nation's capital should be situated between the two cities. However, the capital could not be on the coast, as it was felt that this would render the nation's capital vulnerable to attack from enemy ships. Climate and setting were also important: the climatto could not be warm and tropical, as there were concerns this could lead to "torpor" for the country's top decision makers, and the setting needed to be elevated with a grand outlook, so surrounding mountains were desirable.

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."

Although the first preferred site was Dalgety, this was discounted as being too close to Melbourne and too far from Sydney. 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.

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

Canberra was established purely for the purpose of being the capital city of the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia.

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 not be either of these cities, but situated between the two. 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.

Answer 5

Melbourne and Sydney both vied to become the capital of Australia. However, Canberra was chosen in 1908 as a diplomatic compromise.