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."
One controversial issue in the Constitutional Conventions of the1890s was the location of the federal capital How was this issue resolved?
Australia's federal capital is Canberra. It is located within the Australian Capital Territory.
Canberra is the city in the Australian Capital Territory, and it is the Federal capital of Australia. The Australian Capital Territory was created specifically for the city of Canberra to be built there.
The Federal Parliament is in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.
The Australian Federal Parliament is located in Capital Hill, Canberra, ACT
Australia's federal capital is Canberra. It is located within the Australian Capital Territory.
Canberra, Australias capital.
Canberra is Australia's national capital, and located within the Australian Capital Territory. Strictly speaking, it is not the capital of the ACT. Rather, the Australian Capital territory, or federal Territory, was created around the site of Canberra.
The city around which the Australian Capital Territory lies is Canberra, the Federal capital of Australia. The land now occupied by the ACT was taken from New South Wales a decade after federation for the purpose of creating the capital territory around the new Federal capital of Canberra.
Canberra is Australia's national capital, and located within the Australian Capital Territory. Strictly speaking, it is not the capital of the ACT. Rather, the Australian Capital territory, or federal Territory, was created around the site of Canberra.
Parliament House is in Canberra which, ironically, is an Aboriginal word for "meeting place".
The NSW government ceded land for the new Australian Capital Territory to the Commonwealth Government, and the Australian Capital Territory was founded on 1 January 1911. However, until 1938, it was called the Federal Capital Territory. The Naval territory of Jervis Bay was ceded in 1915.The NSW government ceded land for the new Australian Capital Territory to the Commonwealth Government, and the Australian Capital Territory was founded on 1 January 1911. However, until 1938, it was called the Federal Capital Territory.