Focus on Australia: Aust Capital Territory

Product Description

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) did not come into existence until 1911. It resulted from a deal done in 1899 by the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. There was considerable argument about where the capital of the new Commonwealth of Australia would be located. When the 1898 constitution referendum failed, New South Wales premier George Reid negotiated to have the capital located within his colony. The other premiers agreed, but unsisted it be at least 160 kilometres from Sydney. After a ten-year search, 2395 square kilometres of sheep-grazing country south-east of Yass was chosen. In 1911 the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as it was then known, was officially transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia. On 12 March 1913 the governor-general, Lord Denman, laid the foundation stone for Canberra on Capital Hill, where Parliament House stands today.