Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia is divided into six states and two territories, each with its own unique mix of environments, cultures, and rhythms. These states and territories are further divided into counties, parishes, and districts, though these divisions hold little administrative power and are rarely used by the general population. The country's capital, Canberra, is located within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which was specifically established to house the federal government. Each state has its own legislature and is led by a governor appointed by the monarch, currently King Charles III. The Northern Territory, despite being similar to a state, has an administrator appointed by the governor-general.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of states | 6 |
| Names of the states | New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania |
| Number of internal territories | 2 |
| Names of the internal territories | Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory |
| Number of external territories | 6 |
| Names of the external territories | Norfolk Island, Coral Sea Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands |
| Number of counties | 600 |
| Number of hundreds | 544 |
| Number of parishes | 15,692 |
| Number of land divisions | 80 (in Western Australia) |
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What You'll Learn
Australia has six states and two territories
Australia is divided into six states and two territories. The six states are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. The two territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which contains Canberra, the capital of Australia.
Each state and internal territory has its own legislature, although the Federal Parliament can override territorial legislation. The Federal High Court of Australia acts as the final court of appeal for all matters and can override any state judiciary. While all states and internal territories have their own judicial system, most external territories are subject to the judiciary and legislature of either a state or internal territory.
The Australian Capital Territory serves a specialized yet significant role in the Australian federation. The ACT was specifically created to house the federal government and remains deeply influenced by this purpose. It is home to several esteemed educational institutions, including the Australian National University, which ranks among the top universities globally in various disciplines.
The states and territories of Australia each have their own unique mix of environments, cultures, and rhythms. For example, Queensland is known as the "Sunshine State" for its sunny weather and beaches, while South Australia is known as the "Festival State" for its emphasis on cultural contributions and its many events and festivals. Western Australia stands out for its Indigenous culture, with a large proportion of Aboriginal Australians whose history, art, and spirituality are interwoven into the fabric of everyday life.
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The Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
The ACT is unique among Australian states and self-governing territories, as it has no vice-regal post exercising authority as the representative of the monarch. The territory has neither a governor nor an administrator. Instead, since the enactment of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988, the functions of the head of the Executive – commissioning government, proroguing parliament, and enacting legislation – are exercised by the Assembly itself and by the chief minister. The ACT is governed by the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988, which constitutes a democratic government for the territory consisting of a popularly elected Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly for the ACT, or the ACT Legislative Assembly, is the unicameral legislature of the territory. It sits in the Legislative Assembly Building on Civic Square, close to the centre of Canberra.
The ACT Legislative Assembly has 25 members, elected from five electorates – Brindabella, Ginninderra, Kurrajong, Murrumbidgee, and Yerrabi – each having five members. Members are elected for four-year terms by the Hare-Clark system, a variation of the Single Transferable Vote form of proportional representation. The current Chief Minister is Andrew Barr, who is also the Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Trade. He is the longest-serving Chief Minister in ACT history, having taken the post in December 2014. The ACT Labor Party has been in power since 2001, although they have, with the exception of 2004-2008, served in minority or coalition governments with the support of the ACT Greens. At the 2024 Australian Capital Territory election, 10 Labor members, 9 Liberal members, 4 Green members, 1 Independent for Canberra member, and 1 Fiona Carrick Independent member were elected, with Labor holding power in a minority government.
The territory is home to many important institutions of the federal government, national monuments, and museums. These include the Parliament of Australia, the High Court of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Australian Defence Force Academy. The ACT also includes the Namadgi National Park, which comprises the majority of the territory's land area. The territory has a relatively dry, continental climate, with warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters.
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The Northern Territory
Australia is divided into states and territories, with each state and internal territory (excluding Jervis Bay Territory) having its own legislature. The Northern Territory (NT), formally known as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory, is an Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regions of the country. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Australia to the west, South Australia to the south, and Queensland to the east. To the north, the Northern Territory is bordered by the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea, and the Gulf of Carpentaria, including Western New Guinea and various other islands of the Indonesian archipelago.
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External territories
Australia has six federated states and two internal territories on the Australian mainland. In addition, Australia has seven external territories: the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island. These are offshore dependent territories, and most are uninhabited.
The external territories are non-self-governing dependencies of Australia. They are regulated by an Act of the federal parliament, which determines their legal and political structure. The federal parliament has the power to make laws for all territories, including the external territories.
The Australian Antarctic Territory is the largest of the external territories, covering almost 5.9 million square kilometres. The smallest are the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, which are only 2 square kilometres. The most isolated territory is Heard Island and McDonald Islands, situated 4100 kilometres southwest of Perth.
The external territories were considered uninhabited when they were first annexed by Great Britain. Today, only Christmas Island, Norfolk Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands have permanent inhabitants.
The external territories are governed by the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. The Department of Primary Industries and Energy is concerned with fishing rights in the external territories, which extend 200 nautical miles into the surrounding waters. The Department of Science is responsible for the administration of Australia's Antarctic interests, as well as Heard Island and McDonald Islands.
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Counties, parishes and districts
Australia is divided into six states and two territories, each with its own unique mix of environments, cultures, and rhythms. The states include New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania.
Counties, parishes, and districts were historically used as administrative divisions in Australia, particularly in the 19th century. There have been at least 600 counties, 544 hundreds, and at least 15,692 parishes in Australia, although these divisions are rarely used today. Counties, for instance, are not mentioned in modern addresses or on maps and are unknown to most of the population. Instead, Australia now uses local government areas, including shires, districts, city councils, and municipalities, as the second-level subdivision.
Counties were first used in Australia since the earliest British settlement, with the County of Cumberland proclaimed by Captain Phillip on June 4, 1788. In 1804, Governor King divided Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania) into two counties: Buckingham in the south and Cornwall in the north. Parishes date back to surveys conducted after 1825, with Governor Brisbane instructed to divide the colony into counties, hundreds, and parishes. By the 1830s, several counties had been established around Sydney, including Roxburgh, Northumberland, Durham, Westmoreland, Cumberland, Argyle, Camden, Ayr, and Cambridge.
Parishes were formed by subdividing counties into smaller administrative areas, usually about 25 square miles in size. Pastoral districts, on the other hand, were created to assist in administering pastoral runs, or large areas where sheep and cattle were depastured. Smaller blocks of land in rural settings were described based on parishes, while those in towns or cities were described as being part of a built-up area.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia does have districts, but they are not used in the same way as in the US. In the past, Australia was divided into counties, hundreds, parishes, and land districts. However, these divisions have mostly been replaced by Local Government Areas (LGAs) which handle planning and community services. The state government organises services like policing, education, public transport, and health.
Yes, Australia has six states: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. Each state has its own unique culture, environment, and attractions.
In addition to its six states, Australia has eight territories in total: two internal territories (the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory) and six external territories (Norfolk Island, Coral Sea Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and Heard Island and McDonald Islands). The Australian Capital Territory, which contains Canberra, is the political heart of the country.
