Damon Mcknight
Australia is divided into six states and two territories. Before 1901, Australia was made up of six British colonies that were self-governing but under the law-making powers of the British Parliament. The colonies united to become a nation on 1 January 1901, and the colonies became Australia's six states: New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland. The Northern Territory was formed in 1911 when the Northern Territory was transferred from South Australia to the Commonwealth. The Australian Capital Territory was created from parts of New South Wales in 1911 and 1915.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of states | 6 |
| Number of territories | 2 |
| Number of capital cities | 8 |
| Basis of division | Australia was divided into states as a result of the Federation of six British colonies in 1901. |
| First colonies | The first colonies were the penal colony of New South Wales, founded in 1788, and the Swan River Colony (later renamed Western Australia), founded in 1829. |
| Self-governance | The states are partially sovereign and self-governing, but ceded some sovereign rights to the federal government. |
| Law enforcement | Each state has its own law enforcement agencies. |
| Territories | The territories are legally subordinate to the federal government. |
| External territories | The external territories include the Australian Indian Ocean Territories (the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island), Heard Island, and McDonald Islands. |
| Territory autonomy | Some territories have limited self-government, such as the Northern Territory, Norfolk Island, and the Australian Capital Territory. |
| Territory changes | The Northern Territory's borders have changed multiple times, and in 2022, the border between the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales changed for the first time since 1911. |
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What You'll Learn
Australia's states originated as separate British colonies
Australia is divided into six states and two territories. The six states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. The two territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
The first colonies of the British Empire in Australia were the penal colony of New South Wales, founded in 1788, and the Swan River Colony (later renamed Western Australia), founded in 1829. Over the next few decades, the other colonies were created from New South Wales. Van Diemen's Land became a separate colony in 1825 and was later renamed Tasmania. Victoria was separated from New South Wales in 1850, and Queensland became a separate colony in 1859. South Australia was established in 1836 and took a "bite" out of New South Wales, with the remainder of New South Wales being divided into two by the establishment of Queensland. The Northern Territory was originally part of South Australia but was transferred to the Commonwealth in 1911.
The Australian Capital Territory, which includes the city of Canberra, was created through the cession of land from New South Wales to the federal government in 1911 and 1915. The external territories of Australia, such as the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, and Papua New Guinea, were also acquired at various times, mostly from the British Empire.
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Federation in 1901 united the colonies into states
The Federation of Australia in 1901 united the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia into states. These colonies agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in the country. The process of federation took over 50 years, with the movement gaining momentum in the 1880s and 1890s, when it was suggested that the colonies would be stronger and more efficient if they worked together.
Several conventions were held to draft a constitution for the new country, and in 1899, the draft was approved by a vote of the people in a series of referendums. On 1 January 1901, the Australian colonies united to become a nation, with the colonies becoming Australia's six states. The new constitution established a bicameral Parliament, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives, and it provided for the establishment of a High Court. The states retained their own parliaments and the majority of their existing powers, but they transferred some of their law-making powers to the federal government, which was responsible for issues such as defence, immigration, quarantine, customs, banking, and coinage.
The Federation also established a number of functions based on state initiatives, such as the Conciliation and Arbitration Court, which handed down the first federal basic wage in 1907. The Commonwealth Government also introduced invalid and old-age pensions, and Australian banknotes were issued and the Commonwealth Bank was established in 1912. The Federation of Australia had a positive impact on the country's economy, with the elimination of tariffs on interstate trade contributing to a net static welfare gain of 0.17% of GDP.
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The Northern Territory was created from South Australia
Australia was divided into six colonies between 1788 and 1859. These colonies were constitutionally connected to Britain but separate from one another. The six colonies united to become a nation in 1901, forming the Commonwealth of Australia.
On January 1, 1911, a decade after Federation, the Northern Territory was separated from South Australia and transferred to federal control. South Australia ceded the land to the Commonwealth government, deeming it “unprofitable". The land was subsequently renamed the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory celebrated 40 years of self-government in 2018, but it is not truly independent like the six states. The territory has different rights and voting power compared to the states in referendums.
The Northern Territory has faced challenges in its path to self-governance due to the harshness of its climate and its remoteness. There were four early attempts to settle the northern coast, three of which failed due to starvation and despair. The region was also considered the “last frontier” of Australian settlement during the early 20th century, with conflicts arising due to resource scarcity and the fragility of the cattle industry.
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New South Wales' boundary was set in 1828
The Colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised around half of the Australian mainland, as well as several islands. In 1825, its western boundary was set at the 129th meridian, and it was expanded to encompass around two-thirds of the Australian continent in 1828.
New South Wales was the first colony of the British Empire on the continent of Australia. Over the following decades, several other colonies were created from New South Wales, including New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), and Victoria. These new colonies steadily reduced the size of New South Wales.
In 1828, Thomas Mitchell was appointed as the Survey-General of New South Wales. Between 1828 and 1834, trigonometric surveys were conducted to map the Nineteen Counties, the officially sanctioned area of settlement of New South Wales. This map, known as the ''Dixon Map', was used as a blueprint by government officials and settlers for overseeing the development of New South Wales.
In 1829, the colony's western boundaries were extended to the limits of the new Swan River Colony (the Perth area of Western Australia). This marked the final expansion of New South Wales before it began to shrink with the creation of new colonies.
It is worth noting that the boundaries of New South Wales were never officially defined until 2001, when they were formally established by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
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Victoria was separated from New South Wales in 1850
Australia was originally divided into two halves: an eastern half named New South Wales and a western half named New Holland. During the 19th century, large areas were separated from New South Wales to form new colonies, such as Tasmania, Western Australia, and Queensland. Victoria, like the other Australian states, was originally a part of the Colony of New South Wales.
In 1849, Earl Grey, the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, introduced legislation to the British Parliament to formally establish the colony of Victoria. On 5 August 1850, the Australian Constitutions Act received royal assent from Queen Victoria. News of the Act took months to reach the Port Phillip District, and it was not until 11 November 1850 that residents received confirmation of the separation. The news sparked days of jubilant celebrations across Melbourne, with a four-day public holiday, a royal salute on Flagstaff Hill, and the release of balloons and fireworks.
The Colony of Victoria was formally established on 1 July 1851, when the New South Wales Parliament established the Victorian Legislative Council. The absolute independence of Victoria from New South Wales was established, and Charles La Trobe was appointed Lieutenant-Governor. The discovery of gold in Victoria that same year sparked the Gold Rush, bringing an era of unprecedented wealth and huge population growth to the new colony.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia is divided into six states and two territories.
The six states of Australia are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.
Australia was divided into states on 1 January 1901 when the colonies united to become a nation.
Before 1901, Australia consisted of six British colonies that were partly self-governing but under the law-making power of the British Parliament.
The two territories of Australia are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
