Lexi Webster
The borders of the Australian states were decided through a combination of historical, political, and geographical factors. The first British colonies on the continent were New South Wales, founded in 1788, and the Swan River Colony (later Western Australia) in 1829. Over time, new colonies were created and internal borders shifted, with some territories gaining limited self-governance. The Northern Territory, for instance, was established in 1863 and governed by South Australia, while Victoria separated from New South Wales in 1850. The Australian Capital Territory was formed in 1901, and its border with New South Wales was adjusted in 2022 for the first time since 1911. Border disputes have occurred, but most physical borders have remained stable, with the exception of some territorial adjustments.
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What You'll Learn
The Northern Territory's creation from South Australia
The Northern Territory was created from South Australia to govern the vast and sparsely populated centre of the country. The land that is now occupied by the Northern Territory was part of colonial New South Wales from 1825 to 1863, except for a brief period from February to December 1846 when it was part of the short-lived colony of North Australia.
In 1862, John McDouall Stuart successfully traversed Central Australia from south to north. His expedition mapped out the route which was later followed by the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. Following this, in July 1862, the South Australian Governor, Dominick Daly, suggested to the Secretary of State for the Colonies that the territory to the north of South Australia be either erected into a separate colony or added to South Australia.
In response, by Letters Patent dated 6 July 1863, the following was decided:
> "And we do hereby annex to our Said Colony of South Australia …as lies to the Northward of the twenty-sixth Parallel of South Latitude and between the one hundred and twenty-ninth and one hundred and thirty-eighth degrees of East Longitude."
Thus, the Northern Territory became a part of South Australia, and the task of surveying and settling the land fell on the colony's Surveyor General, George Woodroffe Goyder.
Under South Australia's administration, the Overland Telegraph Line was constructed between 1870 and 1872, and the economic pattern of cattle raising and mining was established. However, on 1 January 1911, a decade after Federation, the Northern Territory was separated from South Australia and transferred to federal control under the South Australian Northern Territory Surrender Act 1907 and the federal Northern Territory Acceptance Act 1910.
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The Australian Capital Territory's formation
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), previously known as the Federal Capital Territory, is an internal territory of Australia. Canberra, Australia's capital, is located within the territory. The ACT is situated in southeastern Australia and is surrounded by the state of New South Wales (NSW).
The formation of the Australian Capital Territory was a process that began in the late 19th century. In 1898, the Commonwealth of Australia was established, and the need for a capital city was recognised. The site of the capital city was decided in 1908 with the passing of the Seat of Government Act, which specified a capital in the Yass-Canberra region. This decision was made following discussions and explorations of various areas within New South Wales. The territory was officially transferred to the federal government by New South Wales in 1911, two years before the capital city was founded and formally named Canberra in 1913.
The design of the new capital was the subject of an international competition launched by the Commonwealth of Australia in 1911. The winning design was submitted by Walter Burley Griffin, a Chicago architect influenced by the English garden city movement. The construction of Canberra and the surrounding territory involved significant planning and development, overseen by the National Capital Development Commission, which was established in 1958. The city's population grew rapidly during this period, reaching over 200,000 by the mid-1970s.
In 1978, an advisory referendum was held in the territory, with 64 percent of voters rejecting devolved government options and opting for the status quo. However, in 1988, the federal minister for the territory, Gary Punch, recommended the formation of a locally elected government. This led to the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988, which established the framework for self-government. The first election for the 17-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly was held in March 1989.
The territory includes the city of Canberra and other towns such as Williamsdale, Oaks Estate, Uriarra, Tharwa, and Hall. It is home to important federal government institutions, national monuments, museums, and foreign embassies. The ACT also hosts regional headquarters for various international organisations, not-for-profit groups, and professional associations. The earliest evidence of Aboriginal occupation in the region dates back approximately 21,000 years.
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The separation of Victoria from New South Wales
As the population of the Port Phillip District grew, residents began to advocate for separation from New South Wales. They felt that the district was not receiving its fair share of public works and infrastructure funding compared to Sydney. A Separation Association was formed in 1840, and a petition for separation was presented to the New South Wales Governor, George Gipps, in 1840. The petition was eventually considered by the British House of Commons in 1842, and the Port Phillip District was granted minority representation in the New South Wales Legislative Council.
In 1846, Earl Grey became the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies and proposed further constitutional reforms for New South Wales. In 1849, he introduced legislation to the British Parliament to formally establish the colony of Victoria. The Australian Constitutions Act 1850 received royal assent on 5 August 1850, and news of the colony's establishment reached Melbourne in November of that year. The absolute independence of Victoria from New South Wales and the creation of a new Colony of Victoria were officially proclaimed on 1 July 1851, with the establishment of the Victorian Legislative Council.
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Queensland's expansion attempts into New Guinea
Queensland, a state in Australia with a highly diverse range of climates and geographical features, shares its northern border with the Torres Strait, which separates the Australian mainland from Papua New Guinea. Queensland's attempts to expand into New Guinea were driven by commercial interests in the shipping lanes of the Torres Strait and the beche-de-mer trade.
In 1883, Sir Thomas McIlwraith, the Premier of Queensland, ordered Henry Chester, the police magistrate on Thursday Island, to proceed to Port Moresby and annex the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea, which was later named the Territory of Papua. Chester made the proclamation on 4 April 1883, but the British government disapproved of the annexation, stating that such an action exceeded Queensland's constitutional powers as a British colony. Despite this, the United Kingdom proclaimed a protectorate over the territory in 1884, naming it British New Guinea.
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The evolution of colonies into states
One example of the evolution of a colony into a state is Victoria. After years of lobbying, a dispatch from Earl Grey, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, announced the decision to separate Victoria from New South Wales in 1847. The borders were defined by the legislation Act 13 and 14 Victoria, c.59, 1850, which described the boundaries in relation to the River Murray and the colony of South Australia. Similar processes occurred for other colonies, with their borders defined in letters of patent by meridians, although determining the exact ground position corresponding to these meridians has been challenging.
Another example is the creation of the Northern Territory. In 1862, the South Australian Governor, Dominick Daly, suggested that the territory north of South Australia be established as a separate colony or added to South Australia. This proposal was accepted, and the Northern Territory became responsible for surveying and settling the new colony, which led to the successful establishment of settlements in the region.
On January 1, 1901, the colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia became states in the Commonwealth of Australia, with the exception of New Zealand. Since federation, the internal borders have remained mostly stable, with only a few changes, including the creation of the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory, and some minor adjustments to state borders. The Australian Capital Territory, established in 1909, was selected as the seat of government for the new nation, with the capital, Canberra, chosen for its virtues and potential.
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Frequently asked questions
The first colonies of the British Empire on the continent of Australia were the penal colony of New South Wales, founded in 1788, and the Swan River Colony (later renamed Western Australia), founded in 1829.
The borders were mostly defined in letters of patent by meridians, but determining the physical ground position that corresponds with those meridians has been challenging. As a result, few state borders are where they were originally intended.
The Australian Capital Territory is the only landlocked state or territory in Australia, and it was decided in 1901 that the new capital would be selected from several possible locations. Canberra was chosen in 1906.
In September 2022, it was announced that the border between the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales would change for the first time since it was created in 1911.
