List of Australian capital cities
There are eight capital cities in Australia, each of which function as the seat of government for the state or territory in which they are located. Melbourne was the initial capital following the 1901 Federation of Australia. In 1927, the seat of national government was moved to the newly created city of Canberra, which continues to serve as the national capital to this day.
Each capital city hosts the judicial, administrative and legislative functions for their jurisdiction. In the case of the states and internal territories, their capital cities also happen to be the most populous city in their respective jurisdiction.
The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island has its official capital at Kingston, although this acts merely as the administrative centre of government; its de facto capital is Burnt Pine.[1]
| Jurisdiction | Capital | City Population | State/Territory Population[2] | Date of statehood | Capital since | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and Australian Capital Territory |
Canberra | 381,488 | 381,488 | Has not attained statehood* | 1913 |  |
| New South Wales | Sydney | 4,757,083 | 7,410,399 | 1788 | 1788 |  Skyline of the Sydney central business district |
| Victoria | Melbourne | 4,347,955 | 5,739,341 | 1851 | 1851 |  The Melbourne skyline on the Yarra River |
| Queensland | Brisbane | 2,238,394 | 4,656,803 | 1859 | 1860 |  Brisbane's CBD, with the Story Bridge in the foreground |
| Western Australia | Perth | 1,972,358 | 2,519,321 | 1829 | 1829 |  View of Perth CBD skyline |
| South Australia | Adelaide | 1,291,666 | 1,670,827 | 1842 | 1856 |  View of Adelaide from Light's Vision, Montefiore Hill |
| Tasmania | Hobart | 217,973 | 513,159 | 1825 | 1826 |  View of the Hobart downtown district and Mount Wellington from Constitution Dock |
| Northern Territory | Darwin | 136,245 | 240,759 | Has not attained Statehood** | 1911 |  View of Darwin CBD |
*Although ACT has its own government, it is currently still considered a territory under Commonwealth rule.
** in 1911, South Australia transferred responsibility for governing the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth Government of Australia. It was granted self-governance in 1978, however the Northern Territory is still considered a territory under Commonwealth rule, not a state.
References
- ↑ Norfolk Island - Kingston http://www.pitcairners.org/vt_kingston.html Norfolk Island's Home on the Web
- ↑ "3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012-13: ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION, States and Territories - Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014. ERP at 30 June 2013