Topic summary
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory and is the territory's primate city. The Australian Capital Territory is located in southeastern Australia as an enclave surrounded by the state of New South Wales. The territory was excised from New South Wales in 1911 to serve as the seat of government for the Commonwealth, in accordance with Section 125 of the Australian Constitution. Today, the ACT hosts important institutions, such as the Parliament of Australia and High Court of Australia, as well as the headquarters of many federal departments and agencies.
On 1 January 1901, the self-governing Australian colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Section 125 of the Australian Constitution provided that a tract of land, situated in New South Wales and not less than 100 miles (160 km) from Sydney, would be ceded to the new federal government. Following discussion and exploration of various sites within New South Wales, the Seat of Government Act 1908 was passed in 1908, and specified a capital in the Yass-Canberra region. The territory was transferred to the federal government by New South Wales on 1 January 1911, and on 12 March 1913, the city of Canberra was officially proclaimed as the nation’s capital.
Whilst the overwhelming majority of the territory’s population resides in the city of Canberra in the territory's north-east, the territory also includes smaller towns such as Williamsdale, Oaks Estate, Uriarra, Tharwa and Hall. The territory also includes the Namadgi National Park, which comprises the majority of land within the territory. Although a common misconception, the Jervis Bay Territory is not part of the ACT; however, ACT laws apply in the Jervis Bay Territory. The territory has a relatively dry, continental climate, experiencing warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Among the states and territories of Australia, the Australian Capital Territory is the only one that is geographically landlocked.
The territory is home to important political and governing institutions, as well as many monuments and museums. These include, but are not limited to, the Parliament of Australia, High Court of Australia, Royal Australian Mint, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, National Library of Australia, Royal Military College, Australian Defence Force Academy, and the Australian War Memorial. It also hosts the majority of foreign embassies in Australia, as well as regional headquarters of many international organisations, not-for-profits, lobbying groups and professional associations. Several major universities also have campuses in the territory, including the Australian National University, the University of Canberra, the University of New South Wales, Charles Sturt University and the Australian Catholic University.
A locally elected legislative assembly has governed the territory since 1988. However, the Commonwealth maintains authority over the territory and may disallow or overturn local laws. The Commonwealth maintains control over the area known as the Parliamentary Triangle through the National Capital Authority. Residents of the territory, together with residents of the Jervis Bay Territory and Norfolk Island, elect three members of the House of Representatives and two senators. While senators who represent Australian states have fixed six-year terms, the terms of territory senators are not fixed, but rather are governed by the opening and dissolution of the House of Representatives.
With 475,600 residents, the territory is the second-smallest mainland state or territory by population. At the 2016 census, the median weekly income for people in the territory aged over 15 was $998, significantly higher than the national median of $662. The average level of degree qualification in the territory is also higher than the national average. Within the territory, 37.1% of the population hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national figure of 20%. The ACT also has high standards of living: in 2023, the territory recorded the second-highest subnational Human Development Index (HDI) score of 0.988 out of over 1,700 in the world, just below Zurich.