| Northern TerritoryThe Northern Territory was part | | | | constitutional rights. It is represented in the Federal |
| of New South Wales from 1825 to 1863. It was then | | | | Government by two members in the House of |
| divided from that colony and became a part of South | | | | Representatives and two Senators.While there was a |
| Australia (1863 - 1911). In 1911, ten years after it was | | | | referendum put forth in 1998 for the Territory to |
| federated, control was separated from South | | | | become a State, it was defeated. This surprised both |
| Australia to the Commonwealth of Australia. For a | | | | the Territorial Government and the Commonwealth |
| short period of time between 1926 and 1931, the | | | | because polls had indicated that most Territorians |
| Territory was divided at the 20th parallel of the | | | | supported statehood. It is thought that the defeat |
| south latitude. The new territories were North | | | | was caused by the Federal Government's offer of |
| Australia and Central Australia. However, the Act | | | | three Senators, as opposed to the normal twelve, |
| which had established this division was repealed in | | | | which Australian States have, and the Territorians |
| 1931, and the Territory reverted to the original | | | | possibly were not pleased with this offer. However, |
| name.As with all of the Territories and States of | | | | under the Australian Constitution, the Federal |
| Australia, the first people to inhabit it were Aboriginals | | | | Government is allowed to set forth the terms of |
| who came from Southeast Asia as far back as | | | | entry to Statehood. Because of the scarcity of |
| 40,000 years ago. Their history is traced through oral | | | | population in the Territory, an equal number of |
| narration handed down from generation to | | | | Senate seats would have meant that a Territorian's |
| generation, and in rock art, which has been studied | | | | vote for a Senator would be worth more than thirty |
| by archaeologists from around the world.The first | | | | votes in any of the States.Northern Territory covers |
| recorded sighting of the Territory was made by a | | | | 1,420,968 sq. km. (548,848 sq. mi.), but in all of this |
| Dutch vessel in 1623. However, chances are that | | | | huge harsh area, there are only 200,800 residents, |
| other Europeans had visited the coastline long before | | | | making it the eighth in population of States and |
| that. The Dutch influence was evident on maps from | | | | Territories. While there are many small settlements |
| that time, and in names which were given to islands, | | | | throughout the Territory, the largest population |
| capes, and gulfs.John Stuart became the first | | | | centers are located between Darwin and South |
| explorer to cross the territory from its south end to | | | | Australia on the sole paved road called the Stuart |
| the north. His exploration preceded the coming of the | | | | Highway.Of special interest is that the Northern |
| Overland Telegraph line, which followed his trail and | | | | Territory is the location of two wondrous and |
| linked Australia to the rest of the world. The | | | | magnificent rock formations - Uluru (Ayers Rock) and |
| telegraph facilitated the opening of the region for | | | | Kata Tjuta (The Olgas).Australian Capital |
| colonization and settlement. Once the lines were | | | | TerritoryAlthough the smallest in area of the States |
| installed from Darwin to Adelaide (completed in 1872), | | | | and Territories, the population of the Australian |
| settlers (called pastoralists) were more inclined to | | | | Capital Territory outnumbers that of the Northern |
| lease properties in the settlement of Centre. The | | | | Territory. The ACT, as it is called "down under", is |
| event that caused the largest influx of immigrants | | | | located in south eastern New South Wales in an area |
| was the discovery of alluvial gold at a settlement | | | | known as "bushland".The concept for the ACT came |
| about 100 km. (62.5 mi.) east of Alice Springs in | | | | about in the 1800s during the Federal Conventions. |
| 1887.The city of Darwin was founded in 1869, and is | | | | There had been ongoing contention between |
| the Territorial capital. It's Australia's most northerly | | | | Sydney, New South Wales and Melbourne, Victoria |
| port. The population increased after gold was | | | | about which of them should be the National Capital. |
| discovered at nearby Pine Creek in 1871. Today's | | | | The Conventions agreed that there needed to be a |
| population exceeds 105,000, which is the largest | | | | neutral Territory established in which to build a |
| concentration of people in the entire Territory. The | | | | separate and new Capital. When the Australian |
| unofficial nickname for this beautiful port city is "The | | | | Constitution was enacted, it provided that, following |
| Gateway to Asia". Its location is called, locally, the | | | | the Federation of the States in 1901, land would be |
| "Top End".Alice Springs was called Stuart Township | | | | ceded to the new Federal Government for this |
| until 1933. Until then Alice Springs was the name of | | | | purpose.Three sites were on a list of options - |
| the telegraph station, which was the site of the | | | | Bombala, Yass-Canberra, and Orange (all in New |
| original white settlement in Central Australia. This | | | | South Wales). The site for the ACT (Yass-Canberra) |
| caused so much confusion for the administrators in | | | | was chosen in 1908 by the Commonwealth |
| Adelaide that in August of 1933, the township was | | | | Parliament and the Commonwealth Surveyor was |
| officially renamed Alice Springs.Another town of note | | | | sent to stake out the site for Capital Hill. NSW signed |
| is Tennant Creek. It takes its name from the nearby | | | | over the Territory in 1911, and the construction of |
| watercourse so named in 1860 by John Stuart, in | | | | the Capital began in 1913. The official name of the |
| honor of John Tennant who assisted him financially in | | | | city became Canberra during the ceremony in which |
| his explorations. Local legend says that the | | | | the laying of the foundation stone for Capital Hill was |
| settlement started in 1934 when a man's beer | | | | performed.In the late 1980s, the Federal Government |
| wagons bogged down in the mud from the seasonal | | | | deemed that the ACT needed its own system of |
| rains. Rather than dig them out, he built his stores | | | | self-government. Legislation was enacted in 1988, and |
| around them and the town sprang up from there. | | | | the Territory held an election in 1989 to put into |
| While the story is not true, it does very colorfully | | | | place the First ACT Legislative Assembly. This |
| draw a picture of the sort of settlers who | | | | Assembly is composed of seventeen Members. It is |
| established the town.One more town, which should | | | | unique in that the Crown does not play a direct part |
| be noted here, is Katherine. It also developed once | | | | in its legislation. If a Bill is passed by the Assembly, it |
| the Overland Telegraph line was in place and | | | | is gazetted (posted in the Gazette) by the Chief |
| operational. In 1879 two men, Alfred Woods and | | | | Minister and it then becomes a part of the law of the |
| Alfred Giles, brought in stock and began a | | | | Australian Capital Territory.The ACT is the smallest |
| homestead, which they named Spring Vale. Their | | | | (8th in size) of the six States and two Territories. It |
| original Homestead is the oldest in the Northern | | | | covers 2358 sq. km. (910 sq. mi.). The total population |
| Territory and is open to the public as a part of the | | | | at the end of March 2005 was 325,100, which puts it |
| Territory's historical heritage.The government of the | | | | in seventh place in population. The area is not all |
| Northern Territory is one of Legislative Assembly. It | | | | urban. There is also agricultural land and a large |
| is still a Constitutional Monarchy, but has an | | | | National Park within its borders. Canberra is the site |
| Administrator and a Chief Minister. The Assembly | | | | of the Canberra Deep Space Communications |
| does have about the same powers as the | | | | Complex, which is operated by the National |
| governments of the States of Australia, but it does | | | | Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a |
| so by the delegation of powers from the | | | | part of its Deep Space Network. |
| Commonwealth Government, rather than by | | | | |