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| established this division was repealed in | | | | Australian States have, and the Territorians |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