Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT, German Australian Capital Territory ) is a territory of Australia in which the capital is Canberra.

The ACT is a 2358 km ² enclave and is completely surrounded by the ostaustralischen New South Wales ( with the exception of a narrow coastal strip on the Beecroft Peninsula Peninsula with access to the Pacific Ocean).

Self-administration

The ACT has its own government but does not have the full autonomy of the Australian states. The area is governed by a Council of Ministers. The current Chief Minister Katy Gallagher is from the Australian Labor Party. Laws are passed by a 17 -member Parliament, the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly which is basically responsible for all areas of responsibility of member states, but is entitled to the municipal level. However, decisions of the ACT may be superseded by federal law. The British Crown is in contrast to other Australian territories such as Norfolk Island, Christmas Island or represented the Cocos Islands by the Australian Governor-General. The ACT is with two members of the Senate and the House of Representatives representing ( constituencies Fraser and Canberra). The deputy of Fraser and the senators also represent the population of the Jervis Bay Territory. The official symbols of the territory is the plant Royal Bluebell ( Wahlenbergia gloriosa ) and the Cockatoo.

History

Before begun in the 1820s European settlement of the area of ​​today's ACT was inhabited by three Aboriginal tribes, the Ngunnawal, the Walgalu and Ngarigo. As of 1824 gradually developed settlements, farms and small towns eventually. A farm with special historical significance was Lambrigg near Tharwa; Here bred William Farrer is resistant to rust fungi wheat variety, which helped the wheat growing in Australia for the breakthrough.

During the negotiations of the Commonwealth of Australia ( Commonwealth of Australia ) Constitution, the two largest cities Melbourne and Sydney wanted to be the capital of the newly formed state. A compromise finally saw before, to build the new capital between the two cities. The Constitution provided for the right to build the city on the territory of New South Wales, but not closer than 100 miles from Sydney. Melbourne was temporary until finding a suitable place capital of Australia.

In 1908, the choice fell on the present site. 1909 joined New South Wales provided the land to the federal government from 1910 and created the Parliament the legal basis for the formation of the territory. This was at the beginning of Federal Capital Territory, and received its present name in 1938. Interior Minister King O'Malley sat in the territory by an alcohol ban, which was valid until 1928.

In April 1911 O'Malley wrote an international design competition to become the new capital, which the American architect Walter Burley Griffin won. After the February 20, 1913 had started the survey work, the wife of the Governor General baptized on 12 March 1913, the future city on the name of Canberra. In 1915, which lies along the coast of Jervis Bay Territory was acquired, so that the capital has acquired access to the lake.

The federal government moved with the official opening of the Provisional Parliament House ( Old Parliament House) on May 9, 1927 according to Canberra, that was from that day on new capital of Australia. Gradually, the rest of the federal administration moved to the ACT. One of the first acts of the new Parliament was the repeal of Prohibition laws.

In 1988, the territory was granted the right to self-government, although this had been ten years previously rejected in a vote with 63%.

The bush fires in January 2003 focused on in the city and in the west of it lying rural areas of the ACT major property damage; over 500 buildings were destroyed.

Attractions

Outside of the city of Canberra in the ACT, there are extensive agricultural areas, which are mainly used for sheep farming and the dairy industry; also some vineyards are available. Large parts outside Canberra's take a the mountainous and covered with forest Namadgi National Park and the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. The highest point is the summit of Mount Bimberi at an altitude of 1912 meters.

Localities within the territory are Williamsdale, Naas, Tharwa and Hall. Directly on the border to the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex ( CDSCC ), part of the worldwide Deep Space Network NASA.

Universities

• Australian National University ( ANU), Canberra
• University of Canberra (UC ), Canberra
• Australian Catholic University ( ACU), Signadou Campus, Canberra
• Charles Sturt University, Canberra Campus, Canberra
• Australian Defence Force Academy ( ADFA ), Canberra