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Why is Sydney Not the Capital of Australia | Australia Facts

why is sydney not the capital of australia

Was Sydney a capital city?

While many might think Sydney is the Capital of Australia, that is not true! Sydney is and was not the Capital of Australia. Sydney is a well known city with many famous tourist attractions such as the Opera House (which we often see its appearance in movies like the Independence Day, Pacific Rim or even the Godzilla movie), no wonder why many people would think Sydney is the capital city!

Why isn’t Sydney the capital of Australia?

To answer this question, we will have to look back in the history! So back in 1908 the site of the nation’s capital was chosen between the two rival cities, you can probably guess and yes they are Sydney and Melbourne! Following a long dispute over Sydney or Melbourne which one of them should be the national city of Australia, it did not receive enough votes to pass in New South Wales. As a compromise, the new Capital would be built somewhere within New South Wales however but no less than 160 km away from Sydney. In 1902, the search for a suitable site for a new capital began. Throughout that time, many different sites were considered such as Albury, Tamworth and Orange. In October 1908, Yass-Canberra was confirmed as the nation’s capital and it was passed by the Parliament.

If you are interested to learn more about the history of the National Capital, you should definitely check out the official website.

What is capital city of Australia?

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. The Seat of Government Bill, confirming Yass-Canberra as the nation’s capital in October 1908. Parliament House in Canberra is home to the Australian Parliament. Canberra houses dozens of Federal buildings, Parliament House, High Court and War Memorial. These are also some of the attractions of this beautiful city.

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