The Australian Empire

John Murray’s fanciful 1838 ‘Map of Proposed Divisions of Australia’

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Welcome to this website that looks at the emergence of Australia's states and territories. Comments and corrections are encouraged via the Guestbook.

Compiled by Rob Robinson with acknowledgements to sources as known.
April 2009 Version 1

THE AUSTRALIAN EMPIRE

Australia is the second largest 'empire' in the world if the Australian Antarctic Territory is included - or the seventh largest nation if it is not. This ‘world class’ size status is matched by a variety of fascinating landscapes that include tropical, temperate, arid, maritime and polar.

Table 1 - The World's Largest Nations

Rank	Nation	Area (sq km)
1.	Russia	17,075,400
2.	Australia (with external territories)	13,782,698
3.	Canada	9,976,140
4.	United States (with external territories)	9,639,810
5.	China (not including Taiwan)	9,598,077
6.	Brazil	8,511,965
7.	Australia (without external territories)	7,686,850

Table 2 – The States and Mainland Territories

Location	Area (sq km)	Islands (sq km)	Coasts (km)	Border (km)	Highest Point	Height(m)
Western Australia	2,529,775	3,089	20,781	1,862	Mt Meharry	1,253
Queensland	1,730,648	6,712	13,347	3,339	Bartle Frere	1,622
Northern Territory	1,349,129	13,387	10,953	3,179	Mt Zeil	1,531
South Australia	983,482	4,672	5,067	3,185	Mt Woodroffe	1,435
New South Wales	800,642	14	2,137	4,635	Mt Kosciuszko	2,228
Victoria	227,416	406	2,512	2,541	Mt Bogong	1,986
Tasmania	68,401	3,882	4,882	0.2	Mt Ossa	1,617
Australian Capital Territory	2,358	0	0	306	Bimberi Peak	1,912
Jervis Bay Territory	73	1	57	32	Bherwerre Trig	189
Total	7,691,924	32,163	59,736	9,540

Table 3 - Offshore Australian Territories

Location	Area (sq km)	Islands (sq km)	Coasts (km)	Border (km)	Highest Point	Height (m)
Australian Antarctic Territory	5,896,500		6,966	9,941	Dome Argus	4,030
Heard and MacDonald Is	412	412	102	0	Big Ben	2,745
Christmas Island	135	135	139	0	Murray Hill	361
Macquarie Island	128	128		0	Mt Hamilton	433
Norfolk Island	35	35	32	0	Mt Bates	319
Lord Howe Island	15	15		0	Mt Gower	875
Cocos (Keeling) Islands	14	14	26	0	Horsburgh Island	5
Coral Sea Islands Territory	3	3		0	Cato Island	6
Ashmore and Cartier Islands	5	5	74	0	Unnamed	3
Total	5,897,247			9,941

Table 4 - Former Australian Territories

Location	Area (sq km)	Islands (sq km)	Coasts (km)	Border (km)	Highest Point	Height(m)
Australian New Guinea	462,840	60,000	5,152	820	Mt Wilhelm	4,509
Nauru	21	21	30	0	Command Ridge	71
Total	462,861	60,021	5,182	820

THE EMERGENCE OF AUSTRALIA'S STATES AND TERRITORIES

The development of Australia’s borders and boundaries is more complex than one would expect given the rather peaceful history of the continent. Its genesis has been from a collection of disparate colonies that pursued their own paths of self-interest and competition. The vision of a modern and united nation took time to develop with the major advance being federation which was eventually achieved in 1901.

Australia has since sometimes followed its own imperial ambitions as demonstrated by its administration of Papua New Guinea, Nauru and its claims to vast areas of Antarctica. Add to this certain adjustments and experiments with administrative subdivisions and a very interesting geographic history has accrued.

Table 5 – Chronology of Events in the Emergence of Australia’s States and Territories

1606	Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon is the first European to visit Australia. Perhaps another 54 European ships visit before 1770 including Tasman and Dampier. The north, west and south coasts are charted.
1770	Lieutenant James Cook maps and claims eastern Australia for Great Britain
1788	Captain Arthur Phillip establishes New South Wales as a colony
1811	Freycinet publishes the first complete map of Australia, three years before Flinders’ map
1825	Van Diemen’s Land is separated from New South Wales as a separate colony
1831	Western Australia is established as a colony by Britain leaving an unclaimed strip of land to the east
1836	South Australia is established as a separate colony to New South Wales
1840	New Zealand is separated from New South Wales
1846	The colony of North Australia is proclaimed then repealed
1851	Victoria is established as a separate colony to New South Wales
1855	New South Wales is extended westward to the WA border; Van Diemen’s Land is renamed Tasmania
1859	Queensland is established as a separate colony to New South Wales
1861	South Australia is extended westward to the Western Australian border
1862	Queensland is extended westward
1863	The area later known as the Northern Territory is placed under South Australian jurisdiction
1901	The colonies federate to form the Commonwealth of Australia with Melbourne as capital
1906	Papua is transferred from Britain
1911	The Northern Territory and Federal Capital Territory ate established
1914	Norfolk Island is established as a separate territory; Nauru is captured from Germany by Australia
1915	Jervis Bay is added to Federal Capital Territory
1920	German New Guinea is transferred to Australia under a League of Nations’ mandate
1927	Federal parliament moves to Canberra; Northern Territory is divided into North and Central Australia
1931	Northern Territory is re-established
1933	Ashmore and Cartier Islands are transferred from Britain to Northern Territory administration
1936	Australian Antarctic Territory is proclaimed
1938	Federal Capital Territory is renamed Australian Capital Territory
1947	Heard and McDonald Islands are transferred from Britain as a separate territory
1955	Cocos (Keeling) Islands are transferred from Britain
1958	Christmas Island is transferred from Britain
1968	Nauru achieves independence from Australia
1969	Coral Sea Islands Territory is proclaimed
1975	Papua New Guinea achieves independence from Australia
1978	Ashmore and Cartier Islands are established as a separate territory
1989	Jervis Bay Territory is separated from Australian Capital Territory
1997	Australian Indian Ocean Territory is established (Cocos and Christmas Islands)

Figures 1 to 18 - An animated GIF showing the evolution of Australia's states and territories

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The Australian Empire

From the Equator to the Pole

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CONTENTS

THE AUSTRALIAN EMPIRE

THE EMERGENCE OF AUSTRALIA'S STATES AND TERRITORIES

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