Australian Capital Territory – Created in 1911 as the seat of government
In 1911 the Australian Capital Territory was excised from New South Wales to serve as the seat of the Commonwealth government, as foreseen in Section 125 of the Australian Constitution; until 1938 it was known as the Federal Capital Territory. Long before, the area had been home to Indigenous Australians for at least 25,000 years, above all the Ngunnawal people, with neighbouring groups such as the Ngarigo, Walgalu, Gandangara and Wiradjuri. In the 1820s, road building towards the Goulburn plains brought the first European expeditions, who camped by the Molonglo and Queanbeyan Rivers. Today the territory is home to Canberra, the national capital. Do you have local stories, family memories or old photos? Share them with the community!