States and territories of Australia

The states and territories are the second level of government of Australia. The states are administrative divisions that are self-governing polities that are partly sovereign, having ceded some sovereign rights to the federal government.^[2] They have their own constitutions, legislatures, executive governments, judiciaries and law enforcement agencies that administer and deliver public policies and programs. Territories can be autonomous and administer local policies and programs much like the states in practice, but are still legally subordinate to the federal government.

This article is about the second level of government in Australia. For the national level, see Australian Government. For the third level, see Local government in Australia.

States and territories of Australia

Australia

16 (6 states, 3 internal territories, and 7 external territories)

Smallest state:

Tasmania
541,071

Largest state:

New South Wales
8,166,369

Smallest territories:

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
0 (uninhabited)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
0 (uninhabited)

Largest territory:

Australian Capital Territory
431,215

Smallest state:

Tasmania
64,519 km² (24,911 sq mi)

Largest state:

Western Australia
2,527,013 km² (975,685 sq mi)

Smallest territory:

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
14 km² (5.4 sq mi)

Largest territories:

Northern Territory
1,347,791 km² (520,385 sq mi)
Australian Antarctic Territory^[a]
5,896,500 km² (2,276,700 sq mi)

Local government areas and unincorporated areas

Australia has six federated states: New South Wales (including Lord Howe Island), Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania (including Macquarie Island), Victoria, and Western Australia. Australia also has ten federal territories,^[3] out of which three are internal territories: the Australian Capital Territory, the Jervis Bay Territory, and the Northern Territory^[3] on the Australian mainland; and seven are external territories: the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Australian Antarctic Territory,^[a] Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island^[3] that are offshore dependent territories. Every state and internal territory (except the Jervis Bay Territory) is self-governing with its own independent executive government, legislative branch, and judicial system, while the rest only have local government status overseen by federal departments.

State and territory governments may legislate on matters concerning their citizens, subject to the limits of the federal constitution (notably section 51 and section 109). Each state and internal territory (except Jervis Bay Territory) has its own legislature, although the Federal Parliament can override territorial legislation. The federal High Court of Australia acts as a final court of appeal for all matters, and has the authority to override any state judiciary. While all states and internal territories have their own judicial system (subject to appeal to the High Court), most external territories are subject to the judiciary and legislature of either a state or internal territory. Excluding the Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory (which are governed by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water), the external territories are governed by the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.^[4] Norfolk Island had its own legislature from 1979 to 2015.^[5]

Each state is a successor to historical British colonies, and each has its own constitution. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Northern Territory for the most part operate indistinguishably from the states, even though they do not have constitutional status as states and territorial legislation can be overridden.

Australian Capital Territory borders

Jervis Bay Territory borders

New South Welsh borders

Northern Territory borders

Queensland borders

South Australian borders

Tasmanian borders

Victorian borders

Western Australian borders

(1926–1931), consisting of the area of the current Northern Territory south of the 20th parallel south^[31]

Central Australia

(1926–1931), consisting of the area of the current Northern Territory north of the 20th parallel south^[31]

North Australia

Mesh Block (MB) – the smallest area of division, MBs are rarely used for statistics and represent 30–60 dwellings, though some have no population or development. They are conventionally used as a way to ensure confidentiality of responses.

Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1) – SA1s are small areas of 200–800 people and are used to balance spatial detail and cross comparison in the .

Census of Population and Housing

Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) – SA2s are designed to represent financial and social interactions, such as a suburb or neighbourhood of 3,000–25,000 people (averaging at 10,000) and is often the smallest division used in statistical releases.

Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) – SA3s are regional representations of local communities, generally containing similar characteristics, administrative boundaries, and labour markets, each having 30,000–130,000 people.

Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) – SA4s are broader representations of labour forces in population centres, with 100,000–300,000 people in regional areas and 300,000–500,000 in metropolitan areas.

States and Territories

1788 – establishes the Colony of New South Wales across central and eastern mainland Australia, the island of Tasmania, both islands of New Zealand and Norfolk Island.

British Empire

1803 – The are claimed by New South Wales.

Coral Sea Islands

1825 – The island of Tasmania becomes the independent colony of . New South Wales extends its borders further west in mainland Australia.

Van Diemen's Land

1829 – The British Empire establishes the in western mainland Australia.

Swan River Colony

1832 – Swan River Colony is renamed the "colony of ".

Western Australia

1836 – The Colony of is established.

South Australia

1841 – The islands of New Zealand become the independent . Much of eastern Antarctica is annexed by Britain as Victoria Land.

colony of New Zealand

1844 – New South Wales transfers Norfolk Island to Van Diemen's Land.

1846 – Northern central and eastern Australia briefly become the independent Colony of North Australia, then are returned to New South Wales.

1851 – Southeastern mainland Australia becomes the independent colony of .

Victoria

1856 – Van Diemen's Land is renamed the . Norfolk Island becomes the independent colony of Norfolk Island, however it is to be administered by the same governor as New South Wales.

colony of Tasmania

1857 – Much of southern central mainland Australia becomes the independent colony of . The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are annexed by Britain.

South Australia

1859 – Northeastern mainland Australia and Coral Sea Islands become the independent .

colony of Queensland

1860 – A pocket of New South Wales territory remaining in southern central mainland Australia is transferred to South Australia.

1862 – Some of New South Wales' northern central mainland Australian territory is transferred to Queensland.

1863 – New South Wales' remaining northern central mainland Australian territory is transferred to South Australia.

1878 – Britain annexes Ashmore Island.

1883 – Queensland annexes southeastern New Guinea.

1884 – Southeastern New Guinea becomes the independent .

Territory of Papua

1886 – The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are to be administered by the same governor as the .

Straits Settlements

1888 – is annexed by Britain and incorporated into the Straits Settlements.

Christmas Island

1897 – Norfolk Island is officially reintegrated into New South Wales.

1901 – New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia federate into the Commonwealth of Australia. Queensland transfers the Coral Sea Islands to the federal government, creating a federal external territory.

1902 – Britain transfers Papua to Australia as an external territory.

1903 – The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are incorporated into the Straits Settlements.

1909 – Britain annexes Cartier Island.

1910 – Britain claims .

Heard Island and the McDonald Islands

1911 – The state of South Australia transfers control of northern central mainland Australia to the federal government, creating the . A small pocket of New South Wales around the city of Canberra is transferred to the federal government (who are seated within it), creating the Federal Capital Territory.

Northern Territory

1913 – New South Wales transfers to the federal government, making it a federal external territory.

Norfolk Island

1915 – A small pocket of New South Wales around is transferred to the federal government and incorporated into the Federal Capital Territory.

Jervis Bay

1920 – Following the defeat of the in World War I, the League of Nations establishes an Australian mandate in northeastern New Guinea, it becomes the external Territory of New Guinea.

German Empire

1923 – Another conquered German territory, the island of Nauru, is established as an Australian mandate and external territory by the League of Nations, this time as a co-mandate with Britain and New Zealand.

1927 – The Northern Territory is split into two territories – North Australia and .

Central Australia

1930 – The remaining territory in eastern Antarctica is annexed by Britain as .

Enderby Land

1931 – North Australia and Central Australia are reincorporated as the Northern Territory. Britain recognises Australia as possessors of the uninhabited , making them an external federal territory.

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

1933 – Britain transfers Victoria Land and Enderby Land to Australia, creating the , with ongoing limited international recognition.

Australian Antarctic Territory

1938 – The Federal Capital Territory is renamed the "".

Australian Capital Territory

1942 – The conquers Nauru from Australia, Britain and New Zealand as part of World War II. Japan also conquers much of the Straits Settlements, including Christmas Island. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are not conquered and are transferred to the Colony of Ceylon.

Japanese Empire

1946 – The United Nations, the successor to the League of Nations, renews its mandate of New Guinea to Australia.

1947 – Following the defeat of Japan in World War II, the United Nations returns Nauru to Australia, Britain and New Zealand as a joint mandate. Christmas Island returns to Britain and is incorporated into the . The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are also transferred to Singapore.

Colony of Singapore

1949 – Papua and New Guinea are incorporated into the singular . Britain transfers Heard Island and the McDonald Islands to Australia, creating a federal external territory.

Territory of Papua and New Guinea

1955 – Britain transfers the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to Australia, they become an external territory.

1958 – Britain transfers Christmas Island to Australia, it becomes an external territory.

1966 – The is established, ending Australian-British-New Zealander control of the island.

Republic of Nauru

1975 – Papua and New Guinea becomes the , ending British-Australian control.

Independent State of Papua New Guinea

1978 – Northern Territory gains self-government with certain Commonwealth control.

1979 – Norfolk Island gains self-government with certain Commonwealth control.

1989 – The Australian Capital Territory gains self-government with certain Commonwealth control. Jervis Bay becomes independent of the ACT, becoming the .

States and territories of Australia