Nationhood
Seat of Government Act 1908
14 December 1908
Canberra is chosen as Australia’s national capital.
After 7 years of debate, the Australian Parliament finally agreed on the Yass-Canberra district as the site for Australia’s national capital.
The issue of the seat of government had been considered but not resolved in the discussions leading up to Federation. Instead, section 125 was included in the Australian Constitution, stating the federal capital site would be located in New South Wales, not less than 100 miles (160km) from Sydney. The choice was left to Parliament to decide where.
Over 60 sites were considered for the site of Australia’s national capital. Federal capital leagues promoted the qualities of their towns to visiting politicians. In 1904 Dalgety in the Snowy Mountains was chosen but New South Wales thought it was too close to Melbourne. The beauty and practicality of a new site – Yass-Canberra – started to gather supporters. Parliament passed the Seat of Government Act 1908 officially choosing the Yass-Canberra site for where the nation’s capital should be constructed. It wasn’t until 19 years later, when Provisional (Old) Parliament House opened, that Canberra actually became the seat of government.
Federal Capital Site, 1913 by William Lister Lister (1859-1943)
Historic Memorials Collection, Courtesy of Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra, ACT.
Federal Capital Site, 1913 by William Lister Lister (1859-1943)
Historic Memorials Collection, Courtesy of Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra, ACT.
Description
William Lister Lister’s painting titled ‘Federal Capital Site’ was commissioned in 1912 through a competition inviting artists to submit paintings ‘illustrative of the site upon which it is proposed to erect the Federal Capital of the Commonwealth’.
The painting shows the landscape where Australia’s capital city Canberra would be constructed.