Alternative Australian Capitals

Well it's obvious really isn't it? The First Federal capital was in Melbourne and it should probably have never been moved from there in the first place to create a sinkhole for public money like Canberra.

Now Melbourne was settled from Launceston, it's really only a daughter colony over there in Victoria, so Launceston should be the capital.

Simple process really.

I can’t fault the logic except Launceston is a literal hole and Canberra is similarly a hole.
 
Well it's obvious really isn't it? The First Federal capital was in Melbourne and it should probably have never been moved from there in the first place to create a sinkhole for public money like Canberra.

Now Melbourne was settled from Launceston, it's really only a daughter colony over there in Victoria, so Launceston should be the capital.

Simple process really.
Since we’re revealing in stereotypes, if the capital was in Launceston then the federal bureaucracy would be twice as effective since you get two heads for the price of one living in Tasmania...
 
And I admit this is almost entirely for the name how about Wagga Wagga?
It might well be the most Australian thing ever, and imagine hearing News Anchors having to say it!

Amazingly it was one of the sites originally considered, being equidistant between Sydney and Melbourne.
They will probably change the name if it becomes capital.
 
The country's two dominant cities, Sydney and Melbourne, would not agree to the other being the capital. At a premiers' conference in Melbourne in January 1899, NSW Premier George Reid won support for the capital to be located within his state; as a trade-off, however, section 125 of the new federal Constitution specifically stated that it could be no less than 100 miles (160 kilometres) from Sydney. In the meantime, Melbourne would act as the interim capital. The first Commonwealth Parliament met in Melbourne on 9 May 1901.

Reid's successor, William Lyne, wasted no time in endeavouring to locate the capital within the borders of his state. In November 1899, he appointed President of the Land Appeals Court Alexander Oliver to preside over a royal commission to recommend a possible site. Oliver presented his report in October 1900, having personally inspected 23 of the 45 suggested sites, including Bathurst, Orange and Dalgety, and holding public inquiries at 14 of them. His conclusion was that Bombala, together with the nearby port of Eden, should be the capital.

Over the next eight years, many towns were nominated as worthy of selection, in some instances due to partisan interests by local politicians and in others by Federal Capital Leagues, which 'had sprouted like mushrooms in the field'. In 1902, federal politicians undertook a series of inspection tours of possible sites; senators in March and House of Representatives members in May. Sites visited included Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bombala, Dalgety, Goulburn, Gundagai, Lyndhurst, Orange, Queanbeyan, Tumut, Wagga Wagga and Yass. Throughout the period, there was much debate and lobbying.

In December 1902, William Lyne (now the Commonwealth Minister for Home Affairs) established a Capital Sites Inquiry Board, chaired by John Kirkpatrick, a Sydney architect. On 14 January 1903, the board was elevated to the status of a royal commission. The members were asked to 'inquire into and examine the sites proposed for the seat of government of the Commonwealth' in localities that included Albury, Armidale, Bombala, Lake George, Orange and Tumut, and to rank these sites in terms of accessibility, communications, climate, topography, water supply, drainage, soil, building materials, fuel and general suitability (not airport fogginess or nightlife).

The commission presented its report on 17 July 1903, with Albury the preferred site. Dalgety was added to the list of sites at the request of Austin Chapman, Federal Member for Eden–Monaro, whose electorate included Dalgety. The commission presented a second report on Dalgety on 4 August 1903. While it ranked Dalgety higher than Bombala, it was not high enough to win favour.

Much to Alexander Oliver's chagrin, the commission placed Bombala, which was his preferred site, last. Oliver then produced a second report in which he expressed the view that the Commonwealth's report was dominated by one member of the commission, whom he did not name. As far as the report itself was concerned, Oliver said that he found it 'almost incomprehensible'.

http://guides.naa.gov.au/records-about-act/part1/chapter2/2.2.aspx
 
Jervis Bay would be a decent coastal spot as an alternate location, that's already owned by the Commonwealth. The only major issue with Canberra geography wise is the fog at the airport, but even then that's improved by moving the airport a bit (just about the worst place to build it in the whole region and they did).

And its very likely to be a clean slate city build - that was clear from the beginning even if that didn't quite work out how they planned it to. Although to be honest I wish they had of selected from one of the 'Imperial' designs from the competition, rather than Burley Griffin's, but its a pretty decent place to live.
I'd agree with Jervis Bay, especially if New Zealand were to join at federation - then instead of being a fight between Sydney and Melbourne, I think it'd be between NSW, Vic, and NZ and Jervis Bay satisfies most of the issues, imo.
 
I vote for the the sunshine coast, that way when I have to go to the capital for work it won't be friggn freezing.
 
Jervis Bay was included as part of the ACT so the 'capital' could have a seaport. When the plans were drawn up in 1912, there was still some optimism that New Zealand might join the Federation of Australia. Eight avenues radiating out from Capital Hill were named after the capitals of the six states, the capital of the Northern Territory and the capital of New Zealand.

Before the name Wellington Avenue was gazetted, it was realised that New Zealand was not going to become part of a Confederation of Australasia and the name was replaced by Canberra Avenue.
 
I vote for the the sunshine coast, that way when I have to go to the capital for work it won't be friggn freezing.

It may be 'tips a bit nipply' for the meter maids...

metermaidsss.jpg
 

Vuu

Banned
You can pretty much instantly exclude WA (cut off by desert) and the Top End (also cut off by desert, and has a monsoon climate people might not like)
 
At federation there was an agreement, to stop Melbourne-Sydney squabbling, that the new capital would be built in New South Wales, so long as it was at least 100 miles (160 km) from Sydney. From what I've read there was a strong feeling that the capital should be inland, so as not to be at the mercy of a foreign navy.

Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bombala, Dalgety, Goulburn, Gundagai, Lyndhurst, Orange, Queanbeyan, Tumut, Wagga Wagga and Yass were all looked at as possible sites.

As for a purpose-build city I'd say that anywhere in the Southern Tablelands or Riverina would be alright.

Possible names Austral, Eden, Hopetoun, Aurora, Home, Dampier, Unison, Andy Man, Pacifica, Myola, Flinders, Wentworth, Gamelyn, Nardoo and Frazer Roo were all suggested by MPs of the time. Olympus, Paradise, Captain Cook, Shakespeare, Kangaremu, Eucalypta were another few names floating out there.

I think Albury would've been a good pick. Though I don't mind Canberra where it is, it's a nice town just needed Burley Griffin to finish it properly.

could you imagine if our capitals name was Yass, especially today.

Anyway Fraser Roo and Any Man would be my pick.
 
You can pretty much instantly exclude WA (cut off by desert) and the Top End (also cut off by desert, and has a monsoon climate people might not like)
I don't know. Making it Perth would make it amusing every time WA tries to secede. They would be told to hurry up and take the pollies with them.
 
"I vote for the the sunshine coast, that way when I have to go to the capital for work it won't be friggn freezing."
Awww, that's cute! Come to Minnesota in January sometime.
 
"I vote for the the sunshine coast, that way when I have to go to the capital for work it won't be friggn freezing."
Awww, that's cute! Come to Minnesota in January sometime.

Yeah, but this is Straya; snow is for blowing your life savings to go skiing on, not for shoveling out of your driveway!

20160713_080437.jpg
 
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