alternatehistory.com

Living in Canberra has plenty of benefits, but it's a huge pain getting anywhere from here. With a POD no later than the 1891 Constitutional Convention, what other sites could serve as the Australian Federal Capital? Anything up to and including Melbourne or Sydney counts, but bonus points if you can come up with a location which makes the ATL 'Canberra' a major economic center in its own right, with a large population than any non-state capital city. For aesthetic reasons I'd prefer an inland city, but coastal probably would be more interesting, as well as more difficult.

Personally I've always thought Albury-Wodonga would be a great place for the capital. Already with a population 100 000+ (today), on Australia's most significant river and the in the middle of the route between Melbourne and Sydney it seems to me the perfect place. At least, it would be if Sydneysiders wouldn't through a fit with it being rather closer to Melbourne than Sydney. Somewhere near to OTL Canberra such as Yass might work, but for all that it's in a more convenient location it's also a much less aesthetically pleasing place, which factored significantly into the choosing of Canberra's location.

For a somewhat different scenario, how would 'Australia's' capital be placed if New Zealand somehow opted into the Federation? Would it be more likely to just be placed in an existing city?
Top