States, Territories and Capital Cities

The test often asks about capital cities and simple facts about each state and territory. This chapter puts them side by side.

Six states and two mainland territories

The capitals are: New South Wales, Sydney; Victoria, Melbourne; Queensland, Brisbane; Western Australia, Perth; South Australia, Adelaide; Tasmania, Hobart; Australian Capital Territory, Canberra; Northern Territory, Darwin. Canberra is the capital city of Australia.

The states

New South Wales was the first British colony, and Sydney is the largest city in the nation, home to the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Victoria is the smallest mainland state, and many of its fine buildings were paid for by the gold rush of the 1850s. Queensland is the second largest state, with the Great Barrier Reef along its east coast and the Torres Strait Islands to the north. Western Australia is the largest state, with desert in the east and a rich farming and wine region in the south-west. South Australia is known for its rugged coast and wine regions such as the Barossa Valley. Tasmania is the smallest state, separated from the mainland by Bass Strait.

The territories

The Australian Capital Territory lies between Sydney and Melbourne and contains Canberra, with national institutions such as Parliament House and the High Court. The Northern Territory is tropical in the north and red desert in the south. Its capital is Darwin, and its icons include Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon.

States compared with territories

Each state has its own parliament and constitution, led by a Premier. A territory is led by a Chief Minister. States have rights recognised by the Constitution, while laws of a self-governing territory can be changed or overturned by the Australian Government.

Summarised in our own words from Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, Department of Home Affairs, licensed under CC BY 4.0. This is not an official publication.