Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) sits in the southeast of the country, an entirely landlocked enclave completely surrounded by New South Wales. It's roughly 280 km southwest of Sydney and 660 km northeast of Melbourne.
The ACT exists for one reason: to house the national capital, Canberra. After federation in 1901, Melbourne and Sydney rivaled for the capital. The compromise? A new territory, carved from NSW, with a new city designed from scratch. American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin won the international design competition in 1912. Construction began in 1913; Parliament moved from Melbourne in 1927.
Today, the ACT spans 2,358 km² and is home to about 450,000 people. Beyond Parliament House, the High Court, and foreign embassies, it hosts national institutions: the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery, National Library, and Questacon. The territory also includes Namadgi National Park—bushland, mountains, and Aboriginal heritage sites covering nearly half the ACT.
The ACT has its own Legislative Assembly (since 1989), blending state and municipal functions. But the federal government retains veto power over territory laws—a reminder of its distinct constitutional status.
Small in area, outsized in significance: the ACT is where Australia's democracy lives.