New South Wales

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New South Wales

Flag Coat of Arms Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Motto(s): "Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites" (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Other Australian states and territories
Capital	Sydney
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Governor	Professor Marie Bashir
Premier	Morris Iemma (ALP)
Federal representation
- House seats	50
- Senate seats	12
Gross State Product (2004-05)
- Product ($m)	$305,437 (1st)
- Product per capita	$45,153/person (4th)
Population (End of March 2006)
- Population	6,817,100 (1st)
- Density	8.45/km² (3rd) 21.9 /sq mi
Area
- Total	809,444 km² (5th) 312,528 sq mi
- Land	800,642 km² 309,130 sq mi
- Water	8,802 km² (1.09%) 3,398 sq mi
Elevation
- Highest	Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m (7,310 ft)
- Lowest
Time zone	UTC+10 (+11 DST) (½-hour variations)
Abbreviations
- Postal	NSW
- ISO 3166-2	AU-NS
Emblems
- Floral	-Waratah (Telopea speciosissima)
- Bird	-Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas)
- Animal	- Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
- Fish	- Blue groper (Achoerodus viridis)
- Colour	- sky blue (pantone 291)
Web site	www.nsw.gov.au

New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW) is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand.

An inhabitant of New South Wales is referred to as a New South Welshman.

It is unknown whether New South Wales refers to the area being named after South Wales, or a New Wales in the Southern Hemisphere.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Settlement 1.2 Gold rush 1.3 Mid-late 1800s 1.4 Federation 1.5 Early 1900s 1.6 Postwar New South Wales 2 Government 2.1 Constitution 2.2 Parliament 2.3 Head of State 3 People 3.1 Population 4 Education 4.1 Primary and Secondary 4.1.1 School Certificate 4.1.2 Higher School Certificate 4.2 Tertiary 5 Geography 6 Economy 7 Sport 8 The Arts 9 References 10 See also 10.1 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of New South Wales

The original inhabitants of the area were Aboriginal tribes who arrived in Australia approximately forty to sixty thousand years ago.^{[citation needed]}However, the first European discovery of the area was made by Captain James Cook during his voyage up the East coast of Australia in 1770.

[edit] Settlement

The first European settlement was made by what is known in Australian history as the First Fleet led by Captain Arthur Phillip who assumed the role of Governor of the settlement on arrival in 1788 until 1792.^[1][2] During this time New South Wales was entirely a penal colony which had fallen into chaos.^{[citation needed]}

After years of chaos, anarchy and the overthrow of Governor William Bligh, a new governor, Lieutenant (later Major-General) Lachlan Macquarie was sent from Britain to reform the settlement in 1809.^[3] During his time as governor, Macquarie commissioned the construction of roads, wharves, churches and public buildings, sent explorers across the continent and employed a planner to design the street layout of Sydney.^{[citation needed]} Macquarie's legacy can still be felt today.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Gold rush

Later in the mid 19th century saw the gold rush and a huge influx in the New South Wales population. It is estimated that the population rose 33.5 percent or 100 000 people in less than ten years.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Mid-late 1800s

Soon after the gold rush, settlers demanded a responsible government that could govern itself. The result was the New South Wales Constitution Act of 1855, steered through the British Parliament by the veteran radical Lord John Russell, who wanted a constitution which balanced democratic elements against the interests of property, as did the Parliamantary system in Britain at this time. The Act created a bicameral Parliament of New South Wales, with a lower house, the Legislative Assembly, consisting of 54 members elected by adult males who met a moderate property qualification (anyone who owned property worth a hundred pounds, or earned a hundred pounds a year, or held a pastoral licence, or who paid ten pounds a year for lodgings, could vote). The Assembly districts were heavily malapportioned in favour of the rural areas. The Legislative Council was to consist of at least 21 members (but with no upper limit) appointed for life by the Governor, and Council members had to meet a higher property qualification.^[specify]

As the population continued to rise, separate colonies were split of from greater NSW. Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland were formed as self-governing colonies reducing NSW to its present area.

During this period NSW armed forces participated in conflicts in Sudan, New Zealand and South Africa. The last of these, the Boer War, took place in the last years of the 1800s and into the 1900s. The colonies fought as separate units and the inability of the Australian colonies to provide a strong, united armed force was a catalyst towards federation.

[edit] Federation

As the 1800s drew to a close the movement toward federation between the Australian colonies gathered momentum. Conventions and forums involving colony leaders were held on a regular basis. NSW as a free trade state were in dispute with the other leading colony Victoria who had a protectionist economy. At this time customs posts were common on borders, even on the Murray River. Supporters of federation included the NSW premier Sir Henry Parkes whose 1889 speech in Tenterfield was pivotal in gathering support for NSW involvement. Edmund Barton later to become Australia's first Prime Minister was another strong advocate for federation and a meeting held in Corowa in 1893 drafted an initial constitution.

In 1898 popular referenda on the proposed federation were held in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. All votes resulted in a majority in favour, but the NSW government under Premier George Reid (popularly known as "yes-no Reid" due to his constant changes of opinion on the issue) had set a requirement for a higher "yes" vote than just a simple majority which was not met.

In 1899 further referenda were held in the same states as well as Queensland (but not Western Australia). All resulted in yes votes with majorities increased from the previous year. NSW met the conditions its government had set for a yes vote. As a compromise to the question on where the capital was to be located, an agreement was made that the site was to be with-in NSW but not closer than 100 miles (161 kilometres) from Sydney. Eventually the area that now forms the Australian Capital Territory was ceded by NSW when Canberra was selected.

[edit] Early 1900s

In the years after World War I it was the farmers rather than the workers who were the most discontented and militant class in New South Wales.^{[citation needed]} The high prices enjoyed during the war fell with the resumption of international trade, and farmers became increasingly discontented with the fixed prices paid by the compulsory marketing authorities set up as a wartime measure by the Hughes government. In 1919 the farmers formed the Country Party, led at national level by Earle Page, a doctor from Grafton, and at state level by Michael Bruxner, a small farmer from Tenterfield. The Country Party used its reliable voting base to make demands on successive non-Labor governments, mainly to extract subsidies and other benefits for farmers, as well as public works in rural areas.^{[citation needed]}

The Great Depression which began in 1929 ushered a period of unprecedented political and class conflict in New South Wales.^{[citation needed]} The mass unemployment and collapse of commodity prices brought ruin to both city workers and to farmers. The beneficiary of the resultant discontent was not the Communist Party, which remained small and weak, but Jack Lang's Labor populism. Lang's second government was elected in November 1930 on a policy of repudiating New South Wales' debt to British bondholders and using the money instead to help the unemployed through public works. This was denounced as illegal by conservatives, and also by James Scullin's federal Labor government.^{[citation needed]} The result was that Lang's supporters in the federal Caucus brought down Scullin's government, causing a second bitter split in the Labor Party. In May 1932 the Governor, Sir Philip Game dismissed his government. The subsequent election was won by the conservative opposition.

By the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the differences between New South Wales and the other states that had emerged in the 19th century had faded as a result of federation and economic development behind a wall of protective tariffs.^{[citation needed]} New South Wales continued to outstrip Victoria as the centre of industry, and increasingly of finance and trade as well.^{[citation needed]} Labor returned to office under the moderate leadership of William McKell in 1941 and stayed in power for 24 years. World War II saw another surge in industrial development to meet the needs of a war economy, and also the elimination of unemployment.

[edit] Postwar New South Wales

Labor stayed in power until 1965. Towards the end of its term in power it announced a plan for the construction of an opera/arts facility on Bennelong Point. The design competition was won by Jørn Utzon. Controversy over the cost of what would eventually become the Sydney Opera House became a political issue and was a factor in the eventual defeat of Labor in 1965 by the conservative Liberal Party led by Robert Askin. Bob Askin remains a controversial figure with supporters claiming him to be reformist especially in terms of reshaping the NSW economy. Others though regard the Askin era has synonymous with corruption with Askin the head of a network involving NSW police and SP bookmaking (Goot).

In the late 1960s a secessionist movement in the New England region of the state led to a referendum on the issue. The new state would have consisted of much of northern NSW including Newcastle. The referendum was narrowly defeated and there are no active or organised campaigns for new states in NSW beyond individuals.

Askin's resignation in 1975 was followed by a number of short lived premierships by Liberal Party leaders. When a general election came in 1976 the ALP under Neville Wran were returned to power. Wran was able to transform this narrow one seat victory into landslide wins (known as Wranslide) in 1978 and 1981. ALP advertisements focused on Wran himself (Wran's our Man) to capitalise on his personal popularity. Like Askin, Wran's premiership was tarnished by suggestions of corruption. Although claims against Wran himself were never proven, at least one minister (Rex Jackson) was convicted of taking bribes.

After winning a comfortable though reduced majority in 1984, Wran resigned as premier and left parliament. His replacement Barry Unsworth struggled to emerge from Wran's shadow and lost a 1986 election against a resurgent Liberal Party led by Nick Greiner. Unsworth was replaced as ALP leader by Bob Carr. Initially Greiner was a popular leader instigating reform such as the creation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Greiner called a snap election in 1991 which the Liberals were expected to win. However the ALP polled extremely well and the Liberals lost their majority and needed the support of independents to retain power.

Greiner was accused (by ICAC) of corrupt actions involving an allegation that a government position was offered to tempt an independent (who had defected from the Liberals) to resign his seat so that the Liberal party could regain it and shore up its numbers. Greiner resigned but was later cleared of corruption. His replacement as Liberal leader and Premier was John Fahey. Although personally popular, Fahey's government suffered from a series of scandals including tax evasion, illegal recording of customer conversations, sexual harassment, and death threats. In the 1995 election Fahey's government lost narrowly and the ALP under Bob Carr returned to power.

Like Wran before him Carr was able to turn a narrow majority into landslide wins at the next two elections (1999 and 2003). During this era, NSW hosted the 2000 Sydney Olympics which were internationally regard as very successful and helped boost Carr's popularity. The Liberal Party since Fahey have gone through a number of leaders. In keeping with the similarities to the Wran premiership, Carr surprised most people by resigning from office in 2005. He was replaced by Morris Iemma who remains premier as of January 2007.

[edit] Government

Main article: Government of New South Wales

[edit] Constitution

The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. Since 1901 New South Wales has been a state of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Australian Constitution regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth.

Under the Australian Constitution, New South Wales ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained independence in all other areas. The New South Wales Constitution says: "The Legislature shall, subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, have power to make laws for the peace, welfare, and good government of New South Wales in all cases whatsoever." In practice, however, the independence of the Australian states has been greatly eroded by the increasing financial domination of the Commonwealth.

[edit] Parliament

Political Party	Legislative Assembly	Legislative Council
ALP	54 (59%)	18 (43%)
Liberal	18 (20%)	9 (21%)
National	12 (13%)	4 (10%)
Independent/Other	8 (9%)	10 (26%)
Source: Parliament of New South Wales.[4]

The State Parliament is composed of two houses, the Legislative Assembly (lower house), and the Legislative Council (upper house). Elections are held every four years on the fourth Saturday of March, the most recent being on 24 March 2007. At each election one member is elected to the Legislative Assembly from each of 93 electoral districts and half of the 42 members of the Legislative Council are elected by a statewide electorate.

[edit] Head of State

New South Wales is a Constitutional Monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is the Sovereign, represented by the Governor of New South Wales. The governor is Marie Bashir. The Governor commissions as Premier the leader of the parliamentary political party that can command a simple majority of votes in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier then recommends the appointment of other Members of the two Houses to the Ministry, under the principle of responsible or Westminster government. It should be noted, however, that there is no legal requirement in NSW for the Government to be formed from the Parliament - merely convention. The Premier is Morris Iemma of the Australian Labor Party.

[edit] People

[edit] Population

The estimated population of New South Wales after the 2006 Census was 6.72 million people, an increase of 38,700 people from June 2003. This indicates an annual growth rate of 0.6%, lower than the 1.0% average growth rate of the last 10 years and the national rate of 1.1%.^[5]

Over 60% of NSW's population is based in Sydney.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Education

[edit] Primary and Secondary

The NSW school system comprises a kindergarten to year twelve system with primary schooling up to year 6 and seconday schooling between year 7 and 12. Within these to sets of schooling are various stages. Stage one or 'infant' includes years kindergarten to year 2. Stage 2 incorporates years 3 and 4. This cycle continues until it reaches stage 6 and ends with the Higher School Certificate

[edit] School Certificate

Schooling is compulsory until completion of the School Certificate at the end of year 10. This test has no pass or fail but is designed to grade a student on his or her ability. The results of this test are categorised into bands 1 through to 6 with band 1 as the lowest and band 6 as the highest.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2006, there are five subjects that are compulsory for this examination. They are English, Mathematics, Science, Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship and Computing Skills. Along with this, there are two 'elective' subjects that are assessed throughout the year.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Higher School Certificate

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) was originally intended for those that were keen to move on into university.^{[citation needed]} However, in modern times it is quite normal for most students to complete the HSC prior to entering the workforce or going on to study at either college, university or TAFE (although the HSC itself can be completed at TAFE).

The HSC is usually comprised of twelve units (usually six individual courses worth two units each) however up to fourteen units can be studied at some schools. English is the only mandatory subject and candidates conventionally choose five other subjects. If desired, Extension 1 or 2 courses may also be studied (each being worth one unit). This may lead to one subject taking up several units. For example, if a student wanted to do mathematics for his/her HSC he would indicate Mathematics as a choice of subject on his/her subject election form. However if the student wanted to do more mathematics they may select Mathematics Extension 1 and subsequently (if desired) Mathematics Extension 2. This may push the student over the standard twelve units. It is not uncommon for universities to have minimum required marks in these subjects for entry into certain degree courses.

Distinction courses are available for those that complete the HSC early.

[edit] Tertiary

There are several universities in Sydney, such as the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney. In the country, there is the Charles Sturt University with campuses in Bathurst, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga.

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of New South Wales

New South Wales can be divided geographically into four sections:

• A coastal strip, with climates warming from cool temperate on the far south coast to subtropical near the Queensland border, including the regions south of Sydney such as the Illawarra , the Shoalhaven near Nowra, Newcastle, the Central Coast and the North Coast.
• The mountainous areas of the Great Dividing Range and the high country surrounding them. Whilst not particularly steep, many peaks rise above 1,000 metres (3,280 ft), with the highest Mount Kosciuszko at 2,229 metres (7,308 ft). This includes the Southern Highlands, Central Tablelands and the New England regions.
• The agricultural plains that fill a significant portion of the state's area, with a much sparser population than the coast, includes the Riverina area around Wagga Wagga.
• The arid plains in the far north-west of the state, which feature few small settlements.

The state is bordered on the north by Queensland, on the west by South Australia, and on the south by Victoria. Its coast faces the Tasman Sea. New South Wales contains two Federal enclaves: the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and the Jervis Bay Territory.

New South Wales's three major cities are Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong which all lie along the coast. Other notable settlements include Albury, a large town which borders with Victoria; Broken Hill, the most Westerly large town; Dubbo; Orange, Bathurst, home of the Bathurst 1000; Port Macquarie, Tamworth,home to the country music festival; Armidale, Inverell, Lismore, Nowra, Gosford, Griffith, Queanbeyan, Leeton, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn, where a large proportion of the Australia's fruit is grown and Coffs Harbour, a popular tourist destination.

Highest maximum temperature: 50.0°C (122.0°F), Wilcannia, 11 January 1939

Lowest minimum temperature: -23.0°C (-9.4°F), Charlotte Pass, 29 June 1994 (lowest temperature recorded in whole of Australia).^[6]

[edit] Economy

At the time of federation NSW was a free trading state (as opposed to protectionist) with a broad revenue base including income tax. The state earned more revenue that it needed to run its services. This situation was reversed during World War 2 when the Commonwealth took responsiblity for collection income tax. Following the war the states attempted to re-enter the income tax field but were rebuffed by High Court rulings (Income Tax decisions).

The loss of income tax collection meant NSW became totally dependant on Federal Government funding in order to deliver the services it was constitutionally entitled to do (e.g. health, primary/secondary education, transport). It also forced a greater reliance on indirect taxations such as excise duty on cigarettes, alcohol, and gambling. However this was challenged by an individual who argued the constitution forbade the states from collecting taxation in this way. The High Court upheld the complaint and the Commonwealth was forced to collect these excises on behalf of the states. The gradual eroding of an independent revenue base has weakened the economic independence of NSW as has the tieing of grant money to specific programmes as directed by the Commonwealth. Since NSW expends far more than in can ever earn it has little choice but to comply with Commonwealth demands.

Since the 1970s New South Wales has undergone an increasingly rapid economic and social transformation. Old industries such as steel and shipbuilding have largely disappeared, and although agriculture remains important its share of the state's income is smaller than ever before.^{[citation needed]} New industries such as information technology, education, financial services and the arts, largely centred in Sydney, have risen to take their place.^{[citation needed]} Coal exports to China are increasingly important to the state's economy. Tourism has also become hugely important, with Sydney as its centre but also stimulating growth on the North Coast, around Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay.^{[citation needed]}

New South Wales has a Gross Domestic Product of AU$265,966,000,000, which equalled AU$39,950 per capita, in 2003. This was equal to US$30,277, above most major European Union economies.

[edit] Sport

Main article: Sport in New South Wales

Throughout Australian history, NSW sporting teams have been very successful in both winning domestic competitions and providing players to the Australian national team. The NSW Blues play in the Ford Ranger Cup and Pura Cup cricket competitions, the NSW Waratahs in the Super 14 rugby union competition and The 'Blues' represent NSW in the annual Rugby League State of Origin series.

As well as the state of origin, the headquarters of the Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League (NRL) are in Sydney, which is home to 8 of the 16 National Rugby League (NRL) teams (Sydney Roosters, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Parramatta Eels, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Wests Tigers, Penrith Panthers, Canterbury Bulldogs and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles), as well as being the northern home of the St George Illawarra Dragons, which is half-based in Wollongong. A tenth team, the Newcastle Knights are located in Newcastle. Rugby League is the most popular "winter sport" in New South Wales. The main summer sport is cricket, and the state boasts arguably the most competitive cricket outside first class level in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition.

The state is represented by three teams in the football (soccer) A-League: Sydney FC (the inaugral champions in 2005-06), the Central Coast Mariners,based at Gosford and the Newcastle United Jets. Australian rules football has historically not been strong in New South Wales outside the Riverina region. However, the Sydney Swans relocated from South Melbourne in 1982 and their presence and success since the late 1990s has raised the profile of Australian rules football, especially after their AFL premiership in 2005. Other teams in national competitions include basketball's Sydney Kings, West Sydney Razorbacks and Sydney Uni Flames, and netball's Sydney Swifts.

Sydney was the host of the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 1938 British Empire Games. The Olympic Stadium, now known as Telstra Stadium is the scene of the annual NRL Grand Final. It also regularly hosts rugby league State of Origin games and rugby union internationals, and has recently hosted the final of the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the football (soccer) World Cup qualifier between Australia and Uruguay.

The Sydney Cricket Ground traditionally hosts the 'New Year' cricket test match from 2-6 January each year, and is also one of the site for the finals of the one day international series. The annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race begins in Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day. The climax of Australia's touring car racing series is the Bathurst 1000, held at the Mount Panorama Circuit near the city of Bathurst in the Western Plains.

[edit] The Arts

New South Wales is home to several artistic bodies including: the Sydney Symphony (Australia's busiest and largest orchestra) and Opera Australia (head office in Sydney) both of which perform a subscription series at the Sydney Opera House. The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), houses a magnificent collection of Australian art; other major spaces include the Sydney Jewish Museum, the Museum of Sydney and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Besides this Sydney is host to the Australian Ballet for its Sydney season (the ballet is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria). Sydney is home to three Arts teaching organisations which have all produced world famous students: The National Art School, The College of Fine Arts and the Conservatorium of Music (now part of the University of Sydney). The world famous Australian Chamber Orchestra has its headquarters in Sydney, however, spends most of its time touring both the world and Australia.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Australian Bureau of Meteorology
• Australian states and territories
• NSW cities
• NSW highways
• NSW local government areas
• NSW national parks
• NSW postal codes
• NSW postal history and stamps
• NSW Rural Fire Service
• NSW Supreme Court

[edit] External links

• Australia - Map of South East Australia from Geoscience Australia
• Goot, Murray
• NSW Official State Website
• NSW Parliament
• NSW Police
• NSW State Law
• NSW State Library - History of Our Nation
• NSW Weather and Sydney Weather
• NSW Directory - from the Open Directory Project

v • d • e States and territories of Australia
States and mainland territories	Australian Capital Territory · New South Wales · Northern Territory · Queensland · South Australia · Tasmania · Victoria · Western Australia · Jervis Bay Territory
External territories	Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island