There are eight capital cities in Australia, all of which function at a sub-national level. Canberra also serves as the national capital. Melbourne was the national capital from the Federation of Australia in 1901 until 1927, when the seat of national government was moved to the newly created city of Canberra.
In each capital city, local judicial, administrative and legislative duties are performed for the jurisdiction. In the case of state and territory capital cities, they also happen to be the most populous city in their respective jurisdiction. The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island also has an official capital, Kingston, however, this is just where the administrative centre of government is located; the de facto capital is Burnt Pine.[1]
| Jurisdiction | Capital | Population[2] | Date of statehood | Capital since | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and Australian Capital Territory |
Canberra* | 345 247[3] | 1911 | 1913 | |
| New South Wales | Sydney | 4,504,469 | 1788 | 1788 | |
| Victoria | Melbourne | 4,000,000 | 1851 | 1851 | |
| Queensland | Brisbane | 2,004,262 | 1859 | 1860 | |
| Western Australia | Perth | 1,658,992 | 1829 | 1829 | |
| South Australia | Adelaide | 1,289,865 | 1842 | 1856 | |
| Tasmania | Hobart | 212,019 | 1825 | 1826 | |
| Northern Territory | Darwin | 124,800 | 1911 | 1911 |
* While Canberra is the capital of Australia, it is not the capital of the ACT in any official sense; it is the principal settlement within the territory and can be considered analogous with the ACT.
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