AGY-2001 | Royal Commission on Sites for the Seat of Government of the Commonwealth

Full description

The appointment of Alexander Oliver "to be a Royal Commission for the purpose of investigating obtaining information and reporting as to the most suitable site for the Federal Capital" was proclaimed in the New South Wales Government Gazette of 20 October, 1899 (1) The Commissioner commenced work immediately. On 14 November, 1899 letters patent were issued. The Commissioner's responsibilities included (a) determining the suitability of places recommended to him,
(b) inspecting places he believed to be suitable,
(c) holding public inquiries in open court to gather information about possible sites for the capital
(d) taking records of the evidence at these inquiries
(e) reporting the conclusions of the inspections and hearings including giving his opinion as to the suitability of the site.
(f) providing any supplementary evidence which may be required such as sketches of the location, estimates of costs for the development of the site. The Royal Commissioner had unlimited power to call before him any person who could provide information which could assist with his assessment of the area and to inspect any documentation which could assist with the task. "All Public Officers and other persons whomsoever within Our Colony of New South Wales" (2) were required to co-operate with the Commissioner. In his report the Commissioner explained " I have done my best to consider the momentous questions involved in the Commission, solely as an Australian citizen, and with an eye striving to look to the future dimensions and requirements of the Australian Commonwealth, and not to the present and temporary advantages or disadvantages which the establishment of the Federal Territory and Seat of Government in any particular part of New South Wales might entail on that State or its metropolis". (3) He needed to overcome considerable interpretational problems of section 125 of the Australia Constitution Act which prescribed the location should be (a) in Commonwealth territory
(b) granted to or acquired by the Commonwealth
(c) not more that 100 miles from Sydney if New South Wales was an original state
(d) at least 100 square miles in area and any Crown land within the prescribed area should be transferred to the Commonwealth without cost. (4) In order to carry out his task the Commissioner sought applications from country towns who believed they would be suitable for the capital site by advertising in various country newspapers. There were 40 responses from towns each of which was sent a circular requesting further information under the following headings (a) Climate
(b) Accessibility
(c) Physical features (soil, water availability, proximity of building materials, drainage and other features)
(d) Ownership and Value (areas and improved and unimproved values of privately owned lands, and area of Crown Lands)
(e) Other details (such as facilities for food supply, mineral deposits, suitability for commercial and industrial development and capacity to support a population. (5) 23 areas were inspected and public hearings were held at 14 of these places. Witnesses gave evidence under oath and were initially examined by the Commissioner and following this any person present could ask questions. (6) During the hearings depositions were taken down by the Secretary of the Commission and the originals were deposited with the Colonial Secretary. (7) As a result of the inquiry the Commissioner short listed three sites - Orange, Yass and Bombala-Eden (Southern Monaro). The Commissioner advised that each of these areas had advantages (a) Yass was at the time of the Commission most easily accessible from both Sydney and Melbourne, and was likely to be the most cost-effective solution, but lacked adequate water supply for a large population
(b) Orange had a preferable climate and soil quality, but also a less than optimum water supply and was less easily accessible from Melbourne than from Sydney
(c) Eden-Monaro while at the time of the Commission was less accessible from Sydney and Melbourne and likely to be more expensive to develop, but in all other respects met the criteria of the site for the seat of Government. The Commissioner therefore concluded that Eden-Monaro was the most suitable place and that Yass and Orange were approximately equal as second preferences. (8) The Royal Commission discontinued when the report was submitted. FOOTNOTES:
(1) NSW Government Gazette, 20 October 1899, p.7916.
(2) Commission to Alexander Oliver, 14 November 1899. Reproduced in Report of the Commissioner on Sites for the seat of Government of the Commonwealth. 1900 p.iv. In NSW Votes and Proceedings, 1900 Volume 2, p.24.
(3) Report of the Commissioner on Sites for the seat of Government of the Commonwealth. Op. cit., p 1.
(4) Ibid., pp.1-5.
(5) Ibid., p.7.
(6) Ibid., pp.7-8.
(7) Ibid., p.8.
(8) Ibid., p.25.