The external relations of a small quasi-state within a federal system: the case of the Australian Capital Territory

Abstract

Small territories that host the governing institutions of large federations find difficulty in establishing a distinctive political identity or autonomous political institutions. This article charts the long gestation of the Australian Capital Territory as a sui generis polity within the Commonwealth of Australia. It examines the difficulties that arose in devising and managing a tissue of relationships with neighbouring states of the federation as well as with the Commonwealth government. It argues that the emergence of Canberra as a regional centre of commerce, residence and recreation, as well as a centre of government and a home of national symbols, modified its identity within the Commonwealth and lent weight to the Territory's political claims. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.