AH: Different Capitals for Every Australian State

[ChrisTheCat]

Australia is a country where the state and territorial capitals utterly dominate the nation, containing well over 70% of our population - the Big 5 of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide have 65% of our whole population between the five of them. There are numerous reasons for every one of these cities being originally chosen for the state capital going back to when they were all seperate colonies - but what if those sites were different? How could that happen? What would be the long term effects?

With a POD after 1788 but before 1901, I challenge you to realistically justify a different state capital for every state and territory of Australia (excepting Canberra, unless you want to choose an alternate national capital too).

I would say that Melbourne didn't have to be state capital, and was founded quite late in comparison to the others. If John Batman fails to settle the area for whatever reason, I could see the site of Geelong serving as the state capital, being founded 8 years earlier than Melbourne.

 

[Mr J]

Australia is a country where the state and territorial capitals utterly dominate the nation, containing well over 70% of our population - the Big 5 of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide have 65% of our whole population between the five of them. There are numerous reasons for every one of these cities being originally chosen for the state capital going back to when they were all seperate colonies - but what if those sites were different? How could that happen? What would be the long term effects?

With a POD after 1788 but before 1901, I challenge you to realistically justify a different state capital for every state and territory of Australia (excepting Canberra, unless you want to choose an alternate national capital too).

I would say that Melbourne didn't have to be state capital, and was founded quite late in comparison to the others. If John Batman fails to settle the area for whatever reason, I could see the site of Geelong serving as the state capital, being founded 8 years earlier than Melbourne.

Australia is a country where the state and territorial capitals utterly dominate the nation, containing well over 70% of our population - the Big 5 of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide have 65% of our whole population between the five of them. There are numerous reasons for every one of these cities being originally chosen for the state capital going back to when they were all seperate colonies - but what if those sites were different? How could that happen? What would be the long term effects?

With a POD after 1788 but before 1901, I challenge you to realistically justify a different state capital for every state and territory of Australia (excepting Canberra, unless you want to choose an alternate national capital too).

I would say that Melbourne didn't have to be state capital, and was founded quite late in comparison to the others. If John Batman fails to settle the area for whatever reason, I could see the site of Geelong serving as the state capital, being founded 8 years earlier than Melbourne.

Hm. WA is fairly easy, have Albany be settled as a civilian settlement instead of a military first instead of Perth. Add in the fact that until 1901 Albany was a much better port then Freo was, if you could get the big initial settlement there that might get the ball rolling.

 

[ChrisTheCat]

I believe Port Lincoln was considered for the capital of South Australia, having the largest natural harbour in Australia (three and a half times larger than the Sydney one). It was apparently a close call between it and Adelaide, with reliable water being the deciding factor.

Hm. WA is fairly easy, have Albany be settled as a civilian settlement instead of a military first instead of Perth. Add in the fact that until 1901 Albany was a much better port then Freo was, if you could get the big initial settlement there that might get the ball rolling.

Hmm. Albany in WA and Port Lincoln (in Boston Bay no less) for SA...starting to sound a bit American here! Imagine the confusion with airlines.

 

[vgh...]

They tried making Queensland before Queensland was a thing (North Australia) but the colony was disestablished due to politics. Its capital was meant to be in Port Curtis which is right about where Gladstone is now. Today in Queensland the Port of Gladstone is one of the largest ports in the state (I checked and it's actually the largest lol, not sure why it's bigger than the Port of Brisbane). Definitely just as viable of a capital as Brisbane.