New South Wales

How it all started

• The first European colony in Australia started at Sydney in 1788, making New South Wales (NSW) Australia's oldest State.

• NSW has Australia's oldest Westminster style Parliament, with a history of Responsible Government dating back to 1856.

• From 1824 to 1855, New South Wales was governed by the Governor and a body known as the Legislative Council. Until 1842, the Legislative Council was a small group of men chosen by the Governor to help him rule the colony.

• In 1843, the Legislative Council was made larger, and two-thirds of its members were elected. This body was replaced by the new bicameral parliament that opened in 1856.

• New South Wales was given Responsible Government in 1855 when the British Parliament agreed to the New South Wales Constitution Bill. This Bill was drawn up by the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1853.

• The new bicameral Parliament of New South Wales met for the first time in 1856. The Legislative Council originally had 21 members, all appointed by the Governor. The Legislative Assembly originally had 54 members, all elected by male voters who owned property in the colony or who paid substantial rent.

• Of all the Australian colonies, New South Wales had the most doubts about the benefits of federation. It was the richest colony and had the most people. Because of this, many people in New South Wales feared that they would have the most to lose in federation.

• The colony followed a policy of free trade (which made Sydney a great port) and it seemed likely that the new nation would adopt Victoria's policy of protection against foreign goods.

• Much of the colony's territory was closer to Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne than to Sydney and federation might allow those capitals to control the business of these regions.

• Under Edmund Barton, who was to become Australia's first Prime Minister, the federationists in New South Wales gained the majority of support. However, when the second referendum on federation was held in June 1899, the federationists won by a much narrower margin in New South Wales than they did in the other colonies.

About Parliament

• The New South Wales parliament has two Houses. The Upper House is the Legislative Council. The Lower House is the Legislative Assembly. There are important differences between the two Houses. The government of the day is formed in the Lower House. The Upper House is often called 'the House of Review'.

• There are currently 42 Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs). They are elected with the entire State serving as a single electorate. They serve an eight year term, with half the Legislative Council retiring every four years at each general election.

• There are 93 Members of the Legislative Assembly (called MLAs). Each is elected from one of the 93 single-member electorates in New South Wales. An MLA's usual term is four years.

• A redistribution of electorates before the 1999 elections means that there are 93 electorates and 93 Members for the Legislative Assembly.

• Members of the Legislative Council are elected using a proportional optional preferential voting system. Members of the Legislative Assembly are elected using an optional preferential system. New South Wales has fixed electoral terms. Elections for the New South Wales State Parliament are held every four years, on the fourth Saturday in March.

Who votes?

• Voting in New South Wales State elections is compulsory for all citizens aged 18 years or over.

• Over the past two hundred years, there have been many changes in who has the right to vote in New South Wales. Most men in New South Wales were allowed to vote after 1858. Women were given the vote in 1902.

State Government

• The Head of State in New South Wales is the Queen who appoints the Governor as her representative. The Governor is appointed on the advice of the Premier. Since the Australia Act was passed by the Commonwealth Parliament and the British Parliament in 1986, there are no legal links between the Australian State Governors and the government of England.

• The functions of the Governor fall mainly into three categories constitutional and statutory duties, formal ceremonial duties, and non-ceremonial social duties. One of the Governor's constitutional and statutory tasks is to give the Royal Assent to Bills which have been passed by both Houses of Parliament. This has to be done before a Bill can become law. The Governor also can dismiss a Government, which happened in New South Wales in 1932, when Premier Lang and his government were dismissed.

• The head of the New South Wales Government is the Premier. The Premier is the leader of the party or coalition that can command the most votes in the Legislative Assembly.

• The Premier is assisted by a group of Ministers who make up the Cabinet. Ministers, who usually belong to the same party or coalition of parties as the Premier, run a number of government departments, called a portfolio. Together with the Premier, the Ministers make up the State's Executive Government.

Local Government

• There are 175 local government bodies in New South Wales with a total of over 1,800 members. About 40 of these are in Sydney. In larger towns these bodies are known as City or Municipal Councils. Large country areas with few people are called Shires, and are governed at a local level by a Shire Council based in one of the larger towns.

• Elections are held every four years in September. They are run using the full preferential and optional preferential voting systems. Voting is compulsory for all people enrolled to vote in State elections. Citizens who own property in council areas other than their place of residence may apply to vote as a non-resident.

• New South Wales local government bodies are set up by an Act of the State Parliament. They have the power to make laws called by-laws. They make decisions on local, town or city matters, such as street signs and traffic control; drains, footpaths; sports grounds; childcare centres, libraries; rubbish collection; animal control; building permits; and the collection of local taxes known as rates.

State symbols

New South Wales has no official state colours, but sporting teams usually wear blue.

	The New South Wales Coat of Arms was granted in 1906 by King Edward VII of England. It shows a lion and a kangaroo supporting a shield. The Latin motto 'Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites' means 'Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine'. The lion represents the old country (England) and the kangaroo represents the new.
	The New South Wales flag was made official in 1876. It consists of blue ensign, showing the Southern Cross, with the union flag in the corner, and the State Badge.
	The NSW State Badge is the red cross of St George on a white disc. There is a gold star at the end of each arm of the cross and a lion in the centre. The creators of the badge were the NSW colonial architect of the day and a retired naval officer. No explanation for the design was given when it was submitted to the British Colonial Office for approval.
	The New South Wales Parliament House is in Macquarie Street in the heart of Sydney. The oldest part of the building, completed in 1816, was part of a hospital in the early colony. The Legislative Assembly Chamber was opened in 1843. The Legislative Council Chamber was opened in 1856.
	In 1962 the Waratah was made the State Flower Emblem of New South Wales.
	In 1971 the Kookaburra was made the State Bird Emblem of New South Wales.
	The Platypus was made the State Animal Emblem of New South Wales in 1971.

Fact file

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New South Wales (Self-government from 1856)