Milestones
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Details
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Source Documents
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1825
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The western boundary of the Colony of New
South Wales is extended from 135 degrees east longitude to 129
degrees east longitude; this adds the area of what will become the
Northern Territory to the Colony.
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Letters
Patent commissioning Ralph Darling as Governor of New South Wales
and extending the western boundary of New South Wales to 129
degrees east longitude,16 July 1825
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1856
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The province of South Australia establishes a
bicameral parliament (House of Assembly and Legislative Council);
suffrage for House of Assembly elections is extended to males aged
21 or over and suffrage for Legislative Council elections is
extended to males aged 21 or over meeting certain property
thresholds.
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Constitution Act 1856 (SA)
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1863
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South Australia annexes those lands of the New
South Wales Colony northward of the twenty-sixth parallel of south
latitude, and between the one hundred and twenty-ninth and one
hundred and thirty-eighth degrees of east longitude, together with
the bays and gulfs therein, and all and every the islands adjacent
to any mainland within such limits with their rights, members, and
appurtenances.
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Letters
Patent annexing the Northern Territory to South Australia,
6 July 1863
Northern Territory Act 1863 (SA)
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1869
70
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The capital site of Palmerston (later Darwin)
is surveyed and established.
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P. F.
Donovan, A Land Full of Possibilities: A History of South
Australia s Northern Territory, University of Queensland
Press, St Lucia, 1981, pp. 72 77
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1882
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South Australia incorporates the Northern
Territory in the state electoral district of Flinders.
South Australia denies suffrage to Indian
immigrants in the Northern Territory. Suffrage in the Territory is
restricted to natural born subjects of the Crown and to naturalised
subjects of the Crown who are of European nationality or American
citizenship.
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Constitution Act Further Amendment Act 1882 (SA)
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1888
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The Northern Territory is constituted as an
electoral district for the election of two members to the South
Australian House of Assembly and as an electoral division for the
election of members to the South Australian Legislative
Council.
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Northern Territory Representation Act 1888
(SA)
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1894
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South Australia extends suffrage to women.
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Constitution Amendment Act 1894 (SA)
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1900
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The definition of The States in the Australian
Constitution cites South Australia as including the northern
territory of South Australia.
The Australian Constitution enables the
Commonwealth to make laws for the government of any territory
surrendered by any State to and accepted by the Commonwealth, or of
any territory placed by the Queen under the authority of and
accepted by the Commonwealth, or otherwise acquired by the
Commonwealth and to allow the Commonwealth parliamentary
representation of such territories to the extent and on the terms
which it thinks fit.
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Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK), covering cl.
6
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK), s. 122
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1901
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South Australia, including the Northern
Territory, is a single Commonwealth electorate for the first
Commonwealth election in 1901.
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Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK), s. 29
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1901
02
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South Australia and the Commonwealth negotiate
for the surrender of the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth by
South Australia.
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P. F.
Donovan, A Land Full of Possibilities: A History of South
Australia s Northern Territory, University of Queensland
Press, St Lucia, 1981, pp. 203 12
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1903
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The Commonwealth electoral divisions of
Adelaide, Angas, Barker, Boothby, Grey, Hindmarsh and Wakefield in
South Australia are proclaimed; the division of Grey is specified
as including the Northern Territory.
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Commonwealth Electoral Act 1902 (Cwlth)
Commonwealth of Australia
Gazette,
no. 51, 2 October 1903
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1906
07
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South Australia and the Commonwealth resume
negotiations for the surrender of the Northern Territory to the
Commonwealth and enter into an agreement for the surrender.
South Australia legislates to approve and
ratify the agreement and surrender the Northern Territory to the
Commonwealth.
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P. F.
Donovan, A Land Full of Possibilities: A History of South
Australia s Northern Territory, University of Queensland
Press, St Lucia, 1981, pp. 214 21
Australia, Parliament, Northern Territory.
Correspondence between the Prime Minister and the Premier of
South Australia Re transfer of the Territory to the
Commonwealth (dated 3rd February to 20th July,
1906), Parl. Paper 42, Canberra, 1906
Australia, Parliament, Northern Territory. Further
correspondence between the Prime Minister and the Premier of South
Australia relative to the transfer of the Northern Territory to the
Commonwealth, Parl. Paper 92, Canberra, 1906
Australia, Parliament, Northern Territory
(South Australia). Memorandum setting out the
terms on which the Northern Territory is to be surrendered to the
Commonwealth by South Australia,
Parl. Paper 4, Canberra, 1907
Northern Territory Surrender Act 1907 (SA) (Royal
Assent 14 May 1908)
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1910
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The Commonwealth legislates to approve and
ratify the Northern Territory surrender agreement and to accept the
Northern Territory as the Northern Territory of Australia.
The Commonwealth also provides for the
provisional government of the Northern Territory and for the office
of Administrator.
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Northern Territory Acceptance Act 1910
(Cwlth)
Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910
(Cwlth)
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1911
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The Northern Territory Acceptance
Act 1910 (Cwlth) and the Northern Territory
(Administration) Act 1910 (Cwlth) commence by
proclamation on 1 January 1911.
The Commonwealth establishes:
- the office of Administrator, to be charged with the duty of
administering the Government of the Northern Territory on behalf of
the Commonwealth . The Administrator s powers and functions are to
be exercised by him in accordance with the tenor of his Commission,
and in accordance with such instructions as are from time to time
given to him by the Minister and include the appointment and
suspension of magistrates and the execution of Crown land leases
and dispositions;
- a Council of Advice to advise the Administrator; the Council is
to consist of up to six appointed members; and
- the Northern Territory Supreme Court.
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Commonwealth of Australia
Gazette,
no. 79, 24 December 1910
Northern Territory Government Ordinance 1911
(Cwlth) (No. 1 of 1911)
Council of Advice Ordinance 1911 (Cwlth) (No. 2 of
1911)
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, nos.
24, 25, 6 April 1911
Supreme Court Ordinance 1911
(Cwlth) (No. 9 of 1911)
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, no.
43, 30 May 1911
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1912
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The first Administrator of the Northern
Territory is appointed (Dr J. A. Gilruth).
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Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, no.
24, 4 April 1912
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1913
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The Commonwealth establishes a Northern
Territory public service.
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Public Service Ordinance 1913 (Cwlth) (No. 6 of 1913)
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1922
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The Commonwealth provides for one Northern
Territory member of the House of Representatives; the member has no
voting rights, cannot be chosen to be the Speaker or Chairman of
Committees, and is not counted for quorum or majority determination
purposes in the House.
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Northern Territory Representation Act 1922
(Cwlth)
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1926
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The Commonwealth divides the Northern
Territory along the twentieth parallel of South Latitude into the
separate territories of North Australia and Central Australia, each
with a Government Resident, Advisory Council and discrete
administration; a North Australia Commission is also established to
progress the development of North Australia.
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Northern Australia Act 1926 (Cwlth)
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1931
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The Commonwealth repeals the Northern
Australia Act 1926; the previous system of
administration is reinstated.
The Commonwealth provides for the office of
Deputy Administrator.
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Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1931
(Cwlth)
Northern Territory (Administration) Act (No. 2)
1931 (Cwlth)
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1936
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The Commonwealth enables the Member for the
Northern Territory to vote on disallowance motions for Territory
Ordinances.
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Northern Territory Representation Act 1936
(Cwlth)
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1942
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First bombing of Darwin (19 February); the
Northern Territory is placed under military administration by the
Commonwealth (initial military commander is Major-Gen. D. V. J.
Blake followed by Major-Gen. E. F. Herring).
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National
Security (Emergency Control) Regulations 1942 (Cwlth)
Commonwealth of Australia
Gazette,
no. 60, 23 February 1942
Commonwealth of Australia
Gazette,
no. 67, 28 February 1942
Commonwealth of Australia
Gazette,
no. 146, 21 May 1942
Commonwealth of Australia
Gazette,
no. 239, 2 September 1942
Statutory Rule 1942 No. 333 (Cwlth)
Commonwealth of Australia
Gazette,
no. 207, 30 July 1942
D. M.
Horner, Crisis of Command: Australian Generalship and the
Japanese Threat, 1941 1943, Australian National University
Press, Canberra and Norwalk, Conn., 1978, pp. 68 70
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1945
46
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Military administration of the Northern
Territory ends; civilian administration is resumed.
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Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, no.
231, 30 November 1945
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette,no.
42, 4 March 1946
National
Security (Regulations Repeal) Regulations (No. 9) 1946 (Cwlth)
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, no.
146, 8 August 1946
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1947
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The Commonwealth establishes the Northern
Territory Legislative Council; the Council is comprised of the
Administrator as Council Chairman, seven appointed members and six
elected members and is empowered to make ordinances for the peace,
order and good government of the Territory , subject to limitations
such as assent by the Administrator and provision for
disallowance.
The electoral districts of Alice Springs,
Batchelor, Darwin, Stuart and Tennant Creek are also established
for the purposes of electing members to the Legislative Council
(two members are to be elected for the district of Darwin).
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Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1947
(Cwlth)
D.
Jaensch, The Legislative Council of the Northern Territory: An
Electoral History 1947 1974, Australian National University
North Australia Research Unit, Darwin, 1990, pp. 59 60
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1947
(13 December)
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The inaugural general election for the
Legislative Council is held; total enrolment is 4443.
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1948
(19 February)
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The inaugural sitting of the Legislative
Council is held.
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F.
Walker, A Short History of the Legislative Council for the
Northern Territory, Legislative Assembly of the Northern
Territory, Darwin, 1986, p. 5
Legislative Assembly for the Northern Territory, The Record of
the First Assembly, Darwin, 1978, p. 1
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1959
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The Commonwealth gives the Member for the
Northern Territory full voting rights on proposed laws relating to
the Territory and on disallowance motions relating to regulations
made under Territory ordinances.
The Commonwealth also increases the number of
elected members of the Legislative Council from six to eight and
the number of appointed members from seven to nine (not including
the Administrator); provides for the establishment of eight new
electoral districts for elections for the Council; and establishes
an Administrator s Council to advise the Administrator consisting
of the Administrator and Council members.
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Northern Territory Representation Act 1959
(Cwlth)
Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1959
(Cwlth)
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1962
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The Commonwealth enables the Legislative
Council to make ordinances declaring and providing for the exercise
of its powers, privileges and immunities within certain limits.
The Commonwealth enables Indigenous
Australians to enrol and vote in Commonwealth elections.
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Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1962
(Cwlth)
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1962 (Cwlth)
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1965
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The Commonwealth provides for the office of
President of the Legislative Council; the President is to be chosen
from Council members.
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Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1965
(Cwlth)
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1968
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The Commonwealth gives the Member for the
Northern Territory equality of powers, immunities and privileges
with members from the states (full voting rights for the Member for
the Australian Capital Territory were granted in 1966).
The Commonwealth also increases the number of
elected members of the Legislative Council from eight to 11, sets
the number of appointed members at six, and provides for the
requisite electoral districts for elections for the Council.
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Northern Territory Representation Act 1968
(Cwlth)
Northern Territory (Administration) Act (No. 2)
1968 (Cwlth)
Australian Capital Territory Representation Act
1966 (Cwlth)
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1971
(23 October)
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The final general election for the Legislative
Council is held; total enrolment is 25 338.
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D.
Jaensch, The Legislative Council of the Northern Territory: An
Electoral History 1947 1974, Australian National University
North Australia Research Unit, Darwin, 1990, p. 173
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1972
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The Commonwealth establishes the new
Department of the Northern Territory.
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Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, no.
129A, 19 December 1972
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1973
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The Commonwealth Parliament s Joint Committee
on the Northern Territory is established; terms of reference
include the examination of measures that might be taken in the long
and short term to provide the Northern Territory with responsible
self-government in relation to local affairs.
The Committee resolves to conduct an inquiry
into forms of government and constitutional development in the
Northern Territory.
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Australia, House of Representatives, Votes and
Proceedings, no. 15, pp. 100 01, 1973 74
Australia, Senate, Journals, no. 44, pp. 328 29, 1973
74
Australia, Parliament, Report on the Constitutional Development
in the Northern Territory, Joint Committee on the
Northern Territory, Parl. Paper 49, Canberra, 1974
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1974
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The Commonwealth provides for two senators to
represent the Northern Territory and for two senators to represent
the Australian Capital Territory; the senators have equality of
powers, immunities and privileges with state senators but their
terms are concurrent with those of members of the House of
Representatives.
The Commonwealth establishes the Northern
Territory Legislative Assembly; the Assembly is comprised of 19
elected members with a Speaker to be chosen from the members (the
Legislative Council continues in existence until the inaugural
election of the Legislative Assembly in October 1974).
The Commonwealth also alters the composition
of the Administrator s Council so that it consists of the
Administrator and five members of the Legislative Assembly.
An electoral distribution in the Northern
Territory resulting in 19 electoral districts is carried out by a
distribution committee appointed by the Commonwealth Minister for
the Northern Territory under the Northern Territory
(Administration) Act 1910 74 (Cwlth).
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Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973 (Cwlth)
(Royal Assent 7 August 1974)
Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1974
(Cwlth)
D.
Jaensch and D. Wade-Marshall, Point of Order! The Legislative
Assembly of the Northern Territory 1974 1994, Legislative
Assembly of the Northern Territory and Australian National
University North Australia Research Unit, Darwin, 1994, pp. xvii,
67, 86
Legislative Assembly for the Northern Territory, The Record of
the First Assembly, Darwin, 1978, p. 6
Australia, Parliament, Report on Constitutional
Development, Joint Committee on the Northern Territory, Parl.
Paper 281, Canberra, 1974
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1974
(19 October)
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The inaugural general election for the
Legislative Assembly is held; total enrolment is 39 027.
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1974
(20 November)
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The inaugural sitting of the first Legislative
Assembly is held.
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1974
(November)
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The Joint Committee on the Northern Territory
produces its report on forms of government and constitutional
development in the Territory. Recommendations include:
- the introduction of all state-type matters which are the
responsibility of the Commonwealth into the Legislative
Assembly;
- the transfer of functions of local significance to the
Territory Executive;
- discussion between the Commonwealth and the Territory on
Territory administrative/operational involvement in (or control
over) functions of national importance; and
- the creation of a new Territory administration comprising the
existing Northern Territory Public Service and Commonwealth
officers engaged in those functions to be transferred to the
Territory Executive.
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1975
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The Commonwealth (ALP Government) abolishes
the Department of the Northern Territory (and the Department of
Northern Development) and establishes a new Department of Northern
Australia.
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Australian Government Gazette, no. S 104, 6 June 1975
M.
Fraser (Prime Minister), Statehood for the Northern Territory ,
media release, 18 November 1975
Northern Territory News, N. T. statehood promise , 18
November 1975
The
Australian, Fraser pledges to make NT our seventh State , 19
November 1975
Australian Government Gazette, no. S 262, 22 December
1975
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1975
(18 November)
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Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser (LIB-NCP
Coalition Government) announces that Northern Territory statehood
will occur within five years.
The Commonwealth abolishes the Department of
Northern Australia and re‑establishes the Department of the
Northern Territory.
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1976
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The Commonwealth provides for the granting of
title to particular lands in the Northern Territory to Aboriginal
Land Trusts and establishes Aboriginal Land Councils for the
Territory.
The Commonwealth provides for the transfer of
certain executive responsibilities and functions to the
Territory.
Arrangements are made for the transfer of
certain Northern Territory Public Service, statutory authority, and
Department of the Northern Territory functions to the Northern
Territory on 1 January 1977; the Legislative Assembly enacts a
range of pertinent ordinances.
A new Northern Territory public service is
established.
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Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern
Territory) Act 1976 (Cwlth)
Northern Territory (Administration) Amendment Act
1976 (Cwlth)
Transfer of Powers Ordinance 1976 (NT)
Transfer of Powers Ordinance (No. 2) 1976 (NT)
Public Service Ordinance 1976 (NT)
Public Service Ordinance (No. 2) 1976 (NT)
A.
Heatley, Almost Australians: The Politics of Northern
Territory Self-Government, Australian National
University North Australia Research Unit, Darwin, 1990, pp. 57
58
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1977
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The Legislative Assembly enacts further
ordinances pertinent to the transfer of responsibilities.
Agreement is reached between the Commonwealth
and the Northern Territory for Territory self-government to be
achieved over the period January 1978 July 1979.
A successful constitutional referendum is held
to enable Northern Territory (and Australian Capital Territory)
electors to vote in constitutional referendums; s. 128 of the
Constitution is altered accordingly.
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Public Service Ordinance 1977 (NT)
Allocation of Funds (Supply) Ordinance (No. 1) 1977 78
(NT)
Allocation of Funds (Supply) Ordinance (No. 2) 1977 78
(NT)
Allocation of Funds (Appropriation) Ordinance (No. 1) 1977
78 (NT)
Allocation of Funds (Appropriation) Ordinance (No. 2) 1977
78 (NT)
A.
Heatley, Almost Australians: The Politics of Northern
Territory Self-Government, Australian National
University North Australia Research Unit, Darwin, 1990, pp. 60
69
Constitution Alteration (Referendums) 1977 (Cwlth)
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1978
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The Commonwealth confers self-government on
the Northern Territory to commence from 1 July 1978. Provisions
include:
- the establishment of the Northern Territory of Australia as a
body politic under the Crown;
- conferral of power on the Legislative Assembly to legislate for
the peace, order and good government of the Territory ;
- the establishment of an Executive Council to advise the
Administrator;
- the establishment of ministerial offices as determined by the
Administrator; and
- the conferral of executive authority in respect of matters
specified in Regulations.
Regulations to the Northern Territory
(Self-Government) Act 1978 (Cwlth) specify a range of matters
in respect of which Territory ministers are to have executive
authority such as land use, planning and development, and public
works and utilities, but exclude certain matters such as uranium
mining and Indigenous land rights under the Aboriginal Land
Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cwlth).
Other limitations on self-government include
provision for the disallowance of laws by the Governor-General and
provision for the acquisition of Territory land by the Commonwealth
without compensation.
The Legislative Assembly enacts ordinances and
acts pertinent to self-government.
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Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978
(Cwlth)
Northern
Territory (Self-Government) Regulations 1978 (Cwlth) (Nos. 102,
168, 290)
Transfer of Powers (Self-Government) Ordinance 1978
(NT)
Transfer of Powers (Health) Act 1978 (NT)
Transfer of Powers (Law) Act 1978 (NT)
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1979
80
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The Legislative Assembly enacts further
legislation pertinent to self-government.
The Legislative Assembly provides for the
regulation of Assembly elections; the office of Chief Electoral
Officer is established as well as a Distribution Committee for the
determination of electoral divisions.
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Transfer of Powers (Law) Act 1979 (NT)
Electoral Act 1979 (NT)
Electoral Act (No. 2) 1979 (NT)
Electoral Act 1980 (NT)
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1985
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The Legislative Assembly establishes the
Select (later Sessional) Committee on Constitutional Development;
terms of reference include inquiring into, reporting and making
recommendations on a constitution for the new state and the
principles upon which it should be drawn and the issues, conditions
and procedures pertinent to the entry of the Northern Territory
into the federation as a new state.
The Northern Territory Government establishes
a Statehood Executive Group to examine statehood issues.
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Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Information
Paper No. 1 Northern Territory Constitutional
Development and Statehood: A Chronology of Events, Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Darwin, 2002
Select
Committee on Constitutional Development, Information Paper No.
1: Options for a Grant of Statehood, Select
Committee on Constitutional Development, Darwin, [1987]
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1995
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A Joint Commonwealth/Northern Territory
Statehood Working Group is established to examine the implications
of statehood and the level of popular support for statehood.
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Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Information
Paper No. 1 Northern Territory Constitutional
Development and Statehood: A Chronology of Events, Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Darwin, 2002
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1996
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The Sessional Committee on Constitutional
Development produces its final report which includes a draft
constitution for the Northern Territory. Recommendations
include:
- the adoption of a new constitution by the Northern Territory to
replace the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act
1978 (Cwlth); and
- the referral of the draft constitution to a Constitutional
Convention for finalisation and then to a referendum for
approval.
The Joint Commonwealth/Northern Territory
Statehood Working Group produces its final report; the report
surveys the implications of, and the level of popular support for,
statehood.
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Sessional Committee on Constitutional Development, Foundations
for a Common Future: The Report on Paragraph 1(a) of the Committee
s Terms of Reference on a Final Draft Constitution for the Northern
Territory vol. 1, Sessional Committee on Constitutional
Development, Darwin, 1996
Northern
Territory Statehood Working Group, Final Report, Northern
Territory Statehood Working Group, 1996
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1997
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The Commonwealth uses its constitutional power
to legislate for the Northern Territory; the Northern Territory
Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 is rendered
ineffective and without force as a law of the Territory and the
legislative power of the Legislative Assembly is specified to not
extend to the making of laws permitting euthanasia or assisting
suicide.
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Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 (Cwlth)
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1998
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The Northern Territory Government convenes a
constitutional Statehood Convention; the Convention submits a draft
constitution to the Legislative Assembly and recommends, inter
alia, statehood for the Northern Territory as soon as
possible; a draft constitution is adopted by the Assembly.
The Legislative Assembly establishes the
Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs with a
reference to inquire into, report and make recommendations on legal
and constitutional matters referred to it by the Northern Territory
Attorney-General or the Legislative Assembly.
The Legislative Assembly provides for the
conduct of referendums in the Territory.
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Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Information
Paper No. 1 Northern Territory Constitutional
Development and Statehood: A Chronology of Events, Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Darwin, 2002
Northern
Territory, Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Record of the
Eighth Assembly, 13, 19, 20 August and 7 October 1998
Referendums Act 1998 (NT)
Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Report into
appropriate measures to facilitate Statehood, Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Darwin, 1999
Northern
Territory Electoral Commission, Statehood Referendum 3
October 1998: Statement of Results, [1998]
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1998
(3 October)
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A Referendum is held in the Northern Territory
on whether the Territory should become a state; the result is a
majority (51.3%) No vote.
The Legislative Assembly resolves that the
Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs inquire into
appropriate measures to facilitate statehood by 2001.
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1999
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The Standing Committee on Legal and
Constitutional Affairs produces its report on measures to
facilitate statehood. Recommendations include:
- the recommencement of the statehood process (with no fixed
target date for statehood) and the institution of a public
education program on statehood;
- that the Committee be given a reference to research and prepare
recommendations on the staging of a future Constitutional
Convention with popularly elected representatives; and
- the further development of a Northern Territory
Constitution.
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Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Report into
appropriate measures to facilitate Statehood, Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Darwin, 1999
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2000
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The Northern Territory is redistributed into
the two Commonwealth electoral divisions of Solomon and Lingiari
for elections to the House of Representatives.
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Australian Electoral Commission, 2000 Redistribution of
the Northern Territory into Electoral
Divisions, Canberra, 2000
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2001
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Two Northern Territory members are elected to
the House of Representatives for the electoral divisions of Solomon
and Lingiari in the Commonwealth general election.
The Legislative Assembly broadens the
reference of the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional
Affairs to enable it to inquire, report and make recommendations
on:
- any matter concerned with legal or constitutional issues
including law reform, parliamentary reform, administrative law,
legislative review and inter-governmental relations;
- the legal or constitutional relationship between the Northern
Territory and the Commonwealth and any proposed changes to that
legal or constitutional relationship, including the admission of
the Northern Territory as a new state of the Commonwealth;
- any proposed changes to the Australian Constitution that may
affect the Northern Territory and/or its residents; and
- with the approval of the Northern Territory Attorney-General,
any other matter concerning the relationship between the Northern
Territory and the Commonwealth and/or the states.
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Australian Electoral Commission, 2001 Election Statistics:
Divisional Results vol. 5, Canberra, 2002
Northern
Territory, Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Record of the
Ninth Assembly, 25 October 2001
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2003
(22 May)
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Northern Territory Chief Minister Martin
announces a new community-based statehood campaign, including a new
Constitutional Convention and further work on a draft Northern
Territory constitution; a target date of 1 July 2008 is set for a
second statehood referendum.
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C.
Martin (Chief Minister), Statehood: this time let s get it right! ,
media release, 22 May 2003
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2004
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The Commonwealth legislates to preserve the
two-member representation of the Northern Territory in the House of
Representatives.
The Legislative Assembly endorses the
establishment of a Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee
to advise and assist the Standing Committee on Legal and
Constitutional Affairs on constitutional development and on
statehood education and awareness; membership of the Steering
Committee is to be appointed by the Standing Committee on Legal and
Constitutional Affairs.
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Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Representation in the House
of Representatives) Act 2004 (Cwlth)
E.
McAdam (Chairman), Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee
, media release, 26 May 2004
Standing
Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Terms of
Reference: Northern Territory Statehood Steering
Committee, Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional
Affairs, Darwin, 2004/05
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2005
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The Commonwealth provides for the selection of
a site in the Northern Territory for a radioactive waste management
facility and for Commonwealth acquisition of such a site.
The Commonwealth House of Representatives
Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs commences an
inquiry into the federal implications of statehood for the Northern
Territory and recent statehood developments.
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Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005
(Cwlth)
House of
Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional
Affairs, The long road to statehood: Report of the inquiry into
the federal implications of statehood for the Northern
Territory, House of Representatives Standing Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Canberra, 2007
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2006
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The Northern Territory Statehood Steering
Committee reports to the Legislative Assembly; the report concludes
that the continued provision of education to Territory residents on
statehood is essential.
The first Northern Territory Minister for
Statehood is appointed.
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Northern
Territory Statehood Steering Committee, Report to the
Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional
Affairs 2005 Calendar Year Activities, Northern Territory
Statehood Steering Committee, Darwin, 2006
Administrative Arrangements Order, 1 September 2006
Northern
Territory of Australia Government Gazette, no. S18,
1 September 2006
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2007
(28 May)
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The Commonwealth House of Representatives
Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs concludes
its inquiry into statehood and produces its report. The Committee
recommends that:
- the Commonwealth Government update and refine its position on
Northern Territory statehood and re-commence work on unresolved
federal issues.
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House of
Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional
Affairs, The long road to statehood: Report of the inquiry into
the federal implications of statehood for the Northern
Territory, House of Representatives Standing Committee on
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