State of North Queensland
Encyclopedia
There have been a few calls for the division of the Australia
n state of Queensland
into a new state
. Some proposals have been drawn up, regarding the borders, name and the debate over which city will become the capital, http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/au!nqld.html but they remain vague and are not supported by any mass movement.
proposed in his book "Freedom and Independence for the Golden Lands of Australia", that the creation of three new Northern Colonies be undertaken. As the calls for separation began to grow the formation of The North Queensland Separation League. This group was at the forefront of the proposals. Another supporter was Thomas Henry Fitzgerald
.
In 1897, William Kidstone's proposal was passed through Queensland Parliament on a Speakers vote after a twenty for and twenty against split. The next day, a number of absent members managed to have their votes recorded, and the movement was blocked.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the calls for a new state were once again on the rise, creating a minor call for a referendum
on the idea. In 1994, The North Queensland Party
were formed with Frank Rossiter a leading figure. The new North Queensland Flag (pictured) was accepted at a meeting on 16 October 1994. It consisted of blue and white sections, representing the sporting colours of North Queensland. In the white coloured section was the Southern Cross while in the blue section was a Tropic sun with a Marlin
.
The new North Queensland flag was proposed and approved at a meeting of the North Queensland Party on the 16 October 1994. The blue and white North Queensland State Flag consisted of the Southern Cross and Tropical Sun with Marlin. An earlier North Queensland flag included the Union Jack and the yellow sun with the letters NQ within it.
There has been limited consideration on where the southern border of the new state would be. Most seem to be around the central part of the state, just south of Gladstone
. Others call for the border to be just south of Mackay
, and for another state of Central Queensland
be formed. It has also been suggested to merge with the Northern Territory
and become the new state of Northern Australia, although this proposal has been dismissed by many, saying that the reason for splitting Queensland is to make a smaller state.
of the whole of Queensland approving the new borders sec 123.
Theories arising around the likelihood of North Queensland separating refer to an inevitable push for statehood based around contributing factors. North Queensland from above Townsville alone has a population exceeding three hundred thousand. As this increases over time, an area that has a population already exceeding the Northern Territories and considering where a border would be drawn, larger than Tasmania will naturally evolve self governance. Considering also the decentralized population over a vast area, distance plays a contributing factor. Cairns is similar distance from Brisbane as Brisbane is from Melbourne. Many Northerners become increasingly frustrated with the Government of Queensland
, who they believe concentrate policy decisions based around the south east corner
of the state without consideration to the different needs of the far north.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
into a new state
Proposals for new Australian States
A number of proposals for the creation of additional states in Australia have been made in the past century. However, to date, none have been added to the Commonwealth since Federation in 1901...
. Some proposals have been drawn up, regarding the borders, name and the debate over which city will become the capital, http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/au!nqld.html but they remain vague and are not supported by any mass movement.
History
In 1852, John Dunmore LangJohn Dunmore Lang
John Dunmore Lang , Australian Presbyterian clergyman, writer, politician and activist, was the first prominent advocate of an independent Australian nation and of Australian republicanism.-Background and Family:...
proposed in his book "Freedom and Independence for the Golden Lands of Australia", that the creation of three new Northern Colonies be undertaken. As the calls for separation began to grow the formation of The North Queensland Separation League. This group was at the forefront of the proposals. Another supporter was Thomas Henry Fitzgerald
Thomas Henry FitzGerald
Thomas Henry FitzGerald was a pioneer in sugar cane farming in the early days of the colony of Queensland, Australia. He was a politician, first in New Zealand, then in Queensland. His descendants went on to become notable names in Queensland politics, business and law...
.
In 1897, William Kidstone's proposal was passed through Queensland Parliament on a Speakers vote after a twenty for and twenty against split. The next day, a number of absent members managed to have their votes recorded, and the movement was blocked.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the calls for a new state were once again on the rise, creating a minor call for a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on the idea. In 1994, The North Queensland Party
North Queensland Party
The North Queensland Party is a group aspiring to become a political party in Queensland, Australia. They aim to achieve the best possible political outcomes for the North Queensland region. - External links :* * * *...
were formed with Frank Rossiter a leading figure. The new North Queensland Flag (pictured) was accepted at a meeting on 16 October 1994. It consisted of blue and white sections, representing the sporting colours of North Queensland. In the white coloured section was the Southern Cross while in the blue section was a Tropic sun with a Marlin
Marlin
Marlin, family Istiophoridae, are fish with an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long rigid dorsal fin, which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike...
.
Flag
Proposed Capitals
- Cairns
- Townsville
- Charters TowersCharters Towers, QueenslandCharters Towers is a city in northern Queensland, Australia. It is located 137 kilometres inland from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. In 2006 the population was 7,979 people, some 450 fewer than in the 2001 census. During the last quarter of the 19th century the town boomed as the rich gold...
- RockhamptonRockhamptonRockhampton can refer to:* Rockhampton, Queensland is a city in Queensland, Australia* Rockhampton City, Queensland, a suburb of Rockhampton, Queensland* Electoral district of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia...
Proposed Borders
Gladstone, Queensland
- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
. Others call for the border to be just south of Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, and for another state of Central Queensland
Central Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...
be formed. It has also been suggested to merge with the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and become the new state of Northern Australia, although this proposal has been dismissed by many, saying that the reason for splitting Queensland is to make a smaller state.
Likelihood
Support in North Queensland for secession rises and falls. According the Australian Constitution the Australian Parliament can create a new State in North Queensland with the permission of the Queensland Parliament Sec 124 or sec 111 or with a successful referendumReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
of the whole of Queensland approving the new borders sec 123.
Theories arising around the likelihood of North Queensland separating refer to an inevitable push for statehood based around contributing factors. North Queensland from above Townsville alone has a population exceeding three hundred thousand. As this increases over time, an area that has a population already exceeding the Northern Territories and considering where a border would be drawn, larger than Tasmania will naturally evolve self governance. Considering also the decentralized population over a vast area, distance plays a contributing factor. Cairns is similar distance from Brisbane as Brisbane is from Melbourne. Many Northerners become increasingly frustrated with the Government of Queensland
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
, who they believe concentrate policy decisions based around the south east corner
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
of the state without consideration to the different needs of the far north.