Australian regional rivalries
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Australian regional rivalries refers to the rivalries between Australian cities or regions, the most prominent of them being between Melbourne and Sydney. They are usually relatively friendly.
Contents |
[edit] Melbourne - Sydney Rivalry
There has been a long standing rivalry, usually friendly yet sometimes heated, between the cities of Melbourne and Sydney, the two largest cities in Australia.
[edit] Capital city
The rivalry between the cities was the reason that neither Melbourne (the largest city at the time) nor Sydney (the oldest city) was chosen as the capital of Australia when the nation was federated in 1901. Because of this disagreement, section 125 of the Australian Constitution specified that the capital of the new Commonwealth must be north of the Murray River (placing it in New South Wales rather than Victoria) but at least 100 miles from Sydney. This city became Canberra. Melbourne operated as the capital city from 1901 until 1927, when Canberra's Parliament House was opened. Various Commonwealth governmental bodies continued to operate principally from Melbourne or Sydney after 1927. Most civil service departments were moved to Canberra in the 1950s, and the High Court of Australia was finally moved fromMelbourne to Canberra in 1980.
[edit] Free Trade vs Protectionism
Rivalry and differences between the colonies was a feature of life in Pre-Federation Australia. There was a real rivalry between the most powerful colonies, New South Wales and Victoria, on trade matters. As the two largest colonies both the states believed that the new nation should follow their trade model. Victoria had a policy of protectionism with tariffs imposed on goods coming into the state from other colonies. New South Wales had an opposite policy of free trade where all goods coming that came into the state were not tariffed. This rivalry delayed the process of federation; eventually the two colonies agreed that trade between the colonies would be tariff free, but tariffs would be placed on goods from overseas (excluding the British Empire).
[edit] Football
Australian rules football (AFL) in Australia is traditionally based in Melbourne, while rugby league is played more in Sydney. While both sports have extended their popularity beyond their own state, the historic and spiritual centre of both sports has been Sydney and Melbourne. This has created or fuelled the rivalry between the cities.
[edit] Comparison
Sydney Harbour with the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge has the most internationally recognisable landmarks of any Australian city. The harbour is often described as one of the best in the world. Sydney is also the largest city in Australia. Melbourne, on the other hand, is often regarded as the arts, cultural, fashion, shopping or food capital of Australia. Both cities have hosted an Olympic Games (Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000), while Melbourne has the bigger sporting events with the Melbourne Cup, Australian Tennis Open and Grand Prix. Melbourne has the taller office building (Rialto Towers) and residential tower (Eureka Tower), while Sydney has the tallest tower overall (Sydney Tower). Melbourne's Crown Casino is bigger than Sydney's Star City, Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria larger than Sydney's Art Gallery of New South Wales. However, Sydney's beaches such as Bondi Beach are more popular than Melbourne's, due to the warmer climate and waves. People in Sydney have in the past made fun of the Yarra River which is seen as being dirty, and Melbourne's climate which is seen as being both perennially overcast (although Sydney actually receives more rain), and erratic. Melbourne boasts a popular public transport system which includes an integrated and extensive train, tram and bus system which is sometimes cited as being more reliable than Sydney's Cityrail.
[edit] Tasmania-mainland rivalry
Mainland Australians often use the island state Tasmania (or Tasmanians) as the butt of jokes. Many joke that people from the small island of Tasmania are inbred, or have two heads. The origins of these jokes are most likely due to the fact that Tasmania is an island state, and its (presumed) low population, when in actual fact Tasmania is much less remote than Darwin, Northern Territory or Perth, and more populous than Darwin, Canberra, and up until the early 1900s, Perth. [1] More Tasmanian born people live in Melbourne than in Tasmania.
Mainland Australian maps used graphically and symbols frequently leave Tasmania off completely.
Tasmania is often jokingly identified as "not part of Australia" by mainlanders. Some jokingly refer to Tasmania as "overseas" in a freight or travel context, despite it being overseas only in a literal context. Internationally, some people think of Tasmania and Australia as different countries. International mail destined for Tasmania being redirected to Tanzania in Africa has sometimes occurred.
[edit] Other regions
[edit] Northern Tasmania and southern Tasmania
Historically, the rivalry between Launceston in the north and Hobart in the south has been endless. Tasmania's population (just over 480,000) is distributed almost evenly between the north and the south of the state. Northern Tasmania has a slightly higher population (around 52%) [citation needed], whereas southern Tasmania has the capital, and largest, city (Hobart, with around 200,000 people).
During the reign of one premier in the late twentieth century folklore had it that the government was planning to move the administration of the state to Launceston. [citation needed]
Each end of the state is home to a brewery; Boag's Brewery in Launceston and the Cascade Brewery in Hobart. Both beers are popular throughout the rest of Australia. [1] [2]
Organisations which base themselves in northern Tasmania are often reported with much negativity in the Hobart media. Examples include the establishment of the Australian Maritime College in Launceston in 1978; the Spirit of Tasmania ferry terminal in Devonport on the north-west coast; or Launceston's Aurora Stadium being named as the sole host of Australian Football League games in the state.
In 1991, the Launceston-based Tasmanian State Institute of Technology became the Launceston campus of the previously Hobart-based University of Tasmania. The decision was made to locate some courses at one campus only; for example, the University's then new School of Nursing was based in Launceston.
Despite Australian rules football being hugely popular in the state, Tasmania's local competition has struggled. For much of the 20th century Tasmania had a statewide competition (the Tasmanian Football League, later known as Statewide League), but in 2000 a lack of cohesion resulted in the division of the statewide leagues into separate northern and southern leagues. The conflict also flowed on to Tasmania's bids for a team in the national competition - the inability for northern and southern representatives to compromise on a home location for such a team has been partly responsible. The Tasmanian Devils, who represent the state in the Victorian Football League, alternate their home games between Hobart and Launceston.
[edit] South Australia and Victoria
Rivalry between South Australia and Victoria over interstate and State of Origin Football and the Australian Grand Prix, which became a Formula One event in Adelaide but later moved to Melbourne. For many years, Adelaide was the only capital city outside of Melbourne to retain a working part of its original tramway. Adelaide is often described derisively by interstaters as "Melbourne's smaller cousin".
[edit] New South Wales and Queensland
Rivalry between New South Wales and Queensland in the Rugby League Rugby League State of Origin.
[edit] Western Australia and eastern states
Many Western Australians consider that they never get their point of view listened to in Canberra due to the rivalry with the 'Eastern Staters' and they have tried to secede from Australia at least twice formally. Local Western Australian newspapers and politicians have had the issue in mind ever since formation of the colony had the issue as a perennially reccurring issue either specifically or indirectly.
Western Australia was the last colony to agree to join the others in federation, and almost decided against joining. An example of a smaller secession movement in Western Australia would have to include the Hutt River Province.
![[1]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Australian_population_data_as_a_percentage_1881-2000.png){kind=link}