Australia is a big country made up of six states and two mainland territories. The states are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. The two territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). A territory is an area of land run a little differently from a state, but it is shown on a map in the same way.
Every state and territory has a capital city, the city where its government meets. A capital city is often the biggest city in that state or territory, but not always. One capital is easy to mix up: Canberra is the capital of the Australian Capital Territory, and it is also the capital of the whole of Australia. Canberra is not in New South Wales, even though New South Wales surrounds it.
The map below shows all six states and two territories, with a compass rose in the corner. A compass rose shows four main directions: north, east, south and west. We can use it to describe where one place is compared to another.
Each abbreviation stands for a state or territory. Write its full name on the line.
Write the matching letter next to each state or territory.
Use the map and what you have learnt to fill in the missing cells.
| State or territory | Capital city | One feature |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Home to the Sydney Opera House | |
| Melbourne | Home to the Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| Queensland | Home to the Great Barrier Reef | |
| Adelaide | Home to the Adelaide Oval | |
| Western Australia | Home to Rottnest Island | |
| Hobart | Home to Cradle Mountain | |
| Australian Capital Territory | Home to Parliament House | |
| Darwin | Home to the rock formation Uluru |
Long before Australia had states and territories, and continuing today, this land was and is home to First Nations Australians: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. First Nations Australians care for and belong to Country, a word that means much more than a plain patch of land. Country includes the land, water and sky of a place, together with its stories, language and law.
Australia is home to hundreds of different First Nations Nations, each with its own name, language and Country. These Nations have cared for their Country for tens of thousands of years, and they continue to care for it today. The borders of a First Nations Country do not match the straight lines of a state or territory on a map. One state, such as Victoria, sits across the Country of several different Nations.
This means contemporary Australia can be shown in two true ways: as six states and two territories, or as the many Countries and Places of First Nations Australians.
Use the map on this page and what you have learnt to answer these questions.
1. Which state is directly north of Victoria?
2. Which territory is directly north of South Australia?
3. Which state is west of South Australia?
4. Which island state is south of Victoria, across Bass Strait?
5. What does the word Country mean to First Nations Australians? Explain in one or two sentences.
6. Why do First Nations Nations have many different Countries, even though a state like Victoria has just one name?
Without looking back at the earlier map, write the name of each state or territory in its box on the map below.
For the parent or supervisor: set this page aside before handing over the worksheet.
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