New South Wales

The state of New South Wales in Australia is located in the south eastern part of the country. This Australian territory has the famous city of Sydney within it. The first group of Europeans settled in this region in the 18th century. As this state was fabricated in the early days of the country�s origin it is also known as the �First State�. The state now days have high concentration of population more than any other regions of the country. However, more than 50% of the population is concentrated in the city of Sydney. New South Welshman is the other name of the territory of New South Wales. This region was christened by James Cook when he visited this region. During the time of its inception it was a penal colony where convicts from England were sent. During the gold rush in the mid 19th century there was a great rise in the population. With the commencement of the new century New South Wales had become famous worldwide as Sydney its main city was chosen as the venue for the Olympics game. This state is also a major tourist destination in the country and also visited by tourists from around the world.

The emblems representing the state of New South Wales are:

• State Flower: Waratah
• State Fish: Blue Groper
• State Bird: Kookaburra
• State Animal: Platypus

The official colours of this state are Sky blue and white which are present in its flag. The flag was first officially adopted in the year 1876.

Sydney which is the capital of New South Wales is the seat of its power. The parliament of this territory is the first one in this country. The government like any other parliamentary form of government is divided into three parts the judiciary, executive and legislative. The Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly are the two parts of the parliament of New South Wales. The head of the government of this territory is the governor. Currently the governor of NSW is Professor Marie Bashir. There are in total 93 seats in the Legislative Assembly and 42 seats in the legislative council. Regular elections are held to choose the members of the parliament. Australian Election Commission is responsible for the whole procedure of voting. Every citizen over the age of 18 is eligible to vote.

The head of the government of New South Wales is the premier and he is assisted by the cabinet. The new post called the parliamentary secretary has been developed in recent times to help in the administration. The state of NSW has the Supreme Court as it apex court and the high court of Australia is the last court of appeal. Statue law and the common law are the two major bases of legislation procedures undertaken in New South Wales.