1859 :: Queensland became a separate colony

153 years ago today, 6 June 1859, Queensland separated from NSW. Click on the map below to see how the state borders have changed over time.

Want to find out more? Go online to the Museum of Australian Democracy and read the Letters Patent - Queensland's primary founding documents. Authorised by Queen Victoria on 6 June 1859, they are the legal instrument for the separation of the new colony from New South Wales and the appointment of the first Governor, this document is still 'live', the constitutional basis for Queensland today.