Australia’s oddest jurisdiction : the continuous anomaly of Jervis Bay Territory

Abstract

The organisation of sovereign states into various components rarely proceeds on entirely rational grounds and often involves the accommodation of various social, cultural, political and geographical factors. While there was clear rationale behind establishment of Australia’s Jervis Bay Territory, its continuance is a notable example of irrationalism. Since 1915, the territory’s miniscule population (391 in the 2016 census, of which the majority are Indigenous) has had to contend with dislocated legislation, administration and service provision, split (at various times) between Australian Commonwealth, Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales agencies. These issues have resulted in a variety of logistical problems for residents that suggest the pointlessness of the territory’s continuance.