History of Canberra Rush at the time, Melbourne was Australia's largest city and a potential place for the capital. However Sydney was Australia's oldest city, and so also had a justifiable claim to host the new nation's Federal polity. Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria, Melbourne's state of location —supported Melbourne. However, New South Wales (the largest colony) and its neighbouring northern state, Queensland, favoured Sydney. Perhaps one or another of the two colonial capitals might have eventually been acceptable to the smaller states, but the Sydney–Melbourne rivalry was such that neither city would ever agree to the other one becoming the capital.
Coat of arms of Victoria (Australia) with a Chaplet of Corn and supporting with the exterior hand a Cornucopia proper. Motto: Peace and Prosperity.” The current interpretation of the arms uses St Edward's Crown. This was changed in the same royal warrant that added the Compartment and the heath. Coat of arms of Victoria (Australia) The Coat of Arms of Victoria is the official symbol of the Australian state of Victoria. Victoria was the second state of Australia to gain arms, granted on 6 June 1910 by royal warrant of King George V. The state had been named in 1851 after his grandmother, who was Queen