Rare map of a portion of New South Wales, illustrating the proposal to locate the capital of Australia in the City of Orange, New South Wales.

At the end of the 19th Century, Sydney and Melbourne were in the midst of a fight regardin the location of Australia's future national capital.

In 1899, the draft Constitution was amended to include Section 125, which required the creation of a federal seat of government within New South Wales The battle between the federal and New South Wales governments over a suitable site for a capital continued intermittently for more than a decade.

In 1899 the New South Wales Government established a royal commission to investigate possible sites for the federal capital. Many towns in New South Wales were nominated by their residents for the honor and were required to submit details as to climatic conditions, transport accessibility, physical conditions, land ownership and value, plus information on other conditions including food supply, minerals, ability to support a considerable population and conditions for commercial and industrial development. The Commissioner visited many sites and presented his report on October 26, 1900 which favoured the following areas: Orange (or Canobolas), Yass and Bombala-Eden.