note: melbourne is sometimes said to have been the inaugural capital of australia, from 1901 until 1927, when parliament house, canberra was opened. this is not so. section 125 of the constitution of australia states that the seat of government is to be within the state of new south wales but not less than 100 miles from sydney, and that until that place (canberra) was built, the parliament of australia would meet at melbourne. that made melbourne the "de facto" (but not "de jure") seat of government 1901-1927, but it did not amount to melbourne being declared the capital, and it was never so described in contemporary documents.