This should be Yass-Canberra Day

OPINION: True or False?

In 1908, Canberra was not selected as the National Capital – but actually lost to Yass-Canberra.

True.  Yes, that’s right.

In 1908, parliamentarians were asked to vote on 11 possible options for the National Capital – Albury, Armidale, Bombala, Canberra, Dalgety, Lake George, Lyndhurst, Orange, Tooma, Tumut and Yass-Canberra.

Canberra didn’t win.  It didn’t even make it to the final two.  In the House of Representatives in October 1908, Yass-Canberra beat out Dalgety and in the Senate in November 1908, Yass-Canberra fought off a tough challenge from second-placed Tumut.

If you don’t believe me, search “Yass-Canberra & 1908” and you will find information about this history on the official Australian Government website and the National Capital Authority website.

This is history we all need to know.  Yass is not the little sibling to Canberra – but in fact the place that beat Canberra to be the National Capital.

Now it is true that Yass-Canberra was a large region and that there was still some work to be done by Charles Scrivener to determine the actual spot where the national buildings would be built – and we all know where they ended up.

But that doesn’t change the fact that Yass has an important part in the history of Australia and our National Capital.  It doesn’t change the reality that Yass can be very proud of its place in Australia and is much more than a small place near Canberra.

Does this mean that Yass should also have a public holiday today – the date of the ACT holiday called Canberra Day?

Well, I have a better idea.

I reckon it is pretty good that while Canberra is closed, the Yass Valley is open – that today Canberra is a ghost-town and the Yass Valley is alive.

So, if you are reading this, take the opportunity to celebrate that Yass was on the winning side when the site for the National Capital was chosen.  Get out and enjoy the history and heritage of the Yass main street, or of Murrumbateman, Gundaroo, Sutton, Binalong, Bowning, Bookham or Wee Jasper.

We’re different to the ACT.  In the Yass Valley, it’s not our style to celebrate being special by closing down for a day.  No, our way is to open up and show off to the world what we have to offer.

And, if on any day of the year, someone from Canberra tries to put Yass down, tries to dismiss the Yass Valley as small and insignificant, you can tell them the truth that in 1908 Canberra lost the vote to be the National Capital and Yass-Canberra won.

Happy Yass-Canberra Day!

Michael Pilbrow is President of the Yass Valley Business Chamber, a former ALP candidate for the Federal Electorate of Hume, and a resident of Yass who thinks that the Yass Valley is better than Canberra!