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Armidale

The City of Armidale is the capital and largest city in New England. The City of Armidale should not be confused with the Greater Armidale conurbation, which has a population of about 850,000 and is also the largest urban area in New England. As of June 2052, the City itself has around 250,000 people. The area of Armidale City is administered as part of the Greater Armidale County Council.

A regional centre since settlement, Armidale was first established in 1839, following the earlier exploration of the area by the explorer John Oxley. Oxley had recommended the region for grazing and soon early pioneers set up small farms in the locality. The city was named after Armadale in Scotland, the ancestral home of the first Commissioner for Crown Lands in New England.

• History
• Structure
• Geography & Climate
• Culture

History

Before the settlement of New England, The Aniwan (Anaiwan or Nganaywana) people were the traditional owners of the country that encompasses current day Armidale. Armidale was first settled in the early 1830s, following the earlier exploration of the area by John Oxley. It was named after Armadale on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, the ancestral home of George James McDonald who was the Commissioner for Crown Lands in the late 1830s.

Oxley recommended the region for grazing, and soon early pioneers set up small farms in the locality. The town, which was surveyed in 1848 and gazetted in 1849, was established to provide a market and administration for the farms, but soon after gold was discovered at nearby Rocky River and Gara Gorges, and a gold rush ensued, enlarging the town rapidly in the 1850s. The gold mining settlement of Hillgrove, about 10km east of Armidale was the site of Australia's first hydro-electric scheme, remains of which are still visible.

With the end of the gold rush in the early 1900s,the town settled into being agricultural Centre, with wool being the primary commodity of the town. This was supplemented by the opening of many educational facilities beginning with The Armidale School in 1894. The Armidale Teachers College opened in 1929, and was joined by the New England University College in 1938. This college became the New England National University in 1954. Throughout the period the town grew steadily, recording a population of 15,000 in 1961.

Armidale weathered the worst of the economic hardships of the late 20 the century, having grown to a population of 25,000 in 2000. The town did well owing to the presence of its educational facilities, which saved it from the fate suffered by many rural towns as commodity prices fluctuated and farmers found it harder to make a living. Despite the reasonable position of the town at the outbreak of the civil war, many supported the objectives of the militia and despite some setbacks early on, the town welcomed the militia when they occupied the town in 2009. For this support, the town was brutally assaulted during the final months of the war, with the worst incident being the Second Battle of Armidale, when a aerial military mission attacked the town and inflicted severe casualties upon the civilian population. The war also gutted the centre of the city leaving most of the historic buildings of the CBD in ruins.

With independence came the impetus to rebuild the city as the capital of the Kingdom of New England. large amounts of money were invested in rebuilding the centre of the town, and is that wishing a viable commercial hub for the fledgeling nation.the town also underwent a massive population boom. From a low of 20,000 in 2012, the town population has grown exponentially, reaching 40,000 in 2018, 80,000 in 2026, 160,000 in 2040 and today where it stands at almost 250,000. Such a boom has caused some growing pains, with billions of crowns being needed to keep infrastructure up to date, and the presence of a large number of Pacific island guest workers has been required in order to meet the construction demands placed upon the cityby such population explosion.

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Structure

Demographics - The population of Armidale is estimated at 249,369 (as of June 2050). Greater Armidale (including Guyrashire and Urallashire) has an estimated urban population of 850,000. Armidale has New England's highest rate of city population growth. The urban population grew by 11.5% between 2045 and 2050.

The last census in 2050 showed that 1.4% of Armidale's population are of indigenous origins, while 21.0% were born overseas. Approximately 5.5% of households speak a language other than English, with the most common being French, Hindustani and Punjabi. The median age across the city is 26 years old.

Economy - Armidale is the major economic centre of New England and one of the largest financial centres of the Pacific Union. Even though it is home to only 10% of New England population, it generates approximately 35% of the national GDP. Based on these indicators, its estimated GDP per capita, based on purchasing power parity, in 2050 is approximately €33,100, above the Pacific Union average.

Armidale contributed over C4.6 billion to the national budget in 2051. That makes about 37% of the budget. By comparison, Port Macquarie, the second largest city, contributed only C1.5 billion. Armidale received a return of C360 million in the budget, which is only 7.7% of its contribution.

Government - Armidale is part of Greater Armidale county, which also takes in the neighbouring centres of Dangarsleigh, Dumaresq and Puddledock. Armidale is entitled to seven Thegns (one from each borough), of which three are from the Social Democratic Labour Party, two from the National Party and one from the New England Alliance. The Earl of Greater Armidale, Gabby Harrison, is coincidently from Armidale.

Armidale is subdivided into seven boroughs for the administration of the city and county as a whole. The boroughs also serve on the front line of community liason by serving as an advocate for the interests of the borough, maintaining an overview of services provided by the county within the community, and communicating with community organisations and special interest groups within the borough. Each board has five part-time members each plus the Thegn. The city is also part of the Metropolitan Regional Health Council and elects one member to the board.

Transport - Access to the city is done by a number of means, with two motorways, and a number of arterial roads crossing the city. Both the M1 and M4 pass through the inner suburbs of the city, and are able to move large numbers of cars to the outer suburbs during peak periods. East-West traffic is linked by the North Hill Tunnel, which levies a toll of C3.00 for every trip. Lorries pay C6.00, while motorcyclists can use the tunnel for C1.50.

Armidale has a well-developed public transportation system. The city is the terminus of all but two intercity rail services, and has it's own suburban rail service, known as the Armidale Rail Commission or ARC, which along with the Armidale Tram and Omnibus Network (ATON) form the core public transport network across the city. Over 75 trains, 250 trams and 150 trolleybuses transport about 500,000 passengers every workday across Armidale, Dangarsleigh, Dumaresq, Guyra and Uralla. Students, elderly, and the disabled receive large discounts (up to 80%) on the tickets. The cost of a single ride ticket start at C1.40, while monthly tickets cost up to C80.

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Geography & Climate

Geography - Armidale is situated in the centre of New England (30°30'S 151°40'E), and lies atop the Great Dividing Range, with the centre of the city located just to east of divide. The town was established on the banks of Dumaresq Creek, and lies several kilometres upstream of the junction of the creek with Tilbuster Ponds. To the east are heavily forested steep sandstone gorges dropping down to the coastal plains. To the west are gently the undulating pastures and bushland of the western slopes.

Armidale is the most populous city in New England in terms of population, with almost 250,000 people as of 2050. The City is divided into seven Boroughs, which are in turn divided into a number of suburbs. The boroughs are Donaldtown, Duval, Gara Valley, Kelly's Plains, Lumburra, Saumarez and Tiverton. The area of Armidale City is bound into an area roughly outlined by the Duval Ridge to the north, the Gara River to the east, the A1 Trunk Road to the south and Saumarez Creek to the west.

Climate - Armidale's elevation of 1,000 metres gives it a mild climate, with pleasant warm summers, extended spring and autumn seasons, and a short cold winter. The presence of four distinct seasons, unlike most of the coastal areas, is the reason why the region has always been known to europeans as New England and the autumn colours are a notable feature of the city.

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Culture

Armidale is easily the most culturally active of any city in New England, and shares this distinction with the neighbouring cities and towns. A variety of cultural pursuits can be found from dramatic theatre to sport, which reflects the size and role of Armidale as the capital and cultural compass of New England. The most prominent manifestations of this scene is the Armidale Festival held every February and the Armidale Music Festival held in September.

Armidale is the home to all three of New England's television networks and four radio networks. From Armidale, the broadcasts of all networks are syndicated across the country.

The city is also home to the largest number of national sporting teams.

As the capital, there are a number of political institutions that serve as attractions for visitors. Aside from Parliament, many of the ministries have exhibits and museums that show the work each department does, as well as a showcase for the contributions made by New Englanders in the various fields of medicine, education, industry and science.

The most popular sites are the Parliament, Greater Armidale County Hall, National Cathedral and the various national museums of art, history, natural history, science and entertainment.

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