The growth and development of Albury-Wodonga 1972-2006: united and divided

Albury and Wodonga are contiguous twin towns astride the Murray River the border between New South Wales and Victoria and at a casual glance appear to be functioning as one town. In 1972 the Federal Labor Whitlam government and the States of Victoria and New South Wales established the Albury-Wodonga Growth Centre and appointed the Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation to plan and develop the project which included the building of two new satellite towns, Thurgoona and Baranduda. The Growth Centre policy is underpinned by the popular Growth Poles and Growth Centre theories of the day, which were circulating in Europe and North America. Albury and Wodonga were selected for development as a Growth Centre as they had already shown evidence of economic development and population growth. The theories of spatial concentration, industrial location, and regional agglomeration explain the development of the Growth Centre over three historical periods in Australia including the end of the Long Boom which encompasses the Whitlam years, the lead up to and the restructuring of the Australian economy by the Hawke-Keating governments (1976-1991), and the return to prosperity under the Howard government (1996-2006). Three issues were examined in this thesis. First, the reasons why Albury-Wodonga continued to grow in its unique way as an inland centre. Second, the role of the cross border location in generating reasons for growth and creating anomalies. Third an understanding of the brief and unique Federal intervention which has shaped Albury-Wodonga. The development of the Albury-Wodonga Growth Centre has been the first and last occasion, in the past forty years, that the Federal government has directly intervened in State regional affairs. Fieldwork provided a contemporary narrative from stakeholders in the Growth Centre about events over the three historic periods and the impact of anomalies on commerce, industry and residents. The thesis attempts to add to the research about internal borders and inland centres in Australia...