The Advisory Council was established by Ordinance No. 4 of 1930 made on 9 April and proclaimed to commence on 1 May 1930. This Ordinance was made under authority of the Seat of Government (Administration) Act. Under this same Act, the Federal Capital Commission was abolished and all property rights and authority in administration of the Territory reverted to the Federal Government.
 
The status of the Council was to be that of a purely advisory body, its full lawful powers being defined thus -
 
   The Council may advise the Minister in relation
   to any matter affecting the Territory including the
   making of new Ordinances or the repeal or amendment
   of existing Ordinances.
 
A member of Council could submit to Council any relevant matter for discussion and the Minister could refer to Council any matter upon which he desired advice. Advice to the Minister was to be in the form of resolutions of Council and copies of minutes of all meetings were to be transmitted to the Minister.
 
Establishment of the Advisory Council was seen to be a positive response to the popular unrest over lack of resident representation on the Federal Capital Commission. In 1928 the office of a Commissioner elected by residents holding a certain property value was established but this proved still to be an unsatisfactory arrangement. The Ordinance of 1930 provided for Membership of Council to be three (3) resident-elected members and four members nominated by the government. Periodically the number of elected members was increased and by 1974 stood at eight (8). The tenure of office in 1930 was two years and in 1974 was three years. Elected members were paid an allowance as set down from time to time by Ordinance. Elections took place as defined in Electoral Regulations made under this same Ordinance.
 
With changes in administrative arrangements, and specific changes made by Advisory Council Ordinance, the ex officio membership of Council was altered several times, though maintaining the general principle that these members be departmental experts in aspects of
administration of the Territory. At all times there was a
representative of the Department of Health to advise on matters relating to matters of public health in the Territory. The broader municipal matters of local administration were continuously
represented by a succession of departments of state -
 
 CA 24 Home Affairs [II] 1930-1932
 CA 14, Works and Railways 1930-1932
 CA 27, Interior [I] 1932-1939
 CA 31, Interior [II] 1939-1972
 CA 1477, Capital Territory 1972-1974
 
From 1965, an ex officio member was drawn from the National Capital Development Commission and an observer from the Department of Education and Science began attendance in 1969, being replaced by an observer from the (successor) Department of Education in 1972. The Principal Ordinance of 1930 established the office of Civic Administrator who was appointed by the Minister and, ex officio, was to be Chairman of the Council and responsible to the Minister for the general administration of the Territory. With the creation of the Department of the Interior, the Office of Civic Administrator, per se, was
abolished but the Chairman was still appointed by the Minister until this power was given to Council members by Ordinance 21 of 1935. The Advisory Council was required by Ordinance to meet monthly and at these meetings, as recorded in the Minutes, matters touching on every aspect of the administration and management of the territory were discussed.
 
The ACT Advisory Council held its last meeting on 9 September 1974. The Council was succeeded by the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly which was established by an ACT Ordinance No 24 of 1974 under the Seat of Government Act 1910-1973. Sections of the Ordinance relevant to the establishment of the Legislative Assembly were gazetted to come into operation on 1 October 1974 (Australian Government Gazette No. 78 of 24 September 1974.)
 
Elections for the Legislative Assembly were held on 28 September 1974 and results announced on 11 October 1974 (Australian Government Gazette No. 83B of 11 October 1974).
 
The Assembly had its first sitting on 28 October 1974.
 

Historical agency address
1930-c 1960: Acton Offices, Canberra
1960-  1972: Civic Offices, Canberra
1972-  1974: South Building, Civic, ACT
Legislation administered
Commonwealth Acts, No. 25 of 1910- , Seat of Government Administration Act, 1910-1973; Seat of Government Administration Ordinances, No 4 of 1930-1936; Advisory Council Ordinance, 1930-1936; No 49 of 1936 - ; Legislative Assembly Ordinance, 1936-1974, No 24 of 1974.