This thesis is an account of movements and policies for decentralisation of population and economic activity away from metropolitan to non-metropolitan areas in Victoria and New South Wales between 1885 and 1985. Red hard covered thesis undertaken for a Doctory of Philosphy ot the University of Melbourne. frank hurley, thesis, doctorate, decentralisation, ppoulation, economics, policy, closer settlement acts, urbanisation, decentralisation league, war and reconstruction, central planning, town planning, victorian decentralisatoin league, owen paper mill, slough estate, noel mobbs, ballarat common, edgar bartrop, australian paper mills, bendix mintex, ball, ballarat development committee