The state of New South Wales (NSW) ceded the Canberra area to the Commonwealth in 1911 as the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), but maintained responsibility for education in the region until 1974, when the territory became responsible for its own educational system. ACT's Independent Education Authority came into being in large part as the result of a vigorous campaign conducted by Canberra citizens dissatisfied with NSW educational policy. Inspired by the citizens' groups, Australian educational specialists conducted studies and prepared recommendations regarding creation of an ACT education authority. These materials formed the basis for the Australian Parliament's action. The opportunity for a decentralized system with extensive citizen participation was grasped, and the new Authority is now viewed by many as a model for the nation. This document consists of six articles by different persons involved in development of the Authority, treating the history of the Authority, its organization and functioning, its status as an experimental model, and its prospects for the future. (Author/PGD)