Canberra Travel

Canberra is the capital city of Australia, located in the Australian Capital Territory (which is surrounded by the state of New South Wales), southwest of Australia's largest city Sydney. It has a population of about 325,000 people.

Canberra was established in 1913 as a purpose-built capital for the newly federated Australian nation - this brought the rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne for national capital status to an end.

The artificial creation of the city was not without critics however - many said that it was a "waste of a good sheep pasture".

Canberra is a highly planned city, its primary design conceived by the American architect Walter Burley Griffin and built on the shores of an artificial lake (Lake Burley Griffin). Populated at first largely by politicians and public servants, it has taken several decades to develop its own identity and culture. A building spree in the late 20th century and a concerted effort to develop public institutions in the city have made it a viable destination for the traveller.

Lake Burley Griffin divides central Canberra. The central shopping and commercial area, known as "Civic", on the north side and the parliamentary and embassy area is on the south side. National institutions are likewise divided, examples being the National Museum of Australia and the Australian War Memorial on the north side and the National Library and National Gallery of Australia on the south side.

There are suburbs surrounding central Canberra, and also suburbs surrounding several outlying town centres. These town centres are Belconnen and Gungahlin to the north, and Tuggeranong and Woden to the south.

Many people who live in Canberra are not originally from Canberra, having usually moved there to study or take up employment with the Australian Government.

A common pattern is that people from other parts of Australia move to Canberra, study or work for a few years and then return to their place of origin or move on to elsewhere. As this means a constant influx of new arrivals to Canberra, you should not be reluctant to ask for directions etc. from locals - they are more than used to it and usually only too happy to help.

Canberrans on the whole are easygoing, friendly and tolerant people who have the highest levels of education and income in Australia.

Ethnically, Canberra's population is more diverse than most regional areas of Australia, but nowhere near as culturally and linguistically varied as Sydney and Melbourne.

Canberra can get just as hot as anywhere else in Australia during the summer months, with temperatures above 35ºC a regular occurrence from December through to March. In winter it can get bitterly cold during the winter months owing to its altitude and proximity to the Snowy Mountains.

Overnight temperatures in winter frequently drop below zero and tend to hover around 10ºC during the day. However, it is usually a clear, brisk cold, and rarely a dull, damp cold. It rarely snows in Canberra, and when it does it does not stick on the ground for very long.

Canberra is less humid than Australian coastal cities. The hottest days are often mitigated by welcome cooling mountain breezes, particularly towards the end of the day, and the temperature drops overnight.

Things to See at Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory

• Australian War Memorial, Not just a memorial, this is one of Australia's premier museums, covering Australian military history from Federation to the present day and including fascinating exhibits of equipment, memorabilia and battle dioramas. You could easily spend a full day here (it has a café, or bring a picnic lunch if the weather is nice and sit on the lawns at the front). Free.
• Parliament House of Australia, across the lake from ANZAC Parade. The seat of Australia's federal government and legislature and a remarkable piece of modern architecture.
• Old Parliament House, The headquarters of Australian government from the 1920s to 1988, this building is a must for political and/or historical junkies. The building gives a real feel of what it was like when it was in use and has regularly rotating exhibitions on the controversies and scandals that rocked Australian politics. Most of the main rooms - the Prime Minister's office, the Cabinet Room, the various party rooms, the two houses - are open to visitors, as are many smaller rooms like the whips' offices and the broadcasting area.
• National Museum of Australia, This controversial museum has lots of interactive exhibits and groups items by concept rather than era. Free admission except for special exhibits.
• National Gallery of Australia, Located by Lake Burley Griffin, this modern structure is one of the country's largest art galleries. It has a vast collection of paintings and sculptures collected from Australia and the rest of the world and has excellent Aboriginal artwork. A nice gift store. Free except for special exhibits.
• National Library of Australia, The library is primarily a research centre, but normally has one exhibition showing parts of the collection. Also notable for its neo-classical architecture.
• Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), The AIS is Australia's elite athlete training facility. It is open both for tours and for fitness classes. There is a large pool available for public lap swimming at certain hours.
• Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre, Questacon is an interactive museum of science with exhibits illustrating scientific ideas from the principles of physics to the motion of an earthquake. Great for kids and excellent science books can be picked up here.
• Royal Australian Mint. Take a tour of the mint and see how coins are made. You will even get the chance to mint your own souvenir coin. Look for the pudding coins as a souvenir (not always available). The mint is currenjtly being refurbished, so as of October '07, there is only the coin shop, mint your own dollar and an exhibition on the history of Australian coins for viewing by the general public.
• Australian National Botanic Gardens. Located at the base of Black Mountain, the ANBG has the largest collection of Australian native flora in the country. It also has some interesting water dragons that live in the water features around the gardens. A delightful place for a picnic, try to grab some food from the city centre first to take with you for lunch.
• Telstra Tower, This functional communications tower rises 195 m above the summit of Black Mountain, providing 360 degree views of Canberra and the countryside around it. Well worth a visit, day or night, for the fantastic views - look for the cork tree plantation and Parliament House.
• Prime Minister's Lodge. Generally closed to the public and one can only see part of the garden from behind the wall. There are open days about once a year and if you are lucky to be in Canberra then, it shouldn't be missed.
• Government House. An official residence of the Governor-General, representative of the Queen. Closed to the public except for open days. It can be observed from the hill off the Scrivener Dam Rd. Often kangaroos are to be spotted munching grass on the lawns, so be careful driving along the ride that gets to the viewpoint, especially at dusk.
• Embassies. As the national capital, Canberra hosts the embassies of other countries. Some of them are architecturally interesting and worth looking at, particularly:
  • The Embassy of China
  • The Embassy of Papua New Guinea
  • The whole 'Embassy district' in leafy Yarralumla suburb. It is best to have a car for touring here.

Events and Festivals at Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory

• Floriade festival of flowers, a yearly event held in spring (September-October), not to be missed. Tulips are the main feature but many other colourful flowers and floral displays are featured. There are also sculptures, garden stalls, makeshift restaurants, activities, live music by local performers and sometimes there is even a gnome or scarecrow festival where children (and some adults) paint gnomes or make scarecrows and enter a competition to choose the best. Great for a photo opportunity!
• Summernats is a festival of modified cars, car cruising, burnouts, etc, which takes place first thing in the new year. If you are not into this culture, this is a good time not to be in Canberra, as even the most civilised hotels are overtaken by drunken 'nats'.
• The Multicultural Festival  a must to visit, has many events, such as concerts, performances and an International Food Fare with over 200 stalls selling original food of different countries. Happens every year in February.
• Thai Embassy Food Fair - once a year - do not miss this! The Philippines, Sri Lanka and some other embassies do similar events sometimes.
• Diplomatic Charity Bazaar - held occasionally. Great place to buy original things specific to various countries, sold by staff of the embassies.
• The National Folk Festival - held every Easter over 5 days, featuring local, national and international folk musicians, dancers and craftspeople.
• The Canberra show held in February featuring shows, amusement park rides and agricultural competitions. Has most of the features of the Sydney Royal Easter Show, but on a smaller scale with less crowds.