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Canberra is a totally planned city established just 80 years ago. The city was designed by an American landscape architect, Walter Burley Griffin, who won an international design competition conducted by the Federal Government in 1912. Canberra is often described as Australia's Washington, because the city was built to be the political, administrative and cultural hub of this country.
The meticulous attention to design and its relationship to the environment has produced a city completely in harmony with its natural surroundings, a city scattered through a park. Canberra has none of the pollution problems which are part of life in other major capital cities and travelling is a breeze. It is also one of the world's safest cities.
Regular air, road and rail connections with Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane make Canberra the ideal choice for a holiday base in Australia for overseas visitors looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of big city life. Beautiful sunny beaches are within easy reach of Canberra as are Australia's snowfields and the rural western districts of New South Wales.
Canberra is the political and cultural heart of the nation, containing many buildings, monuments and institutions of great significance to Australians. These attractions include Federal Parliament House which is located in the geographical centre of the city. Elsewhere in Canberra you will find the Australian War Memorial, which contains one of the finest collections of war relics in the world. The National Gallery of Australia contains the nation's art treasures while Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre gives visitors a hands on opportunity to marvel at the technology of the future. The National Library is the country's largest library . It plays an important part in the preservation of our heritage and the advancement of Australia's cultural and intellectual life. Complementing the National Library is the Australian Film and Sound Archive. The Archive plays an important role in preserving Australian film and sound heritage. The Australian Institute of Sport complex is a unique group of international standard sporting facilities located alongside world class sports science and sports medicine facilities. The Institute trains Australia's outstanding sportsmen and women and it will be in constant use in the lead up to the year 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
While the national capital functions are a fundamental part of life in Canberra, there is much more to this great city than Federal Parliament, the museums and monuments. Canberra is also a modern, cosmopolitan city, that is home to 300,000 Australians. Canberrans celebrate the coming of spring with the Floriade Festival which features the biggest floral display in the southern hemisphere. Late in summer the Canberra Festival gives locals, and visitors alike, an opportunity to celebrate the city's birthday over two weeks of community and arts activities. Canberra can be seen at its best during autumn, when the weather is perfect and the parklands are ablaze with spectacular seasonal colours. Autumnfest is the city's tribute to the season of the falling leaves. The coming of winter heralds the time for winter sports such as tobogganing on Canberra's doorstep at Corin Forest or skiing in the Australian Alps just south of the Australian Capital Territory. The National Festival of Australian Theatre heralds the return of spring in Canberra.
A visit to the lookouts on Black Mountain or Mount Ainslie will show you why Canberra is regarded as one of Australia's most attractive garden cities. Few cities in the world can offer the wide open spaces, the greenery, the tree lined streets which Canberra offers its visitors. Namadgi National Park to the south of the city covers about 40% of the ACT and it contains some of the most stunning sub-alpine wilderness areas in Australia. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is a 5,000 hectare flora and fauna reserve criss-crossed with walking trails. Closer to the city you will find the Australian National Botanic Gardens, which has the largest collection of Australian native flora in cultivation. The Australian National Aquarium and Wildlife Sanctuary is another must for visitors interested in communing with nature.
Canberra offers accommodation to suit the pocket of every traveller from backpacker hostels to five star luxury hotels. As one of Australia's most cosmopolitan cities it is no surprise Canberra can also boast a stunning variety of restaurants and cafes. You can choose from a wide selection of cuisines from modern Australian and traditional Asian cuisines to French, Italian and even Russian fare.
The national capital's impressive array of after-dark attractions is headed by Casino Canberra. This elegant European style casino offers all major international games including roulette, blackjack, baccarat and keno. Canberra has a vibrant theatre scene which offers visitors a selection of top quality shows and concerts. There are also nightclubs and discos plus numerous cinemas screening the latest films. For further information about Canberra, Australia's most talked about city, just contact the Canberra Visitor Information Centre.
Canberra is located in the Australian Capital Territory, three hundred kilometres south west of Sydney. The Australian Capital Territory has an area of 2,359 square kilometres, is 571 metres above sea level and lies 150 kilometres from the sea. The average maximum temperature in summer is 27.6 degrees Celsius. The Average maximum in winter is 11.1 degrees Celsius. The city enjoys 9.7 hours of sunshine a day in summer and 5.7 hours in winter. The average annual rainfall is 626 millimetres. The population now stands at 300,000. |
