Canberra Tourism Information The capital of Australia is different from all other cities in Australia.
Instead of ocean breeze and skyscrapers it is dominated by Australian Parliament House on the Capital Hill, and endless green parklands. There is also the Old Parliament House with Canberra Art Gallery; Canberra Zoo, Canberra War Memorial and a few national museums. Here are some Canberra photos and information about events in Canberra; and in the end of the page is accommodation and a map of Canberra.
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Capital of Australia - Canberra Tourism Information In the early 1900s after Australia’s six colonies had undergone federation and become the same country, the big question was where to put the new capital of Australia. As a result of heated debates about whether it should be Sydney or Melbourne, Canberra was built in the middle of the two, to become the new capital of Australia. American architect Walter Burley Griffin won the competition to design the city, and construction works started literally in the bush – with an exception of a few old cottages that happened to be in the area and were preserved, there are no historical buildings or “old town” (like The Rocks in Sydney) in Canberra. Australian Government moved to the new capital of Australia in 1927, and today Canberra is home for 300,000 people.
Old Parliament House Canberra Tourism Information The Old Parliament House was the seat of Australia Government until 1988. Today you can wander through the rooms of the Old Parliament House, including the suit of prime minister, or check out the House of Representatives. There are free guided tours almost every hour, and there is also a National Portrait Gallery, and the Aboriginal Tent Embassy which was used to protest against the government’s unwillingness to recognise the land rights of Aboriginal people. During Friday afternoons, the Old Parliament House has become a popular venue during happy hour.
Australian Parliament House Canberra Tourism Information The Australian Parliament House was built on the Capital Hill and in 1988 it was ready for the Government to move in. It costed $1.1 billion and contains 4700 rooms decorated with both modern and Aboriginal art. You can go in the new Australian Parliament House and walk around there by yourself, watch the public galleries and check out the Senate Chamber and the House of Representatives. There are also guided tours in the Australian Parliament House, 45-min when parliament is not in session, and 20-min on the days it is.
Australian War Memorial Canberra Tourism Information Across the Lake Burley Griffin, in the end of Anzac Parade with 11 smaller memorials, is the Canberra War Memorial with a war museum in Anzac Hall, and more war memorabilia such as army aircrafts and machinery in Aircraft Hall. Among the Hall of Memory’s mosaics is the tomb of Unknown Australian Soldier, memorising all Australian soldiers killed in wars.
National Gallery of Australia Canberra Tourism Information Between the Parliament House on Capital Hill and the Anzac Parade is Canberra art gallery - the National Gallery Canberra, with artworks ranging from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art to the artworks of modern artists, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics and silverware. There are guided tours twice a day in the National Gallery Canberra, and there is also a tour that focuses on Aboriginal art.
Canberra Museum - National Museum of Australia Canberra On the other side of Commonwealth Avenue and Lake Burley Griffin is National Museum of Australia, covered in abstractive modern art on outside; inside you find yourself amongst creative and humorous displays and exhibitions – the National Museum of Australia is a different museum to say the least.
Lake Burley Griffin - Canberra Tourism Information The Lake Burley Griffin, named after Canberra’s architect, is the central feature of Canberra, with black swans in its waters and lots of parklands and walking trails along its 35km-long shoreline. In the middle of the lake is the large fountain called Captain Cook Memorial Water Jet, built in 1970 to celebrate 200 years from Captain Cook’s first landing in Australia.
Aspen Island - Canberra Tourism Information On Aspen Island is the National Carillon, Canberra’s 50th-birtday present from Great Britain. There are tours three times a week, bookings are required.
Canberra Markets - The Old Bus Depot Markets South of the Lake Burley Griffin are nice suburbs Manuka and Kingston, with the Old Bus Depot Markets - a lovely place to shop away.
Canberra Tourism Information: Canberra City Centre North of the Lake Burley Griffin is the Canberra City Centre, with lots of shops, bars and restaurants north of the Vernon Circle. East of the city centre is the Canberra University - Australian National University, and further east are the Australian National Botanic Gardens with different species of plants including the Eucalypt Lawn with over 600 species of eucalypts and Rainforest Gully where there is a 1km Aboriginal Plant Use Walk. There are free guided walks departing from Visitors Centre.
Canberra Zoo - National Zoo and Aquarium East of the Botanic Gardens are Black Mountain and Telstra Tower where there are good views over the city, and the National Zoo and Aquarium, with fauna from Australia and all over the world.
Canberra Tourism Information: Canberra Tours If you like to join a tour, there are Canberra Tours and City Sightseeing which will take you around in the city. SS Maid Marion will take you on cruises on the Lake Burley Griffin, and Go Bush Tours and Wild Things Tours will take you to ACT’s national parks Tidbinbilla and Namadgi. (Go Bush Tours does city tours as well).
Events in Canberra - Canberra Festivals There are many Australian celebrations organised in Canberra throughout the year. In January, there is the Summernats Car Festival. In February, there are the National Multicultural Festival and Royal Canberra Show. In March-April the parties include Celebrate Canberra, National Folk Festival and Indy Fest. In September-October you can enjoy the famous Floriade, and in December there is the Metal for the Brain.
Here's a map of Canberra Australia, where I have tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
