Canberra Locality Guide

"Where the life can be of very serious nature - a city of decision making"

The Capital City in the Australian Capital Territory

Canberra is the seat of Australian government but behind the facade of politics lives a formal, friendly city full of interesting people and lots of wonderful things to see and do. Canberra is about three hours drive from Sydney and seven hours from Melbourne. The Australian national capital is still a young and very modern city with a population today of about three hundred and twenty thousand. Dignitaries, politicians and tourists come from all over the world and meet in Canberra.

To the unassuming eye Canberra can look deserted and a little sterile, but when people visit those that live in and enjoy Canberra they quickly discover much more, the beautiful art galleries, museums, embassy's clustered around the shimmering waters of Lake Burley Griffin.

Behind the facade of politics lives a formal friendly city full of interesting people and lots of wonderful things to see and do and the city is a favourite with visitors from Australian and other countries, each year, there are some one million people that come to see the Parliament houses and other attractions. There is plenty of accommodation and transportation to the all the tourist destinations is easy to find and use.

Canberra Regional Guides

Accommodation

Eating Out

Entertainment

Tourism

Services

Shopping

Visitors and locals enjoy Canberra for the beautiful art galleries, museums and the embassies clustered around the shimmering waters of Lake Burley Griffin, named after the man who designed the city, Sir Walter Burley Griffen.

The most popular attractions are the old and new Parliament Houses, the Australian Reptile Centre and the National Gallery of Australia, the Canberra Railway Museum and the National Museum. There are also the National Portrait Gallery, Questacon, the Australian War Memorial and the National Botanic Gardens to mention just a few.

There is so much to see and do in Canberra, where the satellite style suburbs offer great shopping while the water of Lake Burley Griffin is relaxing, and there is always a crowd at the Australia Day Live Music Concert on the lawns of Parliament House.

Canberra is a favourite with visitors from Australian and other countries and each year there are some one million people that come to see the Parliament houses and other attractions. There is plenty of enjoyable accommodation nearby and transportation to all the tourist destinations and they are easy to find and enjoy.

Most of the attractions are around Lake Burley Griffin, in what is called the Parliamentary Triangle, all within a comfortable walk to one another. There is always plenty to do and see with shops, markets, the theatre and sporting events. Canberra has over three hundred restaurants, cafes and bars with a dozens of varieties of cuisines. There is a busy nightlife with pubs, nightclubs and a Casino.

Get involved in the outdoor activities, visit the countryside and discover the wildlife and untouched beauty not far from the city itself. Hire a bike and take a ride around Lake Burley Griffin or play golf at one of many fabulous golf courses.

A Brief Look at Canberra's History

It is known that the very first white settler in the district was Joshua John Moore who built and set up a stock station and named it "Canberry". Historians believe the name came from the Aboriginal word for the district "Kamberra" or "Kambery". What is interesting, the centre of "Canberry" or J.J. Moore's property is right about where the city centre of Canberra is today.

In 1901, the New South Wales Government commissioned a report suggesting possible locations for the seat of Government for the new Commonwealth of Australia. At the time there was some dispute between the people of New South Wales and those in Victoria and Melbourne. The decision for the Yass-Canberra district as a separate and supposedly neutral territory was made in 1908 by the Commonwealth Parliament.