Page 197 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

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CANBERRA AND AUSTRALIAN

CAPITAL TERRITORY

located within New south Wales, some 300 km (185 miles)
southwest of sydney, canberra is australia’s capital and its
political heartland. the city was planned in 1908 as the new
seat of federal parliament to end rivalry between sydney and
Melbourne. the surrounding australian capital territory (territory (t act)
features bush and mountain terrain.

Canberra was once little more than majority of the nation’s political, literary
a sheep station on the edge of the and artistic treasures, and contains
Molonglo River. American architect important national institutions such as
Walter Burley Griffin won an international the High Court of Australia, the Australian
competition to design the city. He National University and the Australian War
envisaged a spacious, low-level, modern Memorial, but it has a population of fewer
city, with its major buildings centred on than 400,000. These contradictions are the
the focal point of Lake Burley Griffin. essence of the city’s attraction. Canberra’s
Canberra (its name is based on an hidden delights include Manuka’s elegant
Aboriginal word meaning “meeting cafés, excellent wines and sophisticated
place”) is a city of contradictions. restaurants. Special events include the
It consists of more than just politics, annual spring flower festival, Floriade,
diplomacy and monuments. Lacking which turns the north shore of the lake
the traffic and skyscrapers of Australia’s into a blaze of colour, and the spectacular
other main cities, it has a serenity and hot-air ballooning festival in April.
country charm suited to strolling around Outside the city lie the region’s natural
the lake, bush driving and picnicking. attractions. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is
Canberra is the national capital and the home to wild kangaroos, wallabies, emus,
centre of political and administrative koalas and platypuses. The Murrumbidgee
power in Australia, yet it is also a rural River is excellent for canoeing, and the wild
city, ringed by gum trees, with the Namadgi National Park has bush camping,
occasional kangaroo seen hopping down Aboriginal art sites, alpine snow gums and
its suburban streets. The city holds the mountain creeks for trout fishing.

Hot-air ballooning festival over Lake Burley Griffin, near the National Library of Australia
Entrance to Parliament House at Capital Hill, Canberra