Canberra is the capital of Australia, located in the Australian Capital Territory. It was founded in 1913 and is an entirely planned city, featuring geometric motifs such as circles, hexagons and triangles which aligned with significant topographical landmarks of the locality.
Population: 410,000
Elevation: 577m
Founded: 1913
Parliament moved to Canberra in 1927. As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is home to many important institutions of the federal government. This includes Parliament House, the official residence of the Governor-General, the High Court and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of many cultural institutions of national significance such as the Australian War Memorial, the Australian National University, the Royal Australian Mint, the Australian Institute of Sport, the National Gallery, the National Museum and the National Library. The city is also home to the Australian Defence Force, including the Royal Military College Duntroon and the Australian Defence Force Academy. It also hosts the majority of foreign embassies in Australia.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN CANBERRA
There are many sights to see in Canberra depending on your interests. This article is aimed more at those who are only briefly passing through – the must visits for anyone to Canberra.
Parliament House
Parliament House is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988. Parliament House houses both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The flag flown from the 81 metres flagpole is 12.8 by 6.4 metres, about the size of half a tennis court! The building is a major visitor attraction in Canberra with about 1 million visits each year.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
The Australian War Memorial was built to commemorate the sacrifice of Australians who died in war and operational service. The concept to create a national memorial arose following World War I, though the memorial didn’t open until 1941. The memorial includes an extensive national military museum.
Mount Ainslie
Mount Ainslie is a hill with an elevation of 843 metres. It’s located on the northernmost point of a land axis that stretches through North and South Canberra. This axis aligns with the Australian War Memorial and Parliament Houses. Mount Ainslie provides excellent views of central Canberra, Red Hill, and Black Mountain.
BIKE HIRE IN CANBERRA
YHA: between 1200-1800 $10, all day $20
Share A Bike: 1h/$12, 4h/$24, 24h/$36
City Bike: 1h, 4h/$15, 24h
AirBike (app): $1.50/30m
CULTURE LOOP FREE BUS
A free bus connects a number of Canberra’s attractions seven days a week with departures on the hour from 9am to 4pm.
1) Canberra Centre
2) NewActon
3) National Museum of Australia
4) National Film and Sound Archive
5) National Capital Exhibition at Regatta Point / Canberra and Region Visitors Centre
6) National Library of Australia / Questacon
7) Museum of Australian Democracy
8) Australian Parliament House
9) Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG)
Where To Sleep
Canberra City YHA
7 Akuna Street, Canberra
Novotel Canberra
65 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra
HOW TO GET TO CANBERRA
Canberra Airport is located only 8 kilometres from central Canberra. A taxi from the airport to centre takes less than 10 minutes. Public buses take approximately half an hour.
Airport to/from City Centre by bus:
Bus Line: Transport Canberra
Route: R3
Cash Fares: Adult Single $5.00, Adult Daily $9.60
MyWay Card: Adult $5.00
MyWay Fares: Peak $3.22, Off Peak $2.55
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