Australia - Australian Capital Territory - Canberra

Canberra is the "Capital of Australia'. The Australian Commonwealth Government has been based in Canberra since 9th May, 1927.

Sent by Palmer from Canberra, Australia.

Canberra (/ˈkænbrə/ KAN-brə; Ngunawal: Kanbarra) is the capital city of Australia and the only substantial settlement of the Australian Capital Territory. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, a compromise between Melbourne and Sydney, it is Australia's largest inland city, and the eighth-largest Australian city by population. The city is located at the northern tip of the Australian Alps, the country's highest mountain range. As of June 2024, Canberra's estimated population was 473,855.

The area chosen for the capital had been inhabited by Aboriginal Australians for up to 21,000 years, by groups including the Ngunnawal and Ngambri. European settlement commenced in the first half of the 19th century, evidenced by surviving landmarks such as St John's Anglican Church and Blundells Cottage. On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies of Australia was achieved. The capital city was founded and formally named as Canberra in 1913. Unusual among Australian cities, it is an entirely planned city, grounded in a design by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. The Griffins' plan was influenced by garden city movement and featured geometric motifs aligned with significant topographical landmarks such as Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Capital Hill and City Hill. Its design can be viewed from its highest point at the Telstra Tower and the summit of Mount Ainslie. Other notable features include the National Arboretum and Lake Burley Griffin.

As the seat of the Government of Australia, Canberra is home to many important institutions of the federal government, national monuments and museums. These include Parliament House, Government House, the High Court building and the headquarters of numerous government agencies. Social and cultural institutions of national significance include 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 home to many important institutions of the Australian Defence Force including the Royal Military College Duntroon and the Australian Defence Force Academy. It hosts all foreign embassies in Australia as well as regional headquarters of many international organisations, not-for-profit groups, lobbying groups and professional associations (read more).