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Top Attractions in Australian Capital Territory

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of 381,488, it is Australias largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory280 km south-west of Sydney, and 660 km north-east of Melbourne. A resident of Canberra is known as a "Canberran". The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nations capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australias two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely planned city outside of any state, similar to Washington, D.C. in the United States or Brasília in Brazil. Following an international contest for the citys design, a blueprint by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was selected and construction commenced in 1913. The Griffins plan featured geometric motifs such as circles, hexagons and triangles, and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks in the Australian Capital Territory. The citys design was influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title of the "bush capital". The growth and development of Canberra were hindered by the World Wars and the Great Depression, which exacerbated a series of planning disputes and the ineffectiveness of a procession of bodies that were created in turn to oversee the development of the city. The national capital emerged as a thriving city after World War II, as Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies championed its development and the National Capital Development Commission was formed with executive powers. Although the Australian Capital Territory is now self-governing, the Commonwealth Government retains some influence through the National Capital Authority. As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the official residence of the Monarchs representative the Governor-General, the High Court and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance, such as the Australian War Memorial, Australian National University, Royal Australian Mint, Australian Institute of Sport, National Gallery, National Museum and the National Library. The Australian Armys officer corps is trained at the Royal Military College, Duntroon and the Australian Defence Force Academy is also located in the capital. The ACT is independent of any state to prevent any one state from gaining an advantage by hosting the seat of Commonwealth power. The ACT has voting representation in the Commonwealth Parliament, and has its own independent Legislative Assembly and government, similar to the states. As the city has a high proportion of public servants, the Commonwealth Government contributes the largest percentage of Gross State Product and is the largest single employer in Canberra, although no longer the majority employer. Compared to the national averages, the unemployment rate is lower and the average income higher; tertiary education levels are higher, while the population is younger. Property prices are relatively high, in part due to comparatively restricted development regulations.

Phillip

Phillip is a suburb of Canberra, Australia in the district of Woden Valley. It is located in the centre of the district and contains the district's main commercial centre, Woden Town Centre. Phillip had a residential population of 2,082 in 2011. 53% of its occupied dwellings were flats and 45% were semi-detached, terraces or townhouses. Many more flats are being planned or built. 42.8% of the population was foreign born, the fourth highest for any Canberra suburb. The suburb is named after Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales. The suburb name was gazetted on 12 May 1966. Streets in Phillip use names associated with the First, Second and Third Fleets; streets in the Swinger Hill were named after architects. As the commercial and geographical centre of Woden, Phillip contains many of the district's key facilities. As well as the Woden Town Centre, which includes the Westfield Woden shopping centre, a bus interchange and the Lovett Tower (the tallest commercial office building in Canberra), it has its own commercial area located along Botany, Townshend and Parramatta Streets. The Southside campus of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is located in the suburb, as is Eddison Park and the Woden Cemetery. Phillip also contains a number of sporting facilities, including the Phillip Enclosed Oval, which has been known as Football Park since 1981 and was the headquarters of Australian rules football in Canberra during the 1980s and 1990s, and the Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre, home to the CBR Brave of the Australian Ice Hockey League. The Canberra College is situated in Phillip.

National Dinosaur Museum

The National Dinosaur Museum is Australias largest permanent display of prehistoric specimens, located in Gold Creek Village near Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The museums exhibition follows the evolution of life, with a particular focus on dinosaurs. With an annual patronage of 100,000 visitors, the museum is one of the most popular attractions in the Australian Capital Territory. The gift shop stocks a range of natural history books, dinosaur replicas, toys, fossils, crystals, minerals and meteorites. Established in 1993, the museum has been steadily improved and updated since its conception. It offers earth science dinosaur oriented displays that keep up with most recent discoveries in the geological sciences. New directors have been appointed in September 2011 including local and international scientists and geologists. Major upgrades have taken place in April and May 2012 with the addition of twelve animatronic dinosaurs as well as an extensive collection of life size models displayed both within and outside the museum. The museum caters for guided tours for school groups of all ages by appointment, as well as hosting birthday parties, dance with dinosaurs events for young children, private parties, corporate functions and dinosaur sleep overs during school holiday periods. New displays of Australian dinosaurs, earth sciences including meteorites, fluorescent mineral displays are planned for late 2012 and 2013. Opening hours are 10am to 5 pm seven days a week including public holidays, but are closed Christmas Day. After hours visits are available by appointment only .

Commonwealth Place

Commonwealth Place is located on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra. It lies along the ‘water axis’ running along the lake from Black Mountain. Commonwealth Place is the location of the Gallery of Australian Design, Reconciliation Place, a restaurant and Speakers Square. Walter Burley Griffin, the architect who designed Canberra, envisaged that the area would be the site of a "water gate" which would have a terrace above it, providing a "forum for the people". Griffin’s vision was for a long time left unrecognised but as of 2005 the area was being developed to reflect the original plan. Speakers Square, at the centre of Commonwealth Place is a concave shaped grassed area with a paved mural in the middle which was a gift to Australia from the Government of Canada to mark the Centenary of Australian Federation. A display of international flags lines the lake shore, one flag for each nation with a diplomatic mission in the capital. Flags include those of the United Nations, European Union and the Holy See.

Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial is Australias national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia. The memorial includes an extensive national military museum. The Australian War Memorial was opened in 1941, and is widely regarded as one of the most significant memorials of its type in the world. The Memorial is located in Australias capital, Canberra. It is the north terminus of the citys ceremonial land axis, which stretches from Parliament House on Capital Hill along a line passing through the summit of the cone-shaped Mount Ainslie to the northeast. No continuous roadway links the two points, but there is a clear line of sight from the front balcony of Parliament House to the War Memorial, and from the front steps of the War Memorial back to Parliament House. The Australian War Memorial consists of three parts: the Commemorative Area including the Hall of Memory with the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, the Memorials galleries and Research Centre . The Memorial also has an outdoor Sculpture Garden. The Memorial is currently open daily from 10am until 5pm, except on Christmas Day. Many people include Anzac Parade as part of the Australian War Memorial because of the Parades physical design leading up to the War Memorial, but it is maintained separately by the National Capital Authority .

Reconciliation Place

Reconciliation Place is an urban landscape design in the Parliamentary Triangle Canberra, Australia, commenced in 2001 as a monument to reconciliation between Australia’s Indigenous people and settler population. The design was selected by a national design competition in 2001 run by the National Capital Authority with a jury including Ian Spicer, Matilda House, and RAIA Gold Medal architect Ric Leplastrier. The winning entry was designed by architect Simon Kringas. Sharon Payne was Indigenous Cultural Advisor. The design is dominated by a convex mound in the landscape centred on Walter Burley Griffins land and water axes, establishing a subtle presence while maintaining the overwhelming passage of the land axis and views to the lake from the steps of Old Parliament House. "This vantage point is a nexus from which both axes can be simultaneously – and almost ethereally – experienced." . Linking the Australian High Court and the National Library of Australia is a public promenade with artworks called "Slivers" displaying images and text on various themes of reconciliation including: A welcome to Ngunnawal country an acknowledgment of the traditional owners of the land on which Reconciliation Place is being built The 1967 referendum that amended the Australian constitution to allow the Commonwealth Government to legislate on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues The recognition of native title rights which found that native title to land was part of Australias common law The contribution Indigenous people have made, and continue to make, to Australia in sport and in the defence of our nation Indigenous leadership, depicting two great leaders — Neville Bonner and Vincent Lingiari and The past practice of separating Indigenous children from their families. Since the opening of Reconciliation Place, new artworks have been added including: Three cast bronze slivers celebrating the role of female indigenous leadership, particularly in their contribution to Reconciliation in Australia through their roles in the 1967 Referendum. The artwork reflects leadership provided by Dr Faith Bandler, Lady Jessie Street, and Evelyn Scott. Three stone artwork celebrating the resilience and achievements of indigenous Australians who made contributions to Australian life. This includes artwork celebrating Ruby Hammond, Robert Lee, Wenten Rubuntja, Bill Neidjie and Gatjil Djerrkura. The promenade is intended to evolve over time with the addition of new artworks. The construction of Reconciliation Place was subject to a budget of only $3.5M, a limited timeframe and bureaucratic changes to the design. The intended geometric relationship to the neighbouring Commonwealth Place was not realised. It proposed that the Commonwealth Place ramp grade be marginally raised to join tangentially to the Reconciliation Place mound. After some delay this was supported by the Commonwealth Place designers but was then refused by the National Capital Authority. The ramp grade now terminates into the side of the mound. "...the view up the Commonwealth Place ramp from the lake’s edge is foreshortened and terminated by the midden, its arcing profile outlined by the iconic flagpole of Aldo Giurgola’s magisterial Parliament House." Similarly, precisely cut stone walls inscribing the pathways around the mound were replaced by earth berms, and recently installed Slivers bear no relationship to the original design concept, resulting in a loss of coherence. Despite the shortcomings in the relationship between Reconciliation Place and Commonwealth Place, Vernon maintains "Both are design achievements of which the nation can be proud".

Lake Burley Griffin

Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River—which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle—was dammed. It is named after Walter Burley Griffin, the American architect who won the competition to design the city of Canberra. Griffin designed the lake with many geometric motifs, so that the axes of his design lined up with natural geographical landmarks in the area. However, government authorities changed his original plans and no substantial work was completed before he left Australia in 1920. His scheme remained unfulfilled as the Great Depression and World War II intervened, and it was not until the 1950s that planning resumed. After much political dispute over several proposed variations, excavation work began in 1960 with the energetic backing of Prime Minister Robert Menzies. After the completion of the bridges and dams, the dams were locked in September 1963. However, a drought meant that the target water level was not reached until April 1964. It was formally inaugurated on 17 October 1964. The lake is located in the approximate geographic centre of the city, and is the centrepiece of the capital in accordance with Griffins original designs. Numerous important institutions, such as the National Gallery, National Museum, National Library, Australian National University and the High Court were built on its shores, and Parliament House is a short distance away. Its surrounds, consisting mainly of parklands, are popular with recreational users, particularly in the warmer months. Though swimming in the lake is uncommon, it is used for a wide variety of other activities, such as rowing, fishing, and sailing. The lake is an ornamental body with a length of 11 kilometres; at its widest, it measures 1.2 kilometres . It has an average depth of 4 metres and a maximum depth of about 18 metres near the Scrivener Dam. Its flow is regulated by the 33-metre tall Scrivener Dam, designed to handle floods that occur once in 5,000 years. In times of drought, water levels can be maintained through the release of water from Googong Dam, located on an upstream tributary of the Molonglo River.

Tilley's

Tilley's Devine Café Gallery is a well-known café in the suburb of Lyneham in Canberra, Australia. It was named after Matilda 'Tilly' Devine, a gangster and madame from Sydney who lived in the mid-twentieth century. When the café first opened in 1984, it was intended as a women's space, with men allowed entry only when accompanied by women. Popular with lesbian women, it quickly became an icon of Canberra's LGBT scene. Attempts to restrict or limit entry of men brought challenges, most notably by a group of cadets from the Royal Military College, Duntroon who attempted to force their way in, instigating a brawl. Eventually the policy was dropped. Tilley's originally had seating for 60, but subsequently expanded five times, and now has large indoor and outdoor eating areas. It was once a popular space for night time concerts by local musicians, hosting names such as Mia Dyson, Frente!, and Clare Bowditch. In 2005 concerts were scaled back in order to expand the more financially viable restaurant and café. According to ACT historian Roslyn Russell, it was the first licensed outdoor venue in Australia, and the first Australian bar to ban smoking indoors.

Parliament of Australia

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, commonly referred to as the Australian Parliament, the Commonwealth Parliament or the Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It consists of three elements: the Queen, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Queen is represented by the Governor-General. The combination of two elected houses, in which the members of the Senate represent the six States and the two major self-governing Territories while the members of the House represent electoral divisions according to population, is modelled on the United States Congress. Through both houses, however, there is a fused executive, drawn from the Westminster System. The upper house, the Senate, consists of 76 members: twelve for each state, and two each for the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. Since the reforms of March 2016, at the next election Senators will be elected using an optional proportional voting system. The lower house, the House of Representatives, currently consists of 150 members, who represent districts known as electoral divisions (commonly referred to as "electorates" or "seats"). Each division elects one member using compulsory preferential voting. The two Houses meet in separate chambers of Parliament House on Capital Hill in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Both houses of the Parliament are not currently constituted, having being dissolved by the Governor-General on 9 May 2016 pending a double dissolution election on 2 July 2016. The incumbent Parliament is the 45th Federal Parliament of the Federation. The most recent federal election was held on 2 July 2016 and the House is scheduled to first sit on 30 August. The Liberal/National Coalition won 76 seats out of 150 and formed the government. Labor holds 69 seats and formed the opposition. The Australian Greens, Xenophon Team and Katter's Australian Party each hold a single seat, while the remaining two are held by independents. In the previous Senate, the Liberal/National Coalition government held 33 seats and the Australian Labor Party opposition had 25 seats. The crossbench of 18 consisted of ten Greens seats, with one each for the Palmer United Party, the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, the Liberal Democrats, and the Family First Party and four independents: Nick Xenophon, John Madigan, Jacqui Lambie and Glenn Lazarus. The Coalition required six non-Coalition Senators to pass legislation.

Canberra Railway Museum

Canberra Railway Museum is run by the ACT division of the Australian Railway Historical Society . The museum houses displays of historic locomotives, passenger cars, freight vehicles, track machinery and railway memorabilia. The museum precinct also serves as a base for the societys rail operations. The Society preserves railway history, particularly that of Canberra and the southern districts of New South Wales, for the enjoyment and enlightenment of present and future generations. Members work toward this goal by: collecting and restoring locomotives, other rolling-stock and items of railway memorabilia; preserving and recording railway history; and operating trains with restored rolling-stock. The Canberra Railway Museum is the home to Australias oldest operating steam locomotive, and one of the worlds oldest mainline steam locomotives built in 1878, and also the heaviest, the 265 tonnes Beyer-Garratt steam locomotive.

National Arboretum Canberra

The National Arboretum Canberra is a 250-hectare arboretum in Canberra, the national capital of Australia, created after the area was burned out as a result of the Christmas 2001 and 2003 Canberra bushfires: The Himalayan Cedar forest lost about one third of its trees, and the commercial Radiata Pine plantation was burned out, allowing the arboretum to be created. In 2004, the Government of the Australian Capital Territory held a nationwide competition for an arboretum, which was to be part of the recovery from the 2003 bushfires. The winning design by landscape architects Taylor Cullity Lethlean and architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer proposed 100 forests and 100 gardens focussing on threatened, rare, and symbolic trees from around the world. The site has been planted since 2005, and includes ceremonial trees planted by visiting heads of government and ambassadors. It was officially opened in February 2013.

Pine Island Reserve

Pine Island Reserve, a reserve containing a small plantation of pine trees, is located on the Murrumbidgee River where the river flows through the Tuggeranong district of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The closest suburb to the reserve and river island is Greenway. Pine Island is usually accessible by land and only becomes an island in time of peak flows in the Murrumbidgee River. The island is named for the Callitris endlicheri, or black cypress pines, that grow locally. This region was first explored by Europeans in 1820 by Charles Throsby. Throsby was looking for a suitable water source. He came across the Murrumbidgee River near Pine Island in April 1821. Facilities at the reserve include an area for picnicing, barbeques, potable water, and toilets. On the river, recreational pursuits during the warmer months include swimming, fishing, and kayaking. The area is also known for birdwatching. There is a bushwalking path called the Murrumbidgee River Corridor that runs between Pine Island, past Red Rocks Gorge, to Kambah Pool. Dogs are not permitted in the reserve.
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