Sign In

My Timeline

GuRoute

Discover Your World

Share your Experiences

Record your Life

beta

Discover Your World

  1
   

Top Attractions in Canberra

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.

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".

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.

AIS Arena

AIS Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Canberra, Australia. Its capacity is 5,200 and it was built in 1980. The arena was opened by the Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Fraser, on 26 January 1981 and was originally named the National Indoor Sports Centre and was the inaugural home of the Australian Institute of Sport. The AIS Arena is home to the Canberra Capitals and Australian Institute of Sport who play in the Womens National Basketball League . While the AIS won one WNBL championship the Capitals have been far more successful and have won a record seven WNBL championships. The AIS Arena was also home to defunct National Basketball League team the Canberra Cannons. The Cannons would win three championships while in Canberra yet they never got to celebrate a home grand final win as their three NBL titles were all won in Melbourne. While the Cannons were playing at the arena it was known as "The Palace", in part due to the AIS Arena being by far the largest, and the most modern venue used in the NBL during the leagues early years. The Arena was designed by Philip Cox Partners. Architectural features include a 1200 tonne suspended concrete panel roof supported by 12 steel masts and 36 mainstay cables. The roof has a span of 100.4 metres. The stadium is partly set into the ground to reduce its scale and to establish a visual connection between the landscape and the mast and cable structure of the roof. The AIS Arena is able to seat up to 5,200 people. As the AIS Arena is in the nations capital, it also plays semi-regular host to the Australian Boomers and Australian Opals mens and womens senior basketball teams, as well as the Australian Netball Diamonds. The arena doesnt only host sporting events and can be configured in different ways. It can be used for trade shows, gala dinners, exhibitions or even as a cocktail venue with room for up to 2,500 guests. The arena is also used for major indoor concerts in Canberra with musical acts such as P!nk, Alice Cooper and Kelly Clarkson performing there. The AIS Arena has a capacity for 4,264 during concerts.

Big Splash

Big Splash is a waterpark in Canberra, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Macquarie and is the only waterpark in Canberra. It originally opened with a 50-metre Pool with a kids pool at the end of it in the late 1960s. When the pool opened it was Government-owned and known as Macquarie Swimming pool, also often referred to as Jammo Pool. The slides were introduced in the early 1980s. The pool was sold from government ownership. It was bought by a family and then later sold to the Watkins family in the 1990s. The current name for the facility is Big Splash Waterpark. It now has a total of eleven water slides the Family Slide and the Kamikaze slide that extend downwards from the top of Splash Tower, The Hurricane Twins that begin at the Splash Viewing Platform. Big Splash includes a childrens area called Splash Island which includes 3 slides and playing area. There was the Yellow Bubble pool for toddlers, which had two small water slides landing into shallow water. However this was removed in the 2014/2015 season and a new playground was installed for smaller children. There is also a Learn to Swim Pool and a 50-metre Pool. Big Splash also has a dry Inflatable Obstacle Course for Children, and wet Inflatable Obstacle Courses for Adults and Children. Following the 2010 closures of the Speedcoaster and Twister slides at WetnWild Water World on the Gold Coast, Watkins personally purchased both rides for $1.5 million. The rides were installed in 2012, but red tape delayed their opening until 2013. The slides were actually purchased for much less from Wet N Wild however installation costs were high. For the 2014/2015 season the longstanding historic "yellow bubble" was removed and a new toddlers playground installed. Big Splash used to run dive in movies, however frequent cancellations with crowd in attendance made them unreliable and they were ceased. The facility is closed over winter and is open from November to March.

Old Parliament House

Parliament House, known formerly as the Provisional Parliament House, was the house of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament after its relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra, until a more permanent building could be constructed. In 1988, the Commonwealth Parliament transferred to the new Parliament House on Capital Hill. It also serves as a venue for temporary exhibitions, lectures and concerts. On 2 May 2008 it was made an Executive Agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. On 9 May 2009, the Executive Agency was renamed the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, reporting to the Special Minister of State. Designed by John Smith Murdoch and a team of assistants from the Department of Works and Railways, the building was intended to be neither temporary nor permanent—only to be a "provisional" building that would serve as a parliament for fifty years. The design extended from the building to include its gardens, décor and furnishings. The building is in the Simplified or "Stripped" Classical Style, commonly used for Australian government buildings constructed in Canberra during the 1920s and 1930s. It does not include such classical architectural elements as columns, entablatures or pediments, but does have the orderliness and symmetry associated with neoclassical architecture.

Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve

Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve is situated in the Gungahlin district on the northern outskirts of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. The Reserve consists of 781 hectares of grassy woodland with some open grassland and a scattering of dams. The reserve is home to about 150 species of wild flowers which grow among stands of red gum and yellow box trees, making it one of the most significant nature reserves in the south east of New South Wales. In recognition of the significant attributes of the area, the reserve was incorporated into the Canberra Nature Park in 1994. Mulligans Flat reflects a rich history of Aboriginal and European history. Aboriginees maintained a hunting and gathering lifestyle in and around this region for thousands of years. The reserve contains a large number of plant and animal species which were used for food by Aboriginals and there are springs and swampy areas which would have supplied fresh water. Surveys to date have identified many sites with artefacts scatters or isolated artefacts. In late 2008 construction began on a 12 km long fence to exclude foxes, dogs and cats from a 480ha area. This allows a carefully balanced ecology to develop, including reintroduction of the endangered burrowing bettong, which was wiped out on the mainland 50 years ago.

Canberra Peace Park

The Canberra Peace Park is beside Lake Burley Griffin between the lake and the National Library of Australia, in Canberra, the national capital of Australia. It is not to be confused with the Canberra-Nara Peace Park nearby . It was built in 1986, the United Nations Year of Peace. The park has three bordered zones. The central zone has with a square granite plinth with a peace symbol in it, surrounded by a quartered plinth incised with the word Peace written in the official languages of the United Nations and also the language of the local Ngunnawal Australian aborigine people, and a statement of dedication. This is bordered by a water way fountain, and a cobbled granite walk way, with formal gardens of lavender at each corner. The monument was unveiled by the Bill Hayden, the Governor General of Australia, on 24 October 1990. The monuments statement of dedication asks, "All who visit here are invited to commit themselves to peace and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction."

Lennox Gardens

Lennox Gardens, a park in Canberra, Australia, lying on the south side of Lake Burley Griffin, close to Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and Albert Hall in the suburb of Yarralumla. Before the construction of Lake Burley Griffin a road ran through the present garden, this road being one of two main crossing points across the Molonglo River. The name of the road was Lennox Crossing from which the present garden takes its name. The northern segment of the road is still present on Acton peninsula. The garden was officially named in 1963. Lennox Crossing was named after David Lennox, an early bridge builder in NSW and Victoria. The park in its current condition was established with the filling of Lake Burley Griffin in the 1960s; however the parks history is much older, as it was part of the original Royal Canberra Golf course which is now underneath the lake. The part of the golf course which had not been flooded was named Lennox Gardens. It has a number of memorials and monuments such as Kasuga stones presented to Canberra by Japan in April 1997, a monument to Australians in the Spanish civil war, and a stone monument commemorating the centenary of Federation and the Jewish National fund. It has a Wisteria pergola sponsored by Totalcare industries in celebration of the Nara sister city relationship. Located within the park is the Canberra-Nara Peace Park, a park which symbolises the friendship between Canberra and the sister city of Nara, Japan. Territory and Municipal Services Lennox Gardens Parks and places "Lennox Gardens". Department of Urban Services . Retrieved 2006-11-04.

Magna Carta Place

Magna Carta Place is located in Canberra, Australia to the north-west of Old Parliament House. Centrally located in the place is a Magna Carta Monument which was provided as a gift to the people of Australia from the British Government to commemorate the centenary of Federation of Australia. The site was dedicated in 1997 which was the 700th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta by King Edward I of England. A 1297 copy of the Magna Carta, purchased by the Australian government in 1952, is on display in nearby Parliament House, Canberra. The monument was unveiled by the Prime Minister of Australia John Howard in 2000 prior to the centenary of federation in 2001. Magna Carta Place is located on a semicircular network of roads consisting of King George Terrace, Queen Victoria Terrace and Langton Crescent.
♥

This attraction is located in

This is a private property. Please enjoy respectfully and do not disturb the occupants.

Edit Categories
Add Tours

This attraction is not part of any tours

Add Collections

This attraction is not part of any collections

 

Some of the attractions we imported from Wikipedia are not perfect. Send us an email detailing what's wrong and we'll look into fixing it.

GuRoute is all about Gurus sharing their local knowledge. If you feel up to fixing this problem yourself, why not adopt it. You will become the owner and can fix whatever problems you see.

We've copied a link to this attraction into your clipboard so that ou can paste it into an email or text message...

More Info... ✔
You can add your friends to the visit yourself, or, send them a link and let them add themselves...

The visit will appear on both your timelines and on your Shared Timeline.

Click below and we'll email you a link that you can send on to friends or post on your group's Facebook page.

If your friends aren't members of GuRoute yet, this is a great way to get them started.
Recent
Recently used Collections will appear here...
Recent
Recently used tours will appear here...

Where is this?

GuRoute likes to place attractions inside other attractions. So, maybe it's in a city, or maybe it's inside a particular park in that city. Maybe your attraction is a huge park that spans half the county, or multiple counties.

Determining where this attraction is gives it context - if it's in a park, you'll be able to see it alongside all the other attractions in that park. And that helps define the park.

GuRoute will automatically calculate a parent region for this attraction. You can change it if there is something more appropriate.

This attraction is currently located in .

Change

This attraction does not yet have any reviews

Please login to write a review...

Reviewed by
Record new Visit

Add this location to your timneline?

  • If there's an existing attraction open it and add it to your timeline...
  • If not, enter a title and we'll create a new attraction for your memories...
Create new Attraction

Create a new attraction at this location?

  • We rely on Gurus like you to share your local knowledge...
(Give a name for this location)

+
Add this to your timeline instead...

Imagine having a record of all the cool things you've done in your life!


Using our timeline you can keep track of everywhere you visit in your lifetime...

But, you'll need to sign in first...

Add contacts so that you can share your travels and record places that you visit together...

Family
Favorites
Family
Favorites

Profile TimeLine Our Visits Edit Accept Decline Invite

If you have any more friends that visited this place with you, feel free to add them to the visit. We'll write it to their timeline and once they confirm it, they too will have this memory for a lifetime.

If they're not already registered, you just need their name and email address and you can add them and we'll send them an invite on your behlaf.

Add a tour comment

Add some extra information for when this attraction is viewed as part of your tour...

Next Stop Instructions

Add some instructions for what to see/do on the way to the next stop...

Next Stop Instructions

Add some instructions for what to see/do on the way to the next stop...

If you're visiting an existing attraction, open it and add it to your timeline. If there is no attraction for the place you are visiting...

  • Click 'Add My Location' below
  • Or right-click on the map to mark a different location
  • Or long-press if you have a touch screen
You can even add locations while you're offline....
  • Load up the map when you're online and we'll keep track of your locaiton
  • You can add locations to your timeline
  • When you are online again we'll sync them with the cloud

We can't connect to the internet right now. The following attractions are saved locally and can be uploaded when you're online...

GuRoute would like to access your current location so that we can pin you on the map and show you nearby attractions

Add friends so that you can share your experiences with each other...

Add tour to What's Next?

Go...

Either for yourself or someone else...

  1. Do your trip research in GuRoute
    Add all the places that you think might be worthy of a visit into a trip-plan
  2. Add your trip-plan to your "What's Next" timeline
    (or a friend's "What's Next" timeline)
  3. When you're on vacation you'll have all your research at your fingertips
  4. Share your timline with your friends
    They can enjoy your vacation with you, seeing not only where you've been, but where you're going next...
  5. Add/remove attractions if things change

It also makes a great souvenir of your trip

Collections

Go...

Create a home page for a collection of attractions

  • Add an image and description to display on the homepage
  • Start adding content
    Add existing attractions to your collection or create new attractions of your own
  • Collections can be:
    • Public (Anyone can add attractions to your collection)
    • Shared (Only yourself and Gurus you nominate can add content)
    • Private (The collection will only be visible to yourself)

Uses

  • Local business or hotel
    Showcase local attractions that you endorse
  • Clubs
    Showcase attractions that members have created (eg. local historical society)
  • Special Interest
    If GuRoute does not have a category for your special interest you add your attractions to your own collection instead

Examples

Walking/Driving Tours

Go...

A guided tour where GuRoute will direct you from stop to stop and narrate a description of each attraction you arrive at

  • GuRoute uses your phone's GPS to guide you from stop to stop
  • GuRoute automatically detects when you arrive at the next tour-stop and narrates the description of the attraction (Chrome Only)
  • It then sends you on to the next stop

Tours are great to attract people to your town. Even places with no significant points of interest can be lots of fun when part of a tour


Cater tours to your Audience

  • Kid-friendly Tours
    • Focus on what will keep kids interested
    • Instead of parents having to drag their kids around they'll be struggling to keep up
    • Let the kids navigate and they'll get more fun out of finding that historical plaque than they ever would from reading it
  • Accessible tours
  • Short and long tours of the same location

What you need to do...

  1. Click 'Go...'
    Enter a title, description and location for the tour
  2. Add existing attractions OR create new ones and add them to the tour
  3. For existing attractions you can add more information specific to the theme of the tour
  4. You can also add instructions on what to do or see en-route to the next tour-stop
  5. Try out your tour and see how it works...

Mystery Tour

Go...

Create a Mystery Tour

Create a series of clues to show people around a city, neighborhood or whatever place you like...

  • GuRoute will show people clues to get them from attraction to attraction
  • When they reach each stop GuRoute will tell them about the place and give them the next clue
  • Take as long or as you like and explore each location at your leisure

Scavenger Hunt

Go...

Create a Scavenger Hunt

Create a series of questions that people have to answer. The answers can all be discovered by walking aroung the area, looking for clues.

  • How many beers are on tap at Michael Collin's Irish Bar?
  • What's the name of the oldest building on main streeet?
  • Show a picture of some public art and ask them what it is called
  • Clues can have numeric or multiple choice answers