Australian Capital Territory
AREA: 2,538 sq.
km., POPULATION: 310,000
CAPITAL: Canberra (300,000)
LOCATION: In the
South-eastern area of New South Wales. CLIMATE: Highest
temp. 42.2° C and -110°, both recorded in Canberra. The
ACT has a high rainfall with cold spells in winter due to
its proximity to the Australian Alps.
The Federation of Australian States came to fruition in
1901 and until then the representatives of the various
states met in Melbourne, Victoria. The site for Canberra
was chosen in 1908, resolving a long running debate about
where the National Capital should be located. The main
rivals were Sydney and Melbourne, and the midway choice
of The A,C.T. and Canberra was a diplomatic compromise. A
competition for the design of the new city was held, and
architect Walter Burley Griffin, an American, won the
right to plan the city. He designed a city with spacious
areas of parkland and a circular layout around the
Parliamentary Centre.Newcomers to the city frequently get
confused at the circular flow of streets, however the
design makes for easy access to all parts of the city
and, once you are used to it, it is easy to navigate. A
feature of the city is a lake, Lake Burley Griffin, which
is 11 km. long.
It was not until 1927 the first parliament sat in
Canberra in the old Parliament House, which was replaced
in 1988 by the new building behind it.
Besides being the parliamentary capital of Australia,
Canberra is also the repository of much of its history
and art. Here you will find the National Gallery, the
National Library, the National Science and Technology
centre and many other national treasures, a full list
will be found at the 'The Aussie Traveller' site under
States/the ACT.
Canberra is also easily accessible. Only 50 kilometres
from the Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney, and
only 270 from Sydney, it has a large domestic airport and
daily train and coach services. It is without doubt a
place you must visit on your Australian touring holiday
and one all Australians can be proud of.
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