Living In Canberra And Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital Territory (ACT) is the smallest of Australia’s States and Territories. It is tiny by Australian standards and lies within the New South Wales borders. Its capital Canberra and surrounding suburbs are in the north east of the territory, while the Namadgi National Park occupies the whole south western area.
Canberra
Canberra is one of only a few purpose built capital cities in the world and the only major inland city in Australia. It used to be little more than a sheep station and farm country until Walter Burley Griffin won the Federal Capital Design Competition. Launched by King O’Malley, Minister for Home Affairs, in May 1911, the competition challenged locals to design the new city. The winner, Griffin, then went on to oversee the development
of the city from his plans to the impressive city that it is today. Canberra’s layout and urban landscape reflect its major role as the seat of Federal Parliament and home to the national institutions that support it.
It’s been called ‘Australia’s most liveable city’ because of its natural beauty, peaceful parks, sparkling lakes, sporting facilities, all close to a modern city centre. Average commuting time from or to work is less than 20 minutes and it is less than a three-hour drive to Sydney. It is a modern, vibrant city that is extremely safe and pleasant to live in.
Canberra’s population is over 300,000 and it is home to many national buildings including the National Library, the National Gallery, the High Court of Australia and Parliament House. The city enjoys a thriving arts, music and café scene. It is sometimes called ‘the bush capital’ because pockets of bushland reserve extend almost to the city centre and over half the land is classified as national park or nature reserve.
The History
The Commonwealth of Australia was established by an Act of British Parliament on 1 January 1901. The first meeting of the Federal Cabinet discussed the need to create a central seat of power from which the federal States of Australia are governed. This spawned the contentious issue of which city would become the nation’s capital. Arch rivals Sydney and Melbourne were both desperate to win this honour and, as no agreement could be reached, Canberra was declared the new capital due to being strategically located between the two competitors.
The Climate
There are four distinct seasons in Canberra. Spring and autumn are extremely pleasant. Winter in Canberra can be cold but the sky is usually
blue and sunny. Summer temperatures can be quite high.