When Australia became a federated nation in
1901, the Government of Australia decided they needed a site to host the new National
Capital.
Some land in New South
Wales was put aside for this purpose and became known as the Australian Capital
Territory.
The nation's new capital would be called Canberra (an Aboriginal word for meeting place) and an
international competition was held to find the most appropriate design for a
forward-looking, city in the park -- won by Walter Burley Griffin.
Griffin's vision was one of perfect harmony between urban
development and the natural landscape, and he sketched out a plan containing a central
lake and parliamentary triangle; the location for Australia's most important national
monuments and buildings.
Parliament
of Australia:
Visitors are welcome when Parliament House is open (9.00am -- 5.00pm on non-sitting days
and 9.00am to House rise on sitting days). There are free guided tours of Parliament
House, every half hour.
Australia Remembers
Australian
War Memorial:
To get the most out of the Memorial's twenty galleries and constantly changing special
exhibitions, be sure to set aside enough time to experience all that the Memorial has on
offer. Free guided tours of the galleries are conducted daily by the Memorial's Voluntary
Guides. Tours leave from the Orientation Gallery at 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 1:00pm,
1:30pm and 2:00pm.
