"The Capitol with a soul" a Canberra Travel Page by NukeDoc

Canberra was established in 1911 to create a capital for the newly federated country of Australia. About 320,000 people live in Canberra.

Canberra is located in the Australian Capital Territory, which is surrounded by New South Wales. The city is 150 kilometres inland and 571 metres above the Pacific Ocean, 281 kilometres from Sydney and 660 kilometres from Melbourne.

Located on the ancient lands of the Indigenous Ngunnawal people, Canberra’s name is thought to mean ‘meeting place’, derived from the Aboriginal word Kamberra. European settlers first came in the 1821 when explorer Charles Thorsby Smith came in as far as the black mountains. Famous botanist Allan Cunningham followed and the area was named limestone plains. In 1824 the first European settler, Joshua Moore, to set up his property named "Canberry" and next year Robert Campbell settled another property named "Duntroon" (now a famous military college). The area was chosen for the federal capital in 1908. Canberra’s special contrast of nature and urban living was planned in 1912 by master designer, Walter Burley Griffin, a Chicago architect who won an international design competition. (He also designed Griffith NSW). The provisional Parliament House was opened in 1927 in what was then a treeless paddock.

Namadgi National Park takes up about 40% of the ACT. It is devoted mainly to wilderness areas, the park allows horse back riding in limited places. There are also picnic areas and camping grounds. Visitor's center is on the Naas Road. Its streams attract trout fishing.

Brindabella Park it has some nice 4WD tracks which lead to the Yarrangobilly caves. Nice mountain scenery and cattlemans huts are along the way.

Few people know that there is an adjunct to ACT as well at the Jervis bay. The government decided that the capitol must have access to sea (true blue Aussies - cannot live without water) and a 5 km square area at Jervis bay was acquired later increased to 72.5 sqKm. It has been a preserve for the Royal Australian Navy.

The places to visit near the city in the ACT are Cockington green which is a miniature english village, Ginanderra which features art galleries and national dinosaur museum, and Bywong Mining Town which is a recreation of 1880s mining settlements.

There are many wineries mostly on the north and south east side of the city which have open doors for tasting. Some boutique wine shops have small but impressive collections. So if you are a wine enthusiast this is one place not to be missed.