Canberra General Tips by Ronald_T

Favorite Thing: Canberra (Aboriginal word for 'meeting place') is the Capital of Australia in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), on ca. 700 meters height, on the Murrumbidgee, with a population of 310173 (Jan. 1999).

Canberra was build from a design by the American architect Walter Burley Griffin, and gave the city two centers; one political and one business center. Between the town center’s let they big spaces with a rural character. Central in the city laid the artificial designed Lake Burley Griffin, that named at the designer. Around the lake you find the governments buildings, the National Library (http://www.nla.gov.au), the High Court of Australia (http://www.hcourt.gov.au), the Australian National Gallery (http://www.nga.gov.au/index.html) and (opened in 1988) the New Parliament Building (http://www.aph.gov.au), which was build behind the old one (http://www.dcita.gov.au/oph.html).


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Favorite Thing: Visit the Old Parliament House (http://www.oph.gov.au)... When Australia’s Federal Government moved to Canberra in 1927, the Old Parliament House was its first home. Although the building was supposed to be a temporary structure, Parliament continued to sit here until 1988, when the new Parliament House (see above) opened on Capital Hill. This site is worth a visit with the surrounding rose gardens or you can take a step back into history, with guided tours of the building and the intriguing sound and light presentation 'Order! Order! ' The Old Parliament House is also the home of the National Portrait Gallery, where you can meet many of Australia’s most famous faces, as seen by many of Australia’s most famous artists. The vistas from the front looking back to the War Memorial (see further) and from the back looking up to the New Parliament House are equally magnificent…


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Favorite Thing: Since March 2000 Canberra have there own sightseeing bus, the Canberra Tour.

Lets see where they bring you.

01} Melbourne Building

02} Casino Canberra

03} Australian War Memorial

04} Dickson-China Town

05} Canberra Visitor Centre

06} Sydney Building

07} Regatta Point

08} National Library

09} High Court of Australia

10} Questacon

11} Old Parliament House

12} Parliament House

13} World Embassies & Residences

14} Screensound Australia

This is just information. See for the Canberra Tour also under Tourist Traps.


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Favorite Thing:
Go up to the Mount Ainslie and have a great lookout over the parliamentary triangle, Lake Burley Griffin and the Carillon. Views of the Australian War Memorial are especially good from this lookout. It was on this spot that the architect Walter Burly Griffin had his inspiration to design the Canberra that it is today.  This is a piece of Griffin's own words about
Mount Ainslie:  '...The site may be considered an irregular amphitheatre with Mount Anslie at the north-east, flanked by Black Mountain and Mount Pleasant all forming the top galleries; with the slopes to the water, the auditorium - the waterway and flood-basin, the arena; with the southern slopes reflected in the basin, the terraced stage and setting of monumental Government structures sharply defined rising tier on tier to the culminating highest internal hill, Capital Hill; and with Mugga Mugga, Red Hill and the blue distant mountain ranges forming the back scene of the theatrical whole...'



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Favorite Thing:
But in fact, who was Walter Burley Griffin? A question I ask myself and after a long search I want to share my findings. Walter Burley Griffin (see picture) was born on November 24, 1876 in Maywood, Illinois. Already in high school, Griffin showed his interest in landscape gardening. The family had moved to a new house in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst and Griffin was involved in landscaping the backyard. His parents let him do what he wanted and before long his brother and sisters were calling it 'The Jungle' because he was experimenting with so many different forms of plants. In 1895, Griffin enrolled in the Department of Architecture at University of Illinois. In 1899, Griffin graduated in Architecture. He returned to Chicago where he quickly found a job as a draftsman working with Chicago's most progressive architects. From 1899 to 1914, Griffin created more than 130 designs in his Chicago office for buildings, urban plans and landscapes, half of which were built in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. In 1912, Griffin won the Canberra Commission for the design of the Federal Capital of Australia. Griffin arrived in Canberra on October 1913 as Federal Director of Design and Construction - development of the city was ready to begin. Dominating Griffin's plan was a central artificial lake and a 'parliamentary triangle' in which the most important national buildings were to be placed. The surrounding residential areas had a geometric street pattern, circular and radial in shape, all fitting well into the general topography. Griffin continued to practise as an architect in Australia and design also the Newman College at the University of Melbourne, the Capitol Theatre and some houses. By 1935, Griffin was reduced to designing municipal incinerators and he left Australia to take up an architectural appointment in
India. He died there in 1937 at the age of 60.



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Favorite Thing:
Take a walk in the Commonwealth Park that offers you more then you think. Lots of outdoor activities are organized there like the Floriade (see further), concerts and also the celebrating of New Year Eve. See or sail the Lake Burley Griffin. You will find there also the Captain Cook Memorial Water Jet that is situated in Lake Burley Griffin, which was created in 1964 when the former Molonglo River was dammed. Most of the time this park, which is only minutes away from the city, is a good place for a picnic or take a rug and lay down with a good book under the many trees around. On the picture here you have a good view out the Commonwealth Park over the lake Burley Griffin within the Captain Cook Memorial Water Jet and in the background the Black Mountain and the Telstra Tower (see further).



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Favorite Thing:
The centre of Canberra is not so big (compared with Sydney) as you know Canberra counts only 311000 inhabitants. It is also known that Canberra is the fastest growing city of Australia with 7.2% people a year. But one thing is a fact; Canberra has an enjoyable commercial centre (also known as Civic), and at least not so busy as the other main city's. It's a great feeling walking in the centre without passing cars and you find nice shops and café's all around the place. Its even difficult to get lost in the centre because you always coming back to the fabulous merry-go-round (see picture) in the middle of the town. Notice the old city centre around the
Norhbourne Avenue (where you also find the Melbourne building) that has fine eateries and shops that are quite tempting as you walk around that place.



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Favorite Thing:
For people who like to shop in a shopping Mall (and that's not me) I recommend the Canberra Centre (see picture) in Bunda Street. This glamorous shopping mall has the major department stores (David Jones and Grace Bros), fashion shops, from the upper market to the 'more dash than cash' variety, a food court, bookstores, speciality shops and a number of souvenir-style shops. Its open 7 days a week, and there's ample undercover car parking in the multi-level car park next door. Forget the A$ 4 you pay in Sydney - here it's a paltry 40 cents for your first hour! A must for the ladies while I am going for a walk and a drink ;-)



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Favorite Thing:
Visit Manuka. In Sydney it's Double Bay, in Melbourne it's South Yarra. In Canberra, it's Manuka. (Say Mar-nar-kar, not Ma-noo-kar.) Don't be deceived by its low-key village look. This place has everything on the one block. Here you'll find the up market fashion labels (including the imported ones) and a whole street of cafes where the locals love to see and be seen. Drop by for a latte and browse in the arcades. There are beautiful things to discover. Just minutes away from the parliamentary triangle, its a great place to escape to after visiting the Art Gallery, Parliament House etc, etc. And if you want you can even go to the Cinema after some fine or casual dining. To go straight to Manuka with public transport take bus 39 from the City Interchange.



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Favorite Thing:
St. Christophers Church in Manuka.



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