About Canberra

Black Mountain Tower

Canberra is the capital city of Australia and with a population of just over 325,000,and is Australia's largest inland city. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, 300 kilometres (190 mi) southwest of Sydney, and 650 kilometres (400 mi) north-east of Melbourne. The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, the two largest cities, and out of fear of a seaborne invasion.

It is unusual among Australian cities as an entirely purpose-built, planned city. Following an international contest for the city's design, a design by Chicago architect Walter Burley Griffin was selected and construction commenced in 1913. The city's design was heavily influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title "bush capital". Although the growth and development of Canberra was hindered by the World Wars and the Great Depression, it emerged as a thriving city after World War II.

As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court of Australia and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of several social and cultural institutions of national significance. The federal government contributes the largest percentage of Gross State Product and is the largest employer in Canberra. Canberra is also a popular destination for domestic and international tourists. [from Wikipedia]

More complete information, please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canberra

or
http://info.anu.edu.au/Discover_ANU/About_ANU/About_Canberra/

 

Canberra Tourism

Official site: http://www.canberratourism.com.au/

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