Canberra

Parliament House

Australian War memorial

National Gallery

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the summer holiday season if you are in the northern hemisphere. If you are in the southern part then hopefully you will be experiencing a reasonable winter.
This week I'm looking at CANBERRA.

1. It is the capital of Australia.

2. The city was planned in 1908.

3. It was designed as the political heartland and capital to stop rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne.

4. It is located in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory).

5. It was once just a small sheep station on the edge of the Molonglo River.

6. Its name is based on the Aboriginal word for 'meeting place'.

7. The foundation column of the new capital was laid in 1913.

8. The city was designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a Chicago architect.

9. It is laid out like a cobweb with government buildings in the centre and moving outward to the residential areas.

10.The first session of Parliament was opened on May 9th, 1927, by the Duke of York, who later became King George VI.

11.Unlike other capital cities, Canberra does not have either large skyscraper buildings or a large population.

12.Central Canberra lies around Lake Burley Griffin, framed by four hills: Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Capital Hill and Red Hill.

13.Its star sights are the Australian War memorial, the National Gallery of Australia and Parliament House.

14. St John the Baptist Church and Schoolhouse Museum, built of local bluestone in 1844 are Canberra's oldest surviving buildings.

15. 70% of the ACT is bushland.

16. In the ACT, the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve can be found. It has forests, grassland, streams and mountains. Kangaroos, emus, platypus and koalas can all be seen in their natural environment.

17. Lanyon Homestead, a restored 1850's home attached to a sheep station is situated on the Murrumbidgee river bank, south of Canberra.

18. The Namadgi National Park covers almost half of the ACT.

19. Canberra, even has a little bit of Britain! Cockington Green! A crafted miniature British village set in landscaped gardens.

20. There are two special events: the annual spring flower festival and the hot-air ballooning festival in April.

So, if you are visiting Australia this year enjoy the Sydney Opera House and all that the country has to offer but don't forget a visit to this small, enchanting capital city so different from other capitals around the world.

Always, take a good book with you as well as the guide book.

Thought for the week, particularly if you are travelling: It is better to arrive 5 minutes late than 20 years too soon!

Have fun, Lady M xxxx