History of Canberra

The Canberra region had a rich Indigenous and farming heritage long before Australia’s early politicians thought of choosing the area for the new federal capital in the early 1900s. From this time onwards, as its oldest buildings were acquired by the new federal government, the area’s rural heritage became inextricably intertwined with its history as a purpose-built capital.

Located on the ancient lands of the Indigenous Ngunnawal people, Canberra’s name is thought to mean ‘meeting place’, derived from the Aboriginal name Kamberra. European settlers first came in the 1830s, and the area was chosen for the federal capital in 1908.

Canberra’s special contrast of nature and urban living was planned in 1912 by Canberra’s master designer, Walter Burley Griffin, a Chicago architect who won an international design competition. The Provisional Parliament House was opened in 1927 in what was then a treeless paddock.

The present (permanent) Parliament House was constructed in time for Australia's bicentennial celebrations, and most would agree it was worth the wait.

Much of Canberra's history is tied to that of Federal politics, but the city itself has grown substantially from it's humble beginnings. From the original centres of Canberra, Belconnen and Woden, the city now extends south into the Tuggeranong Valley and east into New South Wales and the town of Queanbeyan.

Aside from Federal Parliament and it's associated departments, the city has benefited from the establishment of the Australian National University in 1945, the Australian Defence Force Academy, the National Gallery, and several other institutions.

Today Canberra has a relatively diverse population, although fully one-half of it's workforce is devoted to the government. The establishment of it's own governing authority, against the prevailing wishes of the residents, has done little to stem this tide. Although such a weight of beaurocracy lends a banality to Canberra as it would to any other one-industry town, the city benefits from the highest everage income and lowest unemployment level in the nation.

The plan of Walter Burley-Griffin wisely left many hill-tops as local preserves, and the abundant bike trails and access to local wilderness makes Canberra both a beautiful and healthy place to live or visit.

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