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Canberra & Surrounds
 It's all too easy to dismiss Canberra as a rather soulless place, full of politicians and civil servants. And although there's certainly a large portion of the city devoted to servicing their needs, there's plenty more of interest to the tourist, including some of the country's best museums and galleries, pleasant parks and bushland, and a growing nightlife, thanks in part to the city's two universities. It just might surprise you.
History
After Federation, at the turn of the 20th-century, Sydney and Melbourne bickered over the right to be the new capital of Australia. To solve this problem, it was decided that a new city would be created instead: Canberra – a word supposedly meaning 'meeting place' in the local Aboriginal language.
When the site for Canberra was chosen in January 1911, there was virtually nothing there. The 2,360 square kilometres around the Molonglo River became the Australian Capital Territory almost by default, a compromise that committees within committees had failed to reach in the ten years since Federation. The declaration of a mini peace between warring politicians was considered a triumph, with the spoils going to those with the strongest nerve.
But even then, the city was in grave danger of becoming a camel – a horse designed by a committee. A competition for the design of the capital was launched the following May, but even after American architect, Walter Burley Griffin, was finally declared the winner, controversy raged unchecked. It was no surprise when the designs of all three finalists were referred to the tender mercies of a Departmental Committee charged with preparing their own solution. The resulting conglomerate became the official plan.
But this too was jettisoned within a few months of being adopted, along with the government and the committee that had produced it. The new government reinstated Burley Griffin, who proceeded to achieve very little due to a lack of funds and his own ability to antagonise the (still warring) pollies. His contract was concluded in 1921 and the development of Australia's capital once again dwindled into the haphazard.
Two world wars and the Great Depression put considerable strain on Australia's resources and nothing much happened in the growth of Canberra for quite some time. Fortunately for us all, the National Capital Development Commission was established in 1958, its brief being the rapid and appropriate development of a capital city worthy of the country it was intended to represent.
The NCDC immediately returned to Burley Griffin's original design, and a combination of effort and determination have now realised the full scope of his exceptional vision.
Things to See & Do
Canberra today is a beautiful city settled into the frame of the surrounding hills around the shores of a large lake.
On the south side of the lake is Capital Hill, the seat and site of government. To the north is City Hill – the civic centre. Between the two is Lake Burley Griffin, an artificial lake formed by the damming of the Molonglo River and now so much a part of the city's life and landscape that it's hard to imagine a time when it wasn't there. It is approximately nine kilometres long and is divided visually by two bridges forming three distinct water basins, each with its own characteristics and uses.
The Central Basin is the most formal of the three and the appropriate place for a number of national buildings and sites of national importance. The National Gallery, National Library and the High Court building all occupy positions on its shores, and the bronze bells of the National Carillon give their daily lunchtime recitals from Aspen Island near Kings Avenue Bridge.
The National Gallery's collection includes more than 100,000 artworks, its primary focus being a comprehensive representation of Australian art, with works of Asian and International art acquired for quality rather than quantity. The collection is constantly augmented by exhibitions of significant Australian and international works throughout the year.
The National Library's focus is also strongly Australian. Its collection of cultural and historic material includes books, maps, music, manuscripts, pictures and oral histories. It also boasts world class Asian and Pacific collections and a wide general overseas resource.
The Australian War Memorial is set back from the water at the end of Anzac Parade on the northern side of the Central Basin. Its mission is to commemorate and to educate, and despite its sombre subject matter, it is indeed one of the world's great museums. Go there, and begin to understand war in human terms rather than concepts.
Parliament House is not on the shores of the lake. It sits at the top of Capital Hill with a fine view over Canberra. Presumably Burley Griffin considered this physical dominance entirely appropriate for the seat of power.
But Canberra is not all about politicians and national institutions. Much of the lake is fronted by parkland and threaded with walking tracks and cycle paths. Sailors, windsurfers, rowers and paddlers spend many a happy hour on West Lake to the west of Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands at the eastern end of the lake provide valuable habitat for a range of waterbirds.
In keeping with its status, Canberra is well supplied with cafes, bars, clubs and restaurants from the most exclusive to the cheap and cheerful. The city's nightlife pumps hardest near the city centre, but suburban bars and clubs are popping up as the city grows and some of the finest restaurants have migrated to the shores of the lake.
In terms of things to see and do in the national capital, the obvious ports of call are only the tip of the iceberg. You can also visit the:
• Botanic Gardens
• CSIRO Discovery Centre
• National Archives
• National Dinosaur Museum
• National Film and Sound Archive
or one of the many fine lookouts around the city.
The Australian Institute of Sport is the training ground for Australia's elite athletes and you can take a 90-minute tour around its facilities, guided by one of the athletes. You never know who you might bump into doing their training?
The National Gallery is only one of a number of excellent galleries, and the Canberra Theatre Centre presents professional productions throughout the year. Mount Stromlo Observatory is about 18 km west of the city centre, and the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station is 36 km to the southwest.
Because of its youth, Canberra's significant buildings are more modern than their state counterparts but no less impressive. Modern architectural technology has produced magnificent purpose-built homes for the National Gallery, the National Museum and the High Court among dozens of others. 'New' Parliament House opened in 1988 and has won several national and international awards for design excellence.
It would be a shame to leave Australia without visiting its national capital, but we do have one final piece of advice. Buy a map. The layout is a series of concentric circles. It's all too easy to go nowhere fast.
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