What is canberra. Prices in shops and local restaurants

The population of the capital is 391 thousand people.

The name of the city comes from a native aboriginal word and translated into Russian means "meeting place".

The city is located near the Brindabella mountain range. The Molonglo River flows through the city. The city itself is surrounded on all sides by eucalyptus forests. Canberra is the seat of the Australian Government and is home to the Australian Parliament, Supreme Court, ministries and the Bank of Australia.

Story

The city was founded in 1908, it is only 106 years old.

Before the advent of the city, the area was inhabited by indigenous Australian Aborigines. The very same territory of the modern city was inhabited 21 thousand years ago.

Settlement of the area of ​​modern Canberra by Europeans began in 1820. The first permanent settlement appeared in 1823 - a sheep farm and a manor were built.

During the nineteenth century, the number of immigrants from Europe (mainly from Great Britain) steadily increased.

At the beginning of the twentieth century there was a question about the new capital of Australia. Prior to this, between the two Australian cities - Sydney and Melbourne - for several years there were disputes over which of these cities should be the capital. When it became clear that no side in this dispute would yield, it was decided to build a new city, which will be given the status of the capital of Australia. This is how Canberra was born.

In 1913, the new city received its modern name.

The government moved to the new capital in 1927.

After the Second World War, the development of Canberra accelerated. Today, Canberra is a modern metropolitan city with modern design and excellent layout.

Map

Museums

Let's get to know Canberra better and take a look at its museums.

House-Museum "Blandella's Cottage" - tells about the history of the Australian continent, about the living conditions of the first British settlers, their way of life.

Museum "Mugga-Mugga" - Another historical museum located in the center of Canberra. It is located in a small stone house, which was built in the nineteenth century (1830). Here, too, the history of Canberra and Australia is very voluminously revealed.

House of Calthorps- Another interesting museum of the Australian capital. The romantic era of the early twentieth century is displayed here: furniture, household items, family photographs.

Deep Space Communications Complex There is an interesting museum here. A stone from the Moon is stored here, the life and life of an astronaut on international orbital stations is described, there are three large antennas for deep space communications.

The highlight of Canberra is dinosaur museum ! There is no such museum anywhere else in the world. There are 23 collected skeletons of prehistoric dinosaurs, there are moving models of dinosaurs. Both adults and children love to come here.

National Capital Exhibition is another interesting museum in Canberra. It tells about the outstanding Australians and their achievements, interesting events from the history of Australia.

Canberra Railway Museum - here in the open air there is an impressive collection of freight, passenger and suburban trains, as well as locomotives.

Australian War Memorial Museum – here are the halls of the First and Second World Wars, the Hall of Valor, the Hall of Remembrance and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,

National Art Gallery of Australia - the largest in the country. There are a lot of paintings by Australian artists from different times.

Gallery of wood products "Bungendor" is the next great museum in the Australian capital. There are magnificent handicrafts made of wood, beautiful furniture.

Attractions

Now you can walk around Canberra itself.

Vernon Square is the geometric center of Canberra and the central square. More precisely, this is a large roundabout, several streets from the outskirts of the city converge to this interchange. The square itself is lined with a beautiful grove where you can relax and take a walk.

northbourne avenue- the main and greenest street of the capital. It is a long, beautiful boulevard with trees and flower beds in the middle, starting at the northern edge of Canberra and ending in Vernon Square. Here are the most expensive shops, boutiques, central banks, many nightclubs, souvenir shops, restaurants. It's always full of tourists.

Alley "Parade of Veterans" - Another great street in Canberra, similar to Northbourne Avenue in its layout. Along the street (in the center) there is a beautiful eucalyptus grove. This is the venue for various celebrations, including those with the participation of the Australian armed forces.

Mount Stromlo Observatory - an astronomical observatory located within the boundaries of Canberra on Mount Stromlo. There are powerful telescopes here. One day the observatory opens its doors for everyone to look through a powerful telescope at distant stars and planets.

National Carillon - This is a belfry in the center of Canberra. There are 53 bells in the belfry. It is considered one of the largest belfries in the world. There is an organ inside the belfry. The bells ring every 15 minutes.

TV tower on Black Mountain This is the tallest building in Canberra. The height of the TV tower is 192 meters. There are three observation decks from which the whole of Canberra is visible at a glance.

Theater Center Canberra - This is an open theatrical venue, which shows theatrical performances. Opened in 1965. There are theater rooms along the perimeter of the stage, and the performances themselves take place in the open air.

Black Mountain Hill - a wonderful natural landmark of the Australian capital. The famous Canberra TV tower is located on this hill.

old parliament building - located in the city center, has the form of a triangle. Tourists love to walk here too. By the way, the entrance to the parliament is completely free, tourists are not allowed there only during parliamentary sessions.

Australian Institute of Sports is an educational institution and one of the largest training facilities for Australian athletes. Visitors are offered to try their hand at various types of competitions.

capital hill- located in the center of Canberra. This is the seat of government power - here is the Parliament, the Supreme Court of Australia and the central bank.

Zoo and Aquarium - located in one place and have a common entrance. This is a private institution, there are many interesting animals from all over the Earth, and in the aquarium there is a great variety of fish that live in the waters near the Australian continent.

Lake Burley Griffin - An interesting natural attraction in Canberra. There is a beach here, and the lake itself is surrounded by several cozy parks and squares. This is one of the most favorite holiday destinations of Canberra residents.

albert hall- This venue in the center of Canberra hosts a variety of recreational activities.

Questacon is the National Science Center of Australia. The center has seven different galleries, visitors get acquainted with the latest achievements of Australian science.

monuments

There are several interesting monuments in Canberra:

- Australian War Memorial

- a monument to the English king George V;

- a monument to Albert Einstein;

- Captain James Cook Memorial

— a monument to the planet Earth;

- a monument to a sheep;

- a monument to a frog;

- monument to penguins;

- monument to Icarus;

- a monument to Australian submariners.

Religious buildings

Canberra has a sufficient number of churches and other places of worship:

a) Anglican churches:

- Church of St. John;

- Church of All Saints;

b) Orthodox churches:

- Orthodox parish of St. John the Baptist;

c) Catholic churches:

- Catholic Church;

d) Protestant churches:

- Church of God

- International Church;

- Church "Good Life";

e) Muslim temples:

- Cathedral Mosque of Canberra.

Stations

Canberra has one railway station. Passenger service connects the capital with most major cities in Australia. From Canberra by train you can go to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Brisbane, Darwin.

parks

Canberra is surrounded on all sides by eucalyptus forests, and there are many parks in the city itself.

Weston park- the perfect place for a relaxing holiday. It is located on a peninsula and is surrounded by water on all sides. There are benches for sitting, many exotic flowers, alleys for walking and cycling, summer cafes. For children there is a functioning miniature railway. There are kangaroos in this park.

National Botanic Garden of Australia - Another beautiful corner of nature in Canberra. Five and a half thousand plants from all over the Earth grow in the garden.

Markets

Canberra is full of markets and it is impossible to single out any of them in particular. The markets sell exotic vegetables and fruits, as well as other products. Near the markets, as a rule, there are a large number of trading stalls with consumer goods, newspapers, books.

Climate

The climate of Canberra is subtropical continental. The city is located in the Southern Hemisphere and therefore the calendar seasons do not coincide with the astronomical seasons. Astronomical summer in Canberra falls on the calendar winter months - from December to February, and astronomical winter lasts from June to August. Winter is quite cold with frequent frosts and fogs, snow often falls. Summer is very hot and usually dry. Residents of the city bathe in the Molonglo River and Lake Burley Griffin for about four months a year - from December to March.

Canberra- the capital of Australia. Translated from the language of the natives, this word means "meeting place." The city is located at the foot of the mountains. Canberra is the administrative center of the country, where all the main political structures of Australia are located. Canberra is not located near the sea, unlike other major cities in the country. This led to a quieter and calmer rhythm of his life.

Canberra was founded as a compromise in the struggle between the two cultural and economic centers of the country, Sydney and Melbourne, for the title of capital of Australia. The international competition for the best design was won by the American architect Walter Barley Griffin, after whom the artificial lake in the center of Canberra was later named. Everything necessary for a city that has the status of a capital was pre-designed and built in the late 20s of the last century.

Now Canberra is a surprisingly elegant city full of fragrant gardens and verdant parks. It seems that the city is perfectly thought out and harmonious. Canberra is considered a city of order, as it was originally built according to a well-defined scheme.

The rainforests of Australia come close to the city. As a result, tourists and residents of the city need very little time to get out into nature. Just a two-hour drive from the city of Canberra are famous Australian beaches, snowy mountains (Snowy Mountains) and a ski resort. There are also more than 30 wineries operating here.

The population of Canberra is characterized by a high percentage of residents with higher education. The Australian National Gallery is located here, where one of the largest art collections in the southern hemisphere (more than 70 thousand exhibits) is located.

Canberra is considered the "True Nature Capital" because it is surrounded on all sides by the Australian bush and looks like a small town in the vast rural spaces. Not far from Canberra in the Snowy Mountains is Australia's main and only ski resort - Thredbo.

Canberra is a miniature town, which allows you to explore it in almost one day, without staying overnight. Tourists usually get to know the city while traveling from Melbourne to Sydney.

Canberra belongs to the time zone - UTC + 10, in summer UTC + 11. The time difference between Canberra and Moscow is +6 hours.

We also suggest that you familiarize yourself with information about other cities in Australia.

Canberra is Australia's largest city located inland rather than on the coast. The city is located in the northern part of the Australian Capital Territory, 280 km southwest of Sydney and 650 km northeast of Melbourne. In 1908, the territory of modern Canberra was chosen as the future capital of the Commonwealth of Australia, which was a compromise between the two largest cities in the country, Sydney and Melbourne, competing for this status. After an international competition for the best design, the future construction, which began in 1913, was based on the plan of Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahoney Griffin. The design of Canberra was based on the concept of a garden city, suggesting vast areas of natural vegetation, which is why the Australians nicknamed the capital bush capital(translated from English "forest capital"). Although the city's growth and development was hindered by World War I and the Great Depression, Canberra became a thriving city after World War II.

As the seat of the Australian Government, Canberra is the seat of the Australian Parliament, the Supreme Court and numerous ministries and agencies. The city is also home to public and cultural institutions of national importance such as the National Gallery of Australia and the National Museum of Australia. The federal government is the largest contributor to the city's gross product and is Canberra's largest employer.

Etymology

Word Canberra comes from the name of the dialect of the local Ngabri tribe, belonging to the Ngunnawal family group, namely from the word Kanbarra, which can be translated from the ancient Ngunnawal language as "meeting place". This name was apparently used for a corrobori, or ceremonial gathering among Australian Aboriginal people, held during the seasonal migration of the Ngunnawal tribe, at which lat butterflies were eaten. Agrotis infusa, whose migration path also passed through the area every spring.

Geography

Canberra covers an area of ​​805.6 km² and is located close to the Brindabella Mountains. Brindabella Ranges), about 150 km off the east coast of Australia. The city is located on a hilly plain at an altitude of 550 to 700 m. The highest point is Mount Majura (Eng. Mount Majura, 888 m). Among other hills, the Taylor Mountains stand out. Mt Taylor), Ainsley Mt Ainslie), Magga Magga (eng. Mt Mugga Mugga) and Black Mountain (Eng. black mountain). Canberra is surrounded by forests, which is a mixture of eucalyptus savannahs, grasslands, woodlands, swamps and dry eucalyptus forests.

Question about the capital of Australia

What began as a rural area in New South Wales and later became the national capital began with the debate over the Federation of Australia in the late 19th century. After much debate about which city should become the capital, Sydney or Melbourne, a compromise was finally reached: the new capital was to be built in the state of New South Wales, provided that it was located no closer than 160 km from Sydney, and Melbourne during the construction of the city was to become a temporary capital. The Canberra area was chosen in 1908 after surveys by government surveyor Charles Scrivener. Charles Scrivener). The Government of New South Wales placed the Federal Capital Territory (as it would become known) under the control of the federal government.

Planning and construction of the future capital

After an international competition for the best design of the future capital, on January 1, 1910, the Australian Department of the Interior chose the design of Walter Burley Griffin (Eng. Walter Burley Griffin) and Marion Mahoney Griffin (eng. Marion Mahony Griffin), and already in 1913, Walter Griffin was appointed director of the design and design of the federal capital and construction began immediately. On March 12, 1913, the city was officially given its modern name. Lady Denman did it. Lady Denman), wife of the then Governor-General of Australia, Lord Denman. The ceremony took place on Kurrajong Hill. Kurrajong Hill), which later housed the Australian Parliament building. Canberra Day is celebrated annually in the city and the Australian Capital Territory on the second Monday in March.

Photo of the new parliament building and the old one (foreground).

Unsustainable city development

The federal government moved to Canberra on May 9, 1927, the day the country's temporary parliament building opened. Australian Prime Minister Stanley Bruce Stanley Bruce), had officially settled in his residence a few days before. The city's planned development slowed down considerably during the Great Depression years of the 1930s and World War II. Some projects, for example, the buildings of the Catholic and Anglican cathedrals, were never realized.

Development of Canberra after World War II

The development of the city accelerated after the Second World War, while the capital went beyond the boundaries of the original development plan. After the war, several ministries moved to Canberra from Melbourne along with civil servants. Simultaneously, with the support of the government, the construction of residential complexes began to provide housing for the growing population of the city. The northern and southern parts of Canberra were built up in the 1950s, the Woden Valley districts (eng. Woden Valley) and Belconnen (eng. Belconnen) in the mid to late 1960s. In 1963, the construction of the artificial lake Burley Griffin was completed.

The main sectors of the economy are government administration and defense, which employ about 40% of the inhabitants of Canberra (in general, they provide 26.1% of the gross domestic product of the territory). Among employers in the public sector, the Ministries of Defense, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Treasury stand out. Some of the establishments of the Australian armed forces are located in the city or close to it. The former military base Fairbairn, located next to the Canberra International Airport, has been sold to airport operators and currently serves VIP clients.

The city is also home to a number of software manufacturers serving government agencies: QSP, Tower Software, Rule Burst And The Distillery.

Demography

Trade at the market in the Kingston area.

The population of Canberra is relatively young. The average age of city residents is 32 years old, and only 8.3% of the population are residents over 65 years old. Between 2001 and 2001, 61.9% of the population entered or left Canberra, the second highest rate of mobility among any other Australian capital city. As of May 2004, 30% of Australian Capital Territory residents aged 15 to 64 had a bachelor's degree in education, higher than the national figure of 19%. Approximately 50% of the population of Canberra consider themselves Christians (either Catholics or Anglicans), less than 3% profess other religions, 23% are atheists.

Education

The largest educational institutions in Canberra are the Australian National University (eng. Australian National University, ANU ), located in the Acton area (Eng. acton), and the University of Canberra University of Canberra, UC) in the Bruce area (eng. bruce). The Australian National University was founded in 1946 as a research university. Various research projects continue to be carried out in it, and according to journals The Times And Shanghai Jiao Tong the university is one of the best in the world. Both the Australian National University and the University of Canberra have their own campuses not only in Australia but also abroad. Canberra also hosts campuses of two religious universities: the Australian Catholic University (eng. Australian Catholic University ) and Charles Sturt University. Charles Sturt University).

Other popular games in the city are netball, field hockey, ice hockey and cricket. At the local stadium "Manuka Oval" play cricket and Australian football. Canberra hosts an annual marathon.

The Australian Institute of Sport is located in the Bruce area. Australian Institute of Sports), which is a specialized educational and training institution.

Canberra has many small stadiums, golf courses, skate parks, tennis courts and pool complexes. The city has a wide network of paths for cyclists. Water sports are widely represented.

Infrastructure

healthcare

Canberra Hospital.

There are two public hospitals in Canberra: the 500-bed Canberra Hospital (formerly Woden Valley Hospital), located in Garren (eng. Garran), and the 174-bed Calvery Hospital, located in the Bruce area. Both hospitals are at the same time base hospitals where future medical workers are trained. The largest private hospital in Canberra is the John James Hospital. John James Memorial Hospital). Among other private hospitals, the Calvary Private Hospital stands out. Calvary Private Hospital) and Healthscope National Capital Private Hospital. Healthscope's National Capital Private ). In the past, the Acton Peninsula also hosted a hospital, the Royal Canberra Hospital. Royal Canberra Hospital), but it was closed on 27 November 1991 and blown up in 1997 to facilitate the construction of the National Museum of Australia.

Transport

The primary means of transportation in Canberra is the automobile. Past urban planning policies have had a positive impact on the existing road system, which is of high quality pavement. The districts of Canberra are interconnected by highways, the speed of which is limited to 80-100 km / h. In most districts, districts are connected by access roads.

Official language: Australian English

Canberra is the capital of Australia. Australia is a country that annually attracts tourists from all over the world. Everyone should find time to visit Australia and see the sights of the capital. In reality, and not in the photo, Canberra looks even better! That is why the capital of Australia has been attracting tourists for many years.

Attractions Canberra

Houses of Parliament

Anyone can get on a tour inside the Parliament in Canberra. The building was planned to be built on a hill, but later the building became a hill instead. Grass has grown on the roof of the Parliament, on which tourists walk daily.

Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial to all Australian servicemen was unveiled in 1941. The memorial includes a large national military museum.

The National Museum is one of the largest museums in Australia. The museum has exhibits on the social history of the country, its main problems, as well as the people and events that shaped the modern Australian nation.

National Gallery

The National Gallery of Australia was built in the Brutalist style. This is Canberra's main art gallery and museum. The National Gallery is surrounded by a sculpture garden with indigenous Australian trees and plants.

Australian Academy of Sciences

The Academy was created similarly to the Royal Society of London, and its powers are confirmed by a royal charter. The Academy is an independent organization and operates with the approval of the Australian Government. The goals of the Academy are to promote science in various ways.

Memorial to Captain James Cook

James Cook is an English navyman, explorer, cartographer and discoverer, Fellow of the Royal Society and captain in the Royal Navy. He led three round-the-world expeditions to explore the World Ocean, during which he made a number of geographical discoveries. Cook mapped little-known and rarely visited before him parts of Newfoundland and the east coast of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the west coast of North America, the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans.
A memorial to James Cook was erected in honor of the 200th anniversary of the first voyage he made on the east coast of Australia in 1770. The memorial consists of a fountain in the very center of Lake Burley Griffin, a globe in the form of a globe and a central pool. In the evening, the fountain is illuminated, and the globe shows the trajectory of the route of James Cook's movement across the Pacific Ocean.

Buddhist Sakyamuni Center

Buddhist Sakyamuni Center was founded in 1983. Sakyamuni Center is surrounded by picturesque, green gardens, and on its territory, you can see the largest Buddha statues in Australia in the open air.

This extraordinary place is impossible to imagine, one can only dream of it. Australia is both a continent and a land at the same time. People have been dreaming about this land for hundreds of years, and it was this land that made them cheerful, open and at the same time mysterious. All who began to live on this continent struggled with the elements for survival, and it was this struggle that became their religion. The whole of Australia is the opposite, where badlands and fertile lands are combined, a place of games and a battlefield. The modern nation is only 200 years old, but people have existed on this earth for more than 40 thousand years.

very far away country

Australia occupies the 6th place in the world in terms of size, it is not too much and not too little, but more than 7 million square kilometers. With its size, Australia is inferior, of course, to Russia, which is the largest in the world, Canada, China, the USA and Brazil.

The next largest (in 7th place) is India and it is already 2 times smaller than Australia.

Due to its vastness, including in relation to the countries of Oceania, of which it occupies 1st place, there are significant problems with settlement, or rather with the number

It is not regrettable, but the country occupies almost the last place in the world in terms of human population, overtaking only Namibia and Mongolia. The country has a population of 2.8 people per square kilometer.

First of all, this affects the huge deserts, which occupy 44% of the entire territory, which are located in the north-west of the continent and are located in two climatic zones - tropical and subtropical. At the same time, that water on the surface of the land occupies only 1%

However, to a greater extent, its distant location from the main world players: Europe and America ranks 2nd in the world in terms of human development index (life expectancy, literacy, education and standard of living) and 16th in the world in terms of the country's GDP. Indeed, all these indicators are directly related to the close relationship with the UK.

Center of the country

Speaking about Australia, not everyone will be able to immediately say which city is its capital. Probably most people will say that this is Sydney. First of all, this is due to the awareness of the Summer Olympic Games held in this city in 2000.

However, the capital of the Commonwealth of Australia is the city of Canberra, which is the largest in the country. Unlike large cities, it is not located on the coast, but at a considerable distance from the ocean inland. The question of which city will be the capital of Sydney or Melbourne has been going on since the middle of the 19th century. However, the decision came unexpectedly. The region of New South Wales was chosen as the capital, where the city of Canberra began to be built from the beginning of the 20th century.

Interestingly, there was a condition that the capital should not be closer than 160 kilometers from Sydney, and Melbourne should become a transshipment base for a large construction site.

The population of the capital is about 360 thousand people, which is much more in many large cities, with the exception of such huge ones as:

All millionaire cities are located on the coast, which is very typical not only for Australia, but also for all countries where there is access to the sea or ocean. People from ancient times preferred to live by the sea or ocean. It is both prestigious and cost-effective. There are often not many people who want to live in the northern latitudes, given the choice.