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Map of Canberra |
Australian War Memorial |
National Library |
Canberra is the capital city
of Australia. With a population of
over 345,000, it is Australia's
largest inland city and the eighth
largest Australian city overall. The
city is located at the northern end
of the Australian Capital Territory,
280 km (170 mi) south-west of
Sydney, and 660 km (410 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 rivals
Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's
two largest cities.
It is unusual among Australian
cities, being an entirely
purpose-built, planned city.
Following an international contest
for the city's design, a design by
the Chicago architects Walter Burley
Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin
was selected and construction
commenced in 1913.
Canberra is about three hours by
road from Sydney on the Federal
Highway (National Highway 23), which
connects with the Hume Highway
(National Highway 31) near Goulburn,
and seven hours by road from
Melbourne on the Barton Highway
(National Highway 25), which joins
the Hume Highway at Yass. It is a
two hour drive on the Monaro Highway
(National Highway 23) to the ski
fields of the Snowy Mountains and
the Kosciuszko National Park.
Batemans Bay, a popular holiday spot
on the New South Wales coast, is
also two hours away via the Kings
Highway.
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". Via
Wikipedia |
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City
of Canberra.com
