85-594: The Kosciuszko Huts Association ( KHA - previously spelt Kosciusko ) was formed in Canberra , Australia in 1971 with the purpose of saving the mountain heritage huts in the Kosciuszko National Park . In addition to the physical maintenance of huts, the KHA preserves the history of the huts. The initial meeting was supported by the past Parks commissioner Neville Gare and resulted in a small group of individuals forming
170-560: A Skywhale family , an event marked by Skywhale-themed pastries and beer produced by local companies as well as an art pop song entitled "We are the Skywhales". In 2014, Canberra was named the best city to live in the world by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , and was named the third best city to visit in the world by Lonely Planet in 2017. Canberra covers an area of 814.2 km (314.4 sq mi) and
255-576: A dairy on the site in 1832, now regarded as the oldest standing European building in Canberra, followed by the imposing stone house that is now the officers' mess of the Royal Military College, Duntroon . The Campbells sponsored settlement by other farmer families to work their land, such as the Southwells of " Weetangera ". Other notable early colonists included Henry Donnison, who established
340-585: A Royal Commission in 1916 ruled his authority had been usurped by certain officials and his original plan was reinstated. Griffin's relationship with the Australian authorities was strained and a lack of funding meant that by the time he was fired in 1920, little work had been done. By this time, Griffin had revised his plan, overseen the earthworks of major avenues and established the Glenloch Cork Plantation. The Commonwealth government purchased
425-554: A few days earlier. Planned development of the city slowed significantly during the depression of the 1930s and during World War II. Some projects planned for that time, including Roman Catholic and Anglican cathedrals, were never completed. (Nevertheless, in 1973 the Roman Catholic parish church of St. Christopher was remodelled into St. Christopher's Cathedral, Manuka , serving the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. It
510-435: A grid. Griffin's proposal had an abundance of geometric patterns, including concentric hexagonal and octagonal streets emanating from several radii. However, the outer areas of the city, built later, are not laid out geometrically. Lake Burley Griffin was deliberately designed so that the orientation of the components was related to various topographical landmarks in Canberra. The lakes stretch from east to west and divided
595-545: A high proportion of people identifying themselves as Indigenous Australians , but not knowing their traditional origins. The Ngambri people are represented by a Local Aboriginal Land Council (or LALC), the Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council, based in Queanbeyan . In 1974 Norman Tindale , in his major work on Aboriginal tribal boundaries, located the southern boundary of Ngunnawal country close to
680-530: A high proportion of people identifying themselves as Indigenous Australians , but not knowing their traditional origins. In 2012, Australian Bureau of Statistics records showed several Aboriginal families in the ACT were affected by the removal of mixed-race children from their parents in the Stolen Generation era . Due to the geographical relocation of Indigenous populations, along with intertribal marriages since
765-631: A number of family groups that make up the Ngunnawal nation". He went on to say that "the Government recognises members of the Ngunnawal nation as descendants of the original inhabitants of this region: there is no specific recognition of the Ngambri group outside of this broader acknowledgement". The debate came to a head in April 2009 when five "Welcome to Canberra" signs on the Canberra border were defaced by replacing
850-450: A proper way of having a place where Aboriginal people can do what they want and protest. But in a manner that will get the message across and (provide) a really good place for educating the rest of the community. Not this thing where buses will pull up and sometimes people get told the wrong story. The comprehensive dislocation of Aboriginal populations, intertribal marriage and interracial relationships following European settlement has led to
935-630: A result of the ACT Indigenous protocol". "The territory apologises to the plaintiffs, their witnesses, and other members of the Ngambri (Kamberri) community for the hurt and distress which they have suffered," it said. The Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council is based in Queanbeyan . Murnong , now rare in the ACT due to land development, were a staple in the diet of traditional Ngambri people. They also ate grass trees , bulrushes , native raspberries , apple berries and native cherries . For protein,
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#17328440058561020-405: A village and its disorganised collection of buildings was deemed ugly. Canberra was often derisively described as "several suburbs in search of a city". Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies regarded the state of the national capital as an embarrassment. Over time his attitude changed from one of contempt to that of championing its development. He fired two ministers charged with the development of
1105-589: A week. This event coincided with a heatwave across south-eastern Australia during which the temperature in Canberra reached 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit (42.5 Celsius) on 11 January. On Friday, 13 January, the Black Friday bushfires caused 71 deaths in Victoria and Wells accompanied the Governor-General on his tour of areas threatened by fires. Immediately after the end of the war, Canberra was criticised for resembling
1190-464: Is an integral part" of the KHA mission of "maintaining historic and shelter huts". The group has collected oral history about the huts. Two books by Klaus Hueneke also document this work, combining information about hiking trails with historical and cultural information. The records of the KHA are archived in the National Library of Australia , as well as the KHA collections of photographs, as well as
1275-578: Is common in the winter months. Snow is rare in the CBD (central business district) due to being on the leeward (eastern) side of the dividing range, but the surrounding areas get annual snowfall through winter and often the snow-capped Brindabella Range can be seen from the CBD. The last significant snowfall in the city centre was in 1968. Canberra is often affected by foehn winds, especially in winter and spring , evident by its anomalously warm maxima relative to altitude. The highest recorded maximum temperature
1360-645: Is located near the Brindabella Ranges (part of the Australian Alps ), approximately 150 km (93 mi) inland from Australia's east coast . It has an elevation of approximately 580 m (1,900 ft) AHD ; the highest point is Mount Majura at 888 m (2,913 ft). Other low mountains include Mount Taylor 855 m (2,805 ft), Mount Ainslie 843 m (2,766 ft), Mount Mugga Mugga 812 m (2,664 ft) and Black Mountain 812 m (2,664 ft). The native forest in
1445-457: Is lower and the average income higher; tertiary education levels are higher, while the population is younger. At the 2016 Census, 32% of Canberra's inhabitants were reported as having been born overseas. Canberra's design is influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation. Its design can be viewed from its highest point at the Telstra Tower and
1530-537: Is served with domestic and international flights at Canberra Airport , while interstate train and coach services depart from Canberra railway station and the Jolimont Centre respectively. City Interchange and Alinga Street station form the main hub of Canberra's bus and light rail transport network. The word "Canberra" is derived from the Ngunnawal language of a local Ngunnawal or Ngambri clan who resided in
1615-694: Is the only cathedral in Canberra. ) From 1920 to 1957, three bodies — successively the Federal Capital Advisory Committee , the Federal Capital Commission , and the National Capital Planning and Development Committee — continued to plan the further expansion of Canberra in the absence of Griffin. However, they were only advisory and development decisions were made without consulting them, which increased inefficiency. The largest event in Canberra up to World War II
1700-414: The 2019/2020 bushfires . On 1 January 2020, Canberra had the worst air quality of any major city in the world, with an AQI of 7700 (USAQI 949). Canberra is a planned city and the inner-city area was originally designed by Walter Burley Griffin , a major 20th-century American architect. Within the central area of the city near Lake Burley Griffin, major roads follow a wheel-and-spoke pattern rather than
1785-612: The Australian Capital Territory at the northern tip of the Australian Alps , the country's highest mountain range. As of June 2023, Canberra's estimated population was 466,566. The area chosen for the capital had been inhabited by Aboriginal Australians for up to 21,000 years, by groups including the Ngunnawal and Ngambri . European settlement commenced in the first half of the 19th century, as evidenced by surviving landmarks such as St John's Anglican Church and Blundells Cottage . On 1 January 1901, federation of
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#17328440058561870-489: The Australian Capital Territory area, but their connection to the land is contested. One reason for this is that Canberra, where Ngambri claims are made, lay close to the tribal boundaries that separated the Ngarigo from the Ngunnawal people (according to Norman Tindale ). Other reasons are the dislocation of Aboriginal populations and intertribal marriage and interracial relationships following European settlement, leading to
1955-1243: The Australian War Memorial , the Australian National University , the Royal Australian Mint , the Australian Institute of Sport , the National Gallery , the National Museum and the National Library . The city is home to many important institutions of the Australian Defence Force including the Royal Military College Duntroon and the Australian Defence Force Academy . It hosts all foreign embassies in Australia as well as regional headquarters of many international organisations, not-for-profit groups, lobbying groups and professional associations. Canberra has been ranked among
2040-730: The Murrumbidgee north-west of Canberra, which in turn flows north-west toward the New South Wales town of Yass. The Queanbeyan River joins the Molonglo River at Oaks Estate just within the ACT. A number of creeks, including Jerrabomberra and Yarralumla Creeks, flow into the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee. Two of these creeks, the Ginninderra and Tuggeranong, have similarly been dammed to form Lakes Ginninderra and Tuggeranong . Until recently
2125-485: The National Museum of Australia . In April 2023, the ACT Government apologised to the Ngambri people for not recognising them as traditional owners, said that it would be reviewing its Indigenous protocols, and reached a settlement with them. Ngunnawal people called this an "affront" to their people, with spokesman Richie Allan saying that their connection had been proven, and while many peoples have some connection to
2210-670: The Yarralumla estate—now the site of the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia—in 1827, and John Palmer who employed Duncan Macfarlane to form the Jerrabomberra property in 1828. A year later, John MacPherson established the Springbank estate, becoming the first British owner-occupier in the region. The Anglican church of St John the Baptist , in the suburb of Reid,
2295-488: The districts of Woden Valley and Belconnen commenced in the mid and late 1960s respectively, followed by the district of Tuggeranong in the mid 1970s. Many of the new suburbs were named after Australian politicians such as Barton , Deakin , Reid , Braddon , Curtin , Chifley and Parkes . On 9 May 1988, a larger and permanent Parliament House was opened on Capital Hill as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations. The Commonwealth Parliament moved there from
2380-526: The 100th anniversary of the naming of Canberra. On 11 March 2014, the last day of the centennial year, the Canberra Centenary Column was unveiled in City Hill . Other works included The Skywhale , a hot air balloon designed by the sculptor Patricia Piccinini , and StellrScope by visual media artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart. On 7 February 2021, The Skywhale was joined by Skywhalepapa to create
2465-588: The 1900s, there are disputes between people who claim descent from the Ngambri family of the Nyanmudy/Namadgi, Ngarigo and Ngunnawal people , who all claim they are Canberra's traditional owners . In 2005, in response to a question in the ACT Legislative Assembly about the status of the Ngambri people, the Chief Minister at the time, Jon Stanhope stated that "Ngambri is the name of one of
2550-596: The ACT boundary, close to the tribal boundaries that separated the Ngarigo from the Ngunnawal people, who were from Yass . The extent of recognised Ngambri (also known as Kamberri ) territory, and of their distinction from other Aboriginal clans or peoples, is contested. In 2002, a group of Ngambri people burnt down a humpy and dismantled tents at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy . At the time, prominent Ngambri elder Matilda House said her people were "cleaning up
2635-610: The ACT's first government, led by the Chief Minister Rosemary Follett , who made history as Australia's first female head of government. The 1990s also saw urban development begin in the district of Gungahlin in the far north of the ACT. Parts of Canberra were engulfed by bushfires on 18 January 2003 that killed four people, injured 435 and destroyed more than 500 homes as well as the major research telescopes of Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory . Throughout 2013, several events celebrated
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2720-629: The Canberra area include the Ngunnawal , Ngunawal and Ngambri peoples. Other groups claiming a connection to the land include the Ngarigo (who also lived directly to the south) and the Ngambri-Guumaal. Neighbouring groups include the Wandandian to the east, the Walgulu also to the south, Gandangara people to the north and Wiradjuri to the north-west. The first British settlers into the Canberra area described two clans of Ngunnawal people resident to
2805-542: The Canberra area. The Ngambri community members argued the omission violated their human rights. A settlement has now been reached after Ngambri custodians Leah House and Paul Girrawah House took the case to the ACT Supreme Court last year under the Human Rights Act. The government apologised and acknowledged that Ms House and Mr House, along with other members of the Ngambri people, "have suffered hurt and distress as
2890-411: The Canberra region was almost wholly eucalypt species and provided a resource for fuel and domestic purposes. By the early 1960s, logging had depleted the eucalypt, and concern about water quality led to the forests being closed. Interest in forestry began in 1915 with trials of a number of species including Pinus radiata on the slopes of Mount Stromlo. Since then, plantations have been expanded, with
2975-463: The Francis Leyden collection. Canberra Canberra ( / ˈ k æ n b ər ə / KAN -bər-ə ) is the capital city of Australia . Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest Australian city overall . The city is located at the northern end of
3060-693: The KNP. In 2006, the KHA was successful in lobbying ministers and the NPWS to include retention of huts in the Kosciuszko National Park Plan of Management. This also included a decision to rebuild at least six of the huts, including the Broken Dam Hut, which was reopened on 15 December 2007. The KHA usually rebuilds historical huts, but in the 1990s also built a new hut, the Burrungubugge Hut. Since 2007
3145-519: The Molonglo River had a history of sometimes calamitous floods; the area was a flood plain prior to the filling of Lake Burley Griffin. Under the Köppen-Geiger classification , Canberra has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ). In January, the warmest month, the average high is approximately 29 °C (84 °F); in July, the coldest month, the average high drops to approximately 12 °C (54 °F). Frost
3230-666: The Ngunnawal elder Don Bell, have speculated upon possible meanings of "Canberra" over the years. These include "meeting place", "woman's breasts" and "the hollow between a woman's breasts". Alternative proposals for the name of the city during its planning included Austral, Australville, Aurora, Captain Cook, Caucus City, Cookaburra, Dampier, Eden, Eucalypta, Flinders, Gonebroke, Home, Hopetoun, Kangaremu, Myola, Meladneyperbane, New Era, Olympus, Paradise, Shakespeare, Sydmelperadbrisho, Swindleville, The National City, Union City, Unison, Wattleton, Wheatwoolgold, Yass-Canberra. The first peoples of
3315-688: The Provisional Parliament House, now known as Old Parliament House. In December 1988, the Australian Capital Territory was granted full self-government by the Commonwealth Parliament, a step proposed as early as 1965. Following the first election on 4 March 1989, a 17-member Legislative Assembly sat at temporary offices at 1 Constitution Avenue, Civic, on 11 May 1989. Permanent premises were opened on London Circuit in 1994. The Australian Labor Party formed
3400-400: The area 21,000 years previously. Still today, Ngunnawal men into the present conduct ceremony on the banks of the river, Murrumbidgee River. They travel upstream as they receive their Totems and corresponding responsibilities for land management. 'Murrum' means 'Pathway' and Bidgee means 'Boss'. The submerged limestone caves beneath Lake Burley Griffin contained Aboriginal rock art, some of
3485-489: The area and were referred to by the early British colonists as either the Canberry , Kanberri or Nganbra tribe. Joshua John Moore , the first European land-owner in the region, named his grant "Canberry" in 1823 after these people. "Canberry Creek" and "Canberry" first appeared on regional maps from 1830, while the derivative name "Canberra" started to appear from around 1857. Numerous local commentators, including
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3570-461: The association. KHA members went on to repair and partially rebuild over 160 mountain huts in the Park over the next decade, despite both accidental and deliberate destruction of some of them by individuals and park officers. The bush fires of 2003 destroyed a further 24 huts, following the collapse of many from the early 1970s through to 2003. There are 79 remaining huts (or groups of huts on one site) in
3655-656: The benefit of reducing erosion in the Cotter catchment, and the forests are also popular recreation areas. The urban environs of the city of Canberra straddle the Ginninderra plain , Molonglo plain , the Limestone plain, and the Tuggeranong plain (Isabella's Plain). The Molonglo River which flows across the Molonglo plain has been dammed to form the national capital's iconic feature Lake Burley Griffin . The Molonglo then flows into
3740-533: The board advised that it could not support the Griffins' plan in its entirety and suggested an alternative plan of its own devising. This plan ostensibly incorporated the best features of the three place-getting designs as well as of a fourth design by H. Caswell, R.C.G. Coulter and W. Scott-Griffiths of Sydney, the rights to which it had purchased. It was this composite plan that was endorsed by Parliament and given formal approval by O'Malley on 10 January 1913. However, it
3825-430: The city for poor performance. Menzies remained in office for over a decade and in that time the development of the capital sped up rapidly. The population grew by more than 50 per cent in every five-year period from 1955 to 1975. Several Government departments, together with public servants, were moved to Canberra from Melbourne following the war. Government housing projects were undertaken to accommodate
3910-471: The city in two; a land axis perpendicular to the central basin stretches from Capital Hill —the eventual location of the new Parliament House on a mound on the southern side—north northeast across the central basin to the northern banks along Anzac Parade to the Australian War Memorial . This was designed so that looking from Capital Hill, the War Memorial stood directly at the foot of Mount Ainslie . At
3995-514: The city itself is uncommon. As the seat of the Government of Australia , Canberra is home to many important institutions of the federal government, national monuments and museums. These include Parliament House , Government House , the High Court building and the headquarters of numerous government agencies. It is the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance such as
4080-439: The city's growing population. The National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) formed in 1957 with executive powers and ended four decades of disputes over the shape and design of Lake Burley Griffin — the centrepiece of Griffin's design — and construction was completed in 1964 after four years of work. The completion of the lake finally laid the platform for the development of Griffin's Parliamentary Triangle . Since
4165-542: The colonies of Australia was achieved. Following a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital, a compromise was reached: the new capital would be built in New South Wales , so long as it was at least 100 mi (160 km) from Sydney. The capital city was founded and formally named as Canberra in 1913. A plan by the American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin
4250-469: The court determined that native title did not exist. In 2013, an ACT Government genealogy report entitled Our Kin Our Country was released. The report, researched to settle the dispute of who were the first people, found that the Ngunnawal were not the original inhabitants of the ACT; however they did attend corroborees in the area. The report concluded that evidence gathered from the mid-1800s onward
4335-521: The growth of a boy into a man. In October 1820, Charles Throsby led the first British expedition to the area. Four other expeditions occurred between 1820 and 1823 with the first accurate map being produced by explorer Mark John Currie in June 1823. By this stage the area had become known as the Limestone Plains. British settlement of the area probably dates from late 1823, when a sheep station
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#17328440058564420-645: The initial construction of the lake, various buildings of national importance have been constructed on its shores. The newly built Australian National University was expanded and sculptures as well as monuments were built. A new National Library was constructed within the Parliamentary Triangle, followed by the High Court and the National Gallery . Suburbs in Canberra Central (often referred to as North Canberra and South Canberra ) were further developed in the 1950s and urban development in
4505-403: The land, "they don't belong to this land, [only] Ngunnawal people do". The ACT Government said that it "would continue to acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT while also recognising any other people or families with connection to the ACT and region". The ACT government has apologised to the Ngambri people over its failure to recognise them as traditional owners of
4590-487: The last fires [in 2003] and then they got lost again" reported president Simon Buckpitt. Assessment and recording of the damage involved ongoing consultation between the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and the KHA (the huts are cared for cooperatively by KHA and the NPWS) and while KHA expressed concern that some huts may not be rebuilt, in 2021after 18 months of assessment, it was confirmed that 10 would be rebuilt. The "gathering of associated historical information
4675-422: The mountains. The area is generally sheltered from a westerly wind, though strong northwesterlies can develop. A cool, vigorous afternoon easterly change, colloquially referred to as a 'sea-breeze' or the 'Braidwood Butcher', is common during the summer months and often exceeds 40 km/h in the city. Canberra is also less humid than the nearby coastal areas. Canberra was severely affected by smoke haze during
4760-400: The national capital started during debates over federation in the late 19th century. Following a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital, a compromise was reached: the new capital would be built in New South Wales, so long as it was at least 100 mi (160 km) from Sydney, with Melbourne to be the temporary seat of government while the new capital
4845-406: The northern side of the city, was designated the municipal axis. The municipal axis became the location of Constitution Avenue , which links City Hill in Civic Centre and both Market Centre and the Defence precinct on Russell Hill. Commonwealth Avenue and Kings Avenue were to run from the southern side from Capital Hill to City Hill and Market Centre on the north respectively, and they formed
4930-430: The only sites in the region. Galambary (Black Mountain) is an important Aboriginal meeting and business site, predominantly for men's business. According to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, Mt Ainslie is primarily for place of women's business. Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie are referred to as women's breasts. Galambary was also used by Ngunnawal people as an initiation site, with the mountain itself said to represent
5015-475: The pastoral property of Yarralumla in 1913 to provide an official residence for the Governor-General of Australia in the new capital. Renovations began in 1925 to enlarge and modernise the property. In 1927, the property was officially dubbed Government House. On 9 May that year, the Commonwealth parliament moved to Canberra with the opening of the Provisional Parliament House . The Prime Minister Stanley Bruce had officially taken up residence in The Lodge
5100-433: The rebuilding campaign has progressed rapidly and initially the combination of the Kosciuszko National Park rangers and KHA members completed the build of O'Keefes Hut, Pretty Plain Hut and others. Since the construction of the original web site for KHA the site has grown to 3000 pages of information. The first site was built by members of Wildtwo Pty Ltd who held the copyright but have formally given approval for use of all
5185-430: The region. Around 1825 James Ainslie , working on behalf of the wealthy merchant Robert Campbell , arrived to establish a sheep station. He was guided to the region by a local Aboriginal girl who showed him the fine lands of her Pialligo clan. The area then became the property of Campbell and it was initially named Pialligo before Campbell changed it to the Scottish title of Duntroon . Campbell and his family built
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#17328440058565270-428: The required territory as they did not accept the site. In 1906, the New South Wales Government finally agreed to cede sufficient land provided that it was in the Yass-Canberra region as this site was closer to Sydney. Newspaper proprietor John Gale circulated a pamphlet titled 'Dalgety or Canberra: Which?' advocating Canberra to every member of the Commonwealth's seven state and federal parliaments. By many accounts, it
5355-414: The side of the majority of the board with the design by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin of Chicago , Illinois , United States , being declared the winner. Second was Eliel Saarinen of Finland and third was Alfred Agache of Brazil but resident in Paris, France. O'Malley then appointed a six-member board to advise him on the implementation of the winning design. On 25 November 1912,
5440-475: The site and making it respectable so that when visitors do come here we will be proud". House had been closely involved with the tent embassy since it was founded in 1972 and remembers the four men who founded the embassy as heroes. House had a vision for the future of the tent embassy: I'd like to see the tent embassy used for a place of education and proper understanding of protocols and the proper understanding of our identity. It could be achieved by looking at
5525-408: The southwestern end of the land axis was Bimberi Peak , the highest mountain in the ACT, approximately 52 km (32 mi) south west of Canberra. The straight edge of the circular segment that formed the central basin of Lake Burley Griffin was perpendicular to the land axis and designated the water axis, and it extended northwest towards Black Mountain . A line parallel to the water axis, on
5610-495: The summit of Mount Ainslie. Other notable features include the National Arboretum , born out of the 2003 Canberra bushfires , and Lake Burley Griffin , named for Walter Burley Griffin. Highlights in the annual calendar of cultural events include Floriade , the largest flower festival in the Southern Hemisphere, the Enlighten Festival , Skyfire , the National Multicultural Festival and Summernats . Canberra's main sporting venues are Canberra Stadium and Manuka Oval . The city
5695-500: The text and photographs to the KHA in perpetuity, to support the continued collection of material on the mountain huts across Australia. Australian Geographic published a feature article on the KHA in June 2022, emphasising the skill required to rebuild huts while maintaining their cultural and historical qualities. Following the 2019-2020 bushfires 12 huts were destroyed: "Everybody was distraught...In some cases, they [KHA volunteers] had worked hard to reconstruct some of them after
5780-609: The vicinity. The Canberry or Nganbra clan lived mostly around Sullivan's Creek and had ceremonial grounds at the base of Galambary ( Black Mountain ), while the Pialligo clan had land around what is now Canberra Airport . The people living here carefully managed and cultivated the land with fire and farmed yams and hunted for food. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the region includes inhabited rock shelters, rock paintings and engravings, burial places, camps and quarry sites as well as stone tools and arrangements. Artefacts suggests early human activity occurred at some point in
5865-559: The war ended. The urban areas of Canberra are organised into a hierarchy of districts, town centres, group centres, local suburbs as well as other industrial areas and villages. There are seven residential districts, each of which is divided into smaller suburbs, and most of which have a town centre which is the focus of commercial and social activities. The districts were settled in the following chronological order: Ngambri The Ngambri , also known as Kamberri , are an Aboriginal clan or group who claim traditional ownership of
5950-407: The west by the Brindabellas which create a strong rain shadow in Canberra's valleys. Canberra gets 100.4 clear days annually. Annual rainfall is the third lowest of the capital cities (after Adelaide and Hobart ) and is spread fairly evenly over the seasons, with late spring bringing the highest rainfall. Thunderstorms occur mostly between October and April, owing to the effect of summer and
6035-606: The western and eastern edges of the central basin. The area enclosed by the three avenues was known as the Parliamentary Triangle , and formed the centrepiece of Griffin's work. The Griffins assigned spiritual values to Mount Ainslie, Black Mountain, and Red Hill and originally planned to cover each of these in flowers. That way each hill would be covered with a single, primary colour which represented its spiritual value. This part of their plan never came to fruition, as World War I slowed construction and planning disputes led to Griffin's dismissal by Prime Minister Billy Hughes after
6120-454: The wife of Governor-General Lord Denman , announced that the city would be named "Canberra" at a ceremony at Kurrajong Hill, which has since become Capital Hill and the site of the present Parliament House . Canberra Day is a public holiday observed in the ACT on the second Monday in March to celebrate the founding of Canberra. After the ceremony, bureaucratic disputes hindered Griffin's work;
6205-570: The words "Ngunnawal Country" with "Ngambri Country". The signs were quickly restored by the ACT Government, with the Chief Minister Jon Stanhope promising that the signs would be monitored closely in the future. He said that one family who had formerly identified as Ngunnawal later identified as Ngambri, causing "confusion and distress within the community". In December 2012, the Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council made three applications for native title: For each application,
6290-473: The world's best cities to live in and visit. Although the Commonwealth Government remains the largest single employer in Canberra, it is no longer the majority employer. Other major industries have developed in the city, including in health care, professional services, education and training, retail, accommodation and food, and construction. Compared to the national averages, the unemployment rate
6375-412: Was 44.0 °C (111.2 °F) on 4 January 2020. Winter 2011 was Canberra's warmest winter on record, approximately 2 °C (4 °F) above the average temperature. The lowest recorded minimum temperature was −10.0 °C (14.0 °F) on the morning of 11 July 1971. Light snow falls only once in every few years, and is usually not widespread and quickly dissipates. Canberra is protected from
6460-695: Was boycotted by the Royal Institute of British Architects , the Institution of Civil Engineers and their affiliated bodies throughout the British Empire because the Minister for Home Affairs King O'Malley insisted that the final decision was for him to make rather than an expert in city planning. A total of 137 valid entries were received. O'Malley appointed a three-member board to advise him but they could not reach unanimity. On 24 May 1911, O'Malley came down on
6545-585: Was built to educate local settlers children, including the Blundell children who lived in nearby Blundell's Cottage . As the European presence increased, the Indigenous population dwindled largely due to the destruction of their society, dislocation from their lands and from introduced diseases such as influenza , smallpox , alcoholism and measles . The district's change from a rural area in New South Wales to
6630-451: Was built. A survey was conducted across several sites in New South Wales with Bombala , southern Monaro , Orange , Yass , Albury , Tamworth , Armidale , Tumut and Dalgety all discussed. Dalgety was chosen by the federal parliament and it passed the Seat of Government Act 1904 confirming Dalgety as the site of the nation's capital. However, the New South Wales government refused to cede
6715-422: Was consecrated in 1845 and is now the oldest surviving public building in the city. St John's churchyard contains the earliest graves in the district. It has been described as a "sanctuary in the city", remaining a small English village-style church even as the capital grew around it. Canberra's first school, St John's School (now a museum), was situated next to the church and opened in the same year of 1845. It
6800-541: Was decisive in the selection of Canberra as the site in 1908 as was a result of survey work done by the government surveyor Charles Scrivener . The NSW government ceded the district to the federal government in 1911 and the Federal Capital Territory was established. An international design competition was launched by the Department of Home Affairs on 30 April 1911, closing on 31 January 1912. The competition
6885-507: Was formed on what is now the Acton Peninsula by James Cowan, the head stockman employed by Joshua John Moore . Moore had received a land grant in the region in 1823 and formally applied to purchase the site on 16 December 1826. He named the property "Canberry". On 30 April 1827, Moore was told by letter that he could retain possession of 1,000 acres (405 ha) at Canberry. Other colonists soon followed Moore's example to take up land in
6970-492: Was selected after an international design contest, and construction commenced in 1913. Unusual among Australian cities, it is an entirely planned city . The Griffins' plan featured geometric motifs and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks such as Black Mountain , Mount Ainslie , Capital Hill and City Hill . Canberra's mountainous location makes it the only mainland Australian city where snow-capped mountains can be seen in winter, although snow in
7055-545: Was the 24th Meeting of ANZAAS in January 1939. The Canberra Times described it as "a signal event ... in the history of this, the world's youngest capital city". The city's accommodation was not nearly sufficient to house the 1,250 delegates and a tent city had to be set up on the banks of the Molonglo River. One of the prominent speakers was H. G. Wells , who was a guest of the Governor-General Lord Gowrie for
7140-507: Was the Griffin plan which was ultimately proceeded with. In 1913, Walter Burley Griffin was appointed Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction and construction began. On 23 February, King O'Malley drove the first peg in the construction of the future capital city. In 1912, the government invited suggestions from the public as to the name of the future city. Almost 750 names were suggested. At midday on 12 March 1913, Lady Denman ,
7225-623: Was too scant to exclusively support any present day group's claims. It showed that the ACT land had been either part of the Ngarigo tribe territory, the Nyamudy territory, or split between the Nyamudy and Namadgi people. The ACT Government has recognised only the Ngunnawal people as traditional owners of the land since around 2003. In July 2022, the Ngambri took the ACT government to the Supreme Court for recognition of their status as traditional owners but other groups do give acknowledgement, including
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