Canberra History
The Australian Government took possession of 2 357km2 of land from New South
Wales (NSW) in 1911 to form the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) as the site
for the Australian national capital. That capital, Canberra, lies between
Sydney, 307km north-east, and Melbourne 655km south-west. The majority of the
population live and work in Canberra.
A second territory, at Jervis Bay, was acquired from NSW in 1915. This transfer
was in accordance with the Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1908 which stated
that the seat of government (ACT) should have access to the sea. The Jervis Bay
territory was to be that access.
Jervis Bay is administered by the Department of the Environment, Sport and
Territories on behalf of the Australian Government. It has been used for defence
activities, grazing, forestry, water catchment purposes, conservation and
recreation. Its total area is 7360ha.
Topography
The ACT has three contrasting landforms. In the north, where urban development
has taken place, it is a lowland of undulating hills including the floodplains
of the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo Rivers, mostly below 600m. Beyond this are
forested mountain slopes rising to 1200m divided by numerous tributaries of the
Murrumbidgee. In the south and extreme west is an upland of steep ridges and
mountain peaks rising above 1800m.
Climate
The lowland, including the city of Canberra, has an average annual rainfall of
630mm, unevenly distributed throughout the year. In most years there are light
snowfalls in winter. Strong winds are frequent, mainly from the west and
north-west. The mean maximum temperature in Canberra is 19.70C, with the highest
on record 42.20C. The mean minimum is 6.90C, with the lowest on record, -100C.
Australian Capital Territory Government
Until 1989, the ACT was administered by the federal Government, with the federal
Minister for Territories making all decisions relating to the ACT. However, in
the late 1980s, the federal Government made the decision that the ACT should be
granted self-government. The federal Parliament passed the Australian Capital
Territory (Self Government) Act in 1988, along with other related legislation
which established self-government in the ACT. The first ACT election was held on
4 March 1989 and the ACT Legislative Assembly held its inaugural sitting on 11
May 1989.
The ACT has a unicameral, or one house, form of parliament. The ACT Legislative
Assembly consists of 17 members, referred to as MLAs (Members of the Legislative
Assembly). All members vote to elect a Chief Minister, who then in turn selects
a further three ministers to form a cabinet.
Transport
Canberra is served by the major domestic airlines and feeder services from
nearby provincial cities. Long-distance buses and modern express trains run
daily services to Sydney and Melbourne. Canberra’s internal transport system is based on a network of commuter buses.
However, many residents prefer to travel by private cars, using the city’s well
developed wide roads and freeways.
Tourism
In order of popularity, the most visited attractions are Parliament House, the
War Memorial, the National Gallery, Telecom Tower, and the Science and
Technology Museum. Parliament House alone receives more than 1.25 million
visitors annually and the Old Parliament House, re-opened at the beginning of
1993 is also a very popular attraction.
When to Go
Autumn (March to May) in Canberra is the best time to go. The days are sunny ,
the trees are changing and everything looks lovely. Winter (June to August) is
cold; really, really cold. There are mornings when it feels like breathing in
will crack your lungs, but the sky is usually blue and the weather is sunny.
Spring (September to November) is much wetter and windier, though the very
popular Floriade festival brightens things up. Summer (December to February) can
be just a bit too hot.
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