Canberra - The Capital of Australia

Population
431,380
Language
English
Continent
Oceania
Since
1913
Eco Ranking
23/195

Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.

About Canberra

Canberra is a purpose-built capital, selected as a political compromise after Australian federation in 1901. Sydney and Melbourne each refused to cede the capital to the other, so the Australian Constitution required the capital to be located in New South Wales but at least 100 miles from Sydney. A site in the Limestone Plains region was selected in 1908, and the city was formally named Canberra in 1913. American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin won the international design competition for the city's layout. Parliament sat in Melbourne until the provisional Parliament House in Canberra opened in 1927. The permanent Parliament House on Capital Hill opened in 1988. Canberra is situated within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), a federal territory carved out of New South Wales, giving the national government direct jurisdiction over the capital, a model explicitly borrowed from the American experience with Washington D.C. Despite being the seat of federal government, Canberra is not Australia's largest or most commercially significant city, a tension that has persisted in Australian political culture since federation.

About Australia

Australia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch as head of state represented by the Governor-General. The Parliament consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Six states and two major territories (including the ACT) make up the federation. The division of powers between the federal government in Canberra and state governments has been a defining feature of Australian politics, with the Commonwealth's financial dominance over the states increasing significantly since World War II.

View Canberra on the map

View Canberra - The Capital of Australia on the map

Flight time from Canberra to other capitals

CityDistance (km)Flight Time
Singapore62007h 18m
Tokyo80009h 25m
Cape Town1080012h 42m
Buenos Aires1170013h 46m
Abu Dhabi1200014h 7m
Washington, D.C.1590018h 42m
Rome1620019h 4m
Paris1690019h 53m
London1700020h 0m

Capitals with similar population to Canberra

CityPopulation
Tallinn437,619
Bratislava432,864
Canberra431,380
Windhoek431,000
Tirana418,495
Dodoma410,956
Sarajevo395,133

Capitals with similar eco ranking to Canberra

CityEco Rank
Warsaw20
Vilnius21
Madrid22
Canberra23
Ljubljana24
Zagreb25
Lisbon26

Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why was Canberra chosen as Australia's capital instead of Sydney or Melbourne?

    After federation in 1901, both Sydney and Melbourne claimed the right to be the national capital. The compromise written into the Australian Constitution required the capital to be in New South Wales but at least 100 miles from Sydney. The Canberra site was selected in 1908 as a neutral location acceptable to both rival cities.

  • When did Canberra become Australia's capital?

    Canberra was formally named in 1913, but the federal parliament continued to sit in Melbourne until 1927, when the provisional Parliament House in Canberra opened. The permanent Parliament House was not opened until 1988.

  • Is Canberra located in New South Wales?

    Canberra is located within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which is a separate federal territory, not part of New South Wales. However, the ACT is surrounded by New South Wales on all sides, and the site was originally carved out of NSW to satisfy the constitutional requirement.

  • Is Canberra the largest city in Australia?

    No. Canberra has a population of approximately 430,000, making it the largest inland city in Australia but far smaller than Sydney (over 5 million) and Melbourne (over 5 million). It is the eighth-largest city overall.

  • Who designed Canberra?

    The city's layout was designed by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, who won an international design competition in 1911. Their plan featured a geometric layout centered on a land axis and a water axis, with Lake Burley Griffin, named after the architect, as a central feature.

Sights and landmarks

Canberra offers cultural heavyweight attractions for a city of its size. The Australian War Memorial is one of the country's most visited museums, combining commemoration with military history. The Parliament House from 1988, built into a hill with a grass roof, is open to the public. The National Gallery of Australia houses the largest collection of Aboriginal art in the world. The National Museum, the Questacon science museum and the National Library all stand around Lake Burley Griffin. The Mount Ainslie lookout offers views of the symmetrical land axis designed by Walter Burley Griffin.

Climate and best time to visit

Canberra has a temperate inland climate with four distinct seasons, unusual for Australia. Summers (December to February) are warm and dry with averages around 28 degrees and peaks above 35 degrees. Winters are cold with ground frosts and morning mist; minima regularly fall below 0 degrees. The Brindabella ranges to the west receive snowfall. The best time to visit runs from March to May when the autumn foliage of European trees around Lake Burley Griffin turns colour, and from September to November during the Floriade flower festival.

Regional significance

Canberra stands out within Oceania as the only purpose-designed capital of a large country. Unlike the natural metropolises of Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland or Wellington, Canberra was built from the drawing board from 1913. The city is located inland at 580 metres above sea level, an exception in a continent with coast-oriented cities. Compared to other administrative capitals such as Washington or Brasília, Canberra has a lower population density and is tightly integrated with nature reserves.

Culture and customs

Canberra has a unique culture as an administrative capital with a highly educated population and an international presence. The city counts over one hundred embassies and high commissions, translating into culinary diversity and periodic open days on which missions open their doors. The National Multicultural Festival in February is a highlight. The combination of student population (around 40,000 students), policymakers and scientists creates a vibrant debate culture. The city has per capita one of the highest concentrations of cafés and restaurants in Australia. Outdoor activities such as cycling on the extensive path network and hiking in the surrounding reserves are popular.

Economy

Canberra has an atypical economy for Australia, dominated by the federal government and related services. Approximately 30 percent of the workforce is directly employed by public institutions, including government departments, parliament, the High Court and the Reserve Bank. The city also houses the Australian National University, consistently ranked among Australia's best universities, and the University of Canberra. Defence, diplomacy (with over one hundred embassies), research and technology form additional pillars. The high education level and stable employment give Canberra one of the highest average incomes in the country.
Canberra, capital of Australia
Canberra, capital of Australia

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