Продолжение раздела «Cultural Reader», информационные материалы об Австралии.
Перейти в начало — Australia (Общая информация об Австралии).
Следующая статья - Sydney (Сидней, крупнейший город Австралии).

Canberra

Canberra is Australia’s federal capital. Established as part of Australia’s federation, Canberra houses the national parliament, federal government departments, the High Court of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, and several other important institutions.

Canberra is comprised of five large «town centres» that lie in the valleys of the Canberra region. These are Central Canberra, Belconnen, Woden, Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan (actually in New South Wales). For tourists, Central Canberra is the only major area of interest, but the presence of the other centres will explain why the size of Canberra’s population seems so out of proportion with its low-built appearance.

Canberra is very different from most Australian capital cities. Firstly, it is relatively young (it was established in 1927), and secondly, its planned development has excluded the presence of buildings on any surrounding hilltops, or that are over fifteen stories high. Thus visitors may be slightly under-awed by Canberra, but don’t just turn around. Explore the sites and you will realize that Canberra is a far more pleasant place than it is usually given credit for.

There are more than 30 Australian artistic and cultural institutions in Canberra, ranging from the Australian War Memorial to Parliament House, surmounted by a colossal stainless steel flagpole and set in 23 hectares of gardens.

The city has wide open spaces and many parks and gardens, with the impressive architecture housing the national institutions set in astonishingly well-groomed surroundings, so that you can pad barefoot through the grass from the National Gallery to the National Library, peacefully admiring the gum-trees.

It’s also fun to note that the ’mall’ running between the War Memorial and Parliament looks familiar. This is because much of Canberra was designed by a US Architect and the mall in Canberra is reminiscent of the mil in Washington, D. C., specifically the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

Canberra is also known for its spring festival, Floriade, when the parks and gardens surrounding Lake Burley Griffin explode with colourful displays of massed tulips and other blooms. The city, with its many parklands, is especially beautiful in spring and autumn.

Следующая статья - Sydney (Сидней, крупнейший город Австралии).