I cannot even remember the last time I went to my own nation’s capital city, so I was excited about the possibility of some history and culture. Another thing many people may not know (again referring to Americans) is how young a country Australia really is. The history of the Commonwealth of Australia did not begin until 1901 when Queen Victoria allowed Australia to become a commonwealth (means they have a prime minister and their own government but also a governor-general that reports to Queen Elizabeth II). And since they could not decide between Sydney and Melbourne for a capital, Canberra was not established as the capital city until years later.
In terms of history and culture, I would say that either Sydney or Melbourne have more to offer than Canberra. For example, Botany Bay or the Rocks neighborhoods in Sydney were where some of the first convicts settled when they arrived from England. And Melbourne has a thriving live music scene and arts precinct along with many sports arenas as well as the largest Greek population outside of Greece haha. Do not get me wrong though, Canberra is a well-designed city with most of the government buildings built on or near Lake Burley Griffin.
Although the Parliament House (where Senate sits and House of Representatives meet) is an interesting building with a beautiful view, it was not opened until 1988 and is a very modern building. Besides being an interesting building, Parliament House is also where you can see the Australian Coat of Arms which includes a kangaroo and an emu. Some interesting facts about the coat of arms - (1) Australia is the only country to eat their national animal (kangaroo) and (2) the kangaroo and emu are on the coat of arms, because they are the only two animals that cannot walk backwards (thanks for this fact, Erin!). This is meant to represent that Australia as a country is moving forward...
Another distinguishing thing about Parliament House is the Aboriginal art that is displayed out front on the ground by the fountain. Okay, and they let you go out onto the roof for a beautiful view... Other than that, it is separated by Old Parliament House (the one used before the new building was complete) by Federation Mall. One of the most interesting things to see, in Canberra in my opinion, is the Aboriginal Tent Embassy which is set up behind Old Parliament. Literally a collection of tents, the Embassy was first setup in the 1970‘s and has had a presence there ever since. Also nearby is the High Court of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Gallery of Australia. I quickly walked around a few of the exhibits in each the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia (which had an interesting sculpture garden outside), but I could not get over how modern everything was.
I did not mention that I arrived in Canberra from Melbourne by an overnight Greyhound Bus which means I got in at 4AM! I originally booked the stop in Canberra to break up the trip to Sydney from Melbourne, but maybe I should have just gone the extra 3 1/2 hours. The one day I had to spend in Canberra was a Sunday, and the already quiet capital city was practically deserted. After completing my walking tour of the Parliamentary Zone, I decided to take advantage of the pool, spa, and sauna at my hostel - it is not everyday that they have such amenities!
This morning, I was pretty glad to be leaving early and heading to Sydney for a quick stop before officially beginning my East Coast road trip. I had two interviews scheduled, and I was staying on Bondi for just one night. I am not sure when I will have internet next, but my next post will come from somewhere I have not been before...get excited!
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