Canberra is the capital city of Australia. The city’s name comes from the Aboriginal name of the area “Kamberra” or “Kambery”, meaning “meeting place.”http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/canberra/ It is situated in the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, in the south-east Australian state of New South Wales. Canberra lies between the two largest Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney and has a population of approximately 347,000 people.http://www.visitcanberra.com.au/en/Visitor-Info/Facts-and-figures.aspx

Canberra was founded on March 12, 1913. As a result of an international design competition, the city was planned in its entirety by American architect Walter Burley Griffin. http://www.australianexplorer.com/canberra_parliament_house.htm Heavily influenced by the City Beautiful and Garden City movements, Canberra’s design features a multitude of parks, and preserved native vegetation, called ‘bushland reserves’, giving it the nickname the “bush capital”.http://www.beachtvl.com/australia/canberra/http://www.travelaustralia360.com/canberra-australia-tourism.htmlhttp://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/canberra/

In 1820, the first European settler in the area, Joshua John Moore, called his property “Canberry” - after the name given to the area by the indigenous Ngunnawal people.http://www.canberrahistory.org.au/discover.asp In 1908, it was selected as the site of the future capital by the Australian parliament.http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=253&Itemid=247 The construction of the new capital city began in 1913, based on the blueprints designed by Chicago architect Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, Marion Mahony Griffin.http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/canberra/ In 1927, the Australian parliament moved to Canberra from Melbourne where it was temporarily housed. Prior to 1957, the development of the city was slow due to the effects of the Great Depression, the two World Wars, as well as mismanagement by several ineffective advisory committees. After 1957, the newly established National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) achieved significant progress in the city’s expansion, including completing the construction of Lake Burley Griffin in 1964 and the new Parliament House in 1988.http://www.canberrahistory.org.au/discover.asp

In response to the government refusal to recognize land rights, on Australia Day, January 26, 1972, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established on the front lawns of the Old Parliament House. Later, the issues of self-determination and sovereignty gradually replaced land rights as the embassy’s central platform. In 1979, the embassy unsuccessfully called for a Bill of Aboriginal Rights and recognition of Aboriginal Sovereignty. In 1995, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was registered on the National Estate by the Australian Heritage Commission, becoming the only nationally recognized site for the political struggle of the Aboriginal people.http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/chron/1999-2000/2000chr03.htm

Canberra lies at latitude 35° 15’S and longitude 149° 08’E, 190 miles southwest of Sydney and 400 miles northeast of Melbourne. The city covers about 311 square miles and lies close to the Brindabella mountain ranges. Canberra is the largest Australian inland city, located approximately 93 miles from the Pacific Ocean at an altitude ranging between 1,800 and 2,300 feet.http://www.mapsofworld.com/cities/australia/canberra/location-and-orientation.html The city is structured into seven residential districts North Canberra, South Canberra, Belconnen, Woden, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong and Gungahlin.http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/7675/Canberra_at_2006_Census.pdf Each district is subdivided into smaller suburbs. http://www.asiarooms.com/en/travel-guide/australia/canberra/canberra-overview/geography-of-canberra.html A dam, built on the Molonglo River that runs through the city, creates the Burley Griffin Lake in the city center.http://www.mapsofworld.com/cities/australia/canberra/location-and-orientation.html

• National Gallery of Australia: Offering free admission to its permanent collection of more than 100,000 works of Australian, Aboriginal and international art. http://nga.gov.au/Home/Default.cfm

• Australian War Memorial: Combining a shrine, museum and an extensive archive commemorating those Australians who have died in war.http://www.awm.gov.au/about/
• National Library of Australia: Australia’s largest reference library.http://www.nla.gov.au/
• Parliament House: The building was constructed into the top of the hill and its roof has been grassed over.http://www.australianexplorer.com/canberra_parliament_house.htm

• Gorman House Markets: Where tourists can find vintage clothes, books and antiques.http://www.travelaustralia360.com/canberra-australia-tourism.html
• Namadgi National Park: Providing the opportunity to visit some aboriginal cultural sites and a glimpse of Australia’s exotic flora and wildlife.http://www.travelaustralia360.com/canberra-australia-tourism.html
• Lake Burley Griffin: The 22 mile shoreline of the lake provides the opportunity for walking or skating. http://www.australianexplorer.com/canberra_lake_burley_griffin.htm
• Mount Ainslie or Black Mountain: The mountain tops offer an unobstructed view of the lake and the city.http://www.beachtvl.com/australia/canberra/

• Jackie Chan: Film Actor, Musical Artist, TV Actor http://www.abc.net.au/ra/programguide/stories/200803/s2186203.htm
• Mia Wasikowska: Australian actress, Alice in Wonderlandhttp://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Canberra,%20Australia
• Sigrid Thornton: Australian actress, Return to Snowy River http://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Canberra,%20Australia
• Alex O'Loughlin: Australian actor, the 2009 CBS TV series Hawaii Five-0http://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Canberra,%20Australia
• Daniel G. Maloney: Australian actor http://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Canberra,%20Australia
• Rupert Reid: Australian actor, The Matrix Revolutionshttp://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Canberra,%20Australia