Travel Story «Canberra the city of no crime - that's just wrong»

Australia | 0 Comments 02 September 2006 - Last Update 24 December 2006

If you talk to any Australian about Canberra they will invariably roll their eyes, yawn and tell you how it is the most boring place in Australia and then ask, why would you bother wasting your time going there?
Now that I think about it, this reaction was not limited to Australians but rather anyone who had visited Canberra..... 
But, it is the capital of Australia, it is a whole new state to venture into and say we had visited (Australian Capital Territory), and it is an excuse to hire a car and get out of Sydney for the day - we could not be detterred! 
With this in mind, we rose at the ungodly hour of 6:45am (on a Saturday morning) groaning and moaning, to redezvous with the Athlone girls at the car hire shop by 7:30am (ish... we may have been slighty later and I may have been a small bit hungover) and collect our hire car. After a few wrong turns, some illegal driving (no names mentioned bu it wasn't our car...) and the odd swear word we megotiated our way out of the Budget car Rental car park.  Safely on the road we made a few more illegal maneuvers (but there were no police around to see us - it was too early even for them) and left the city headed south.  Grainne was our car's chauffeur for the day so the rest of us sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Ok I sat back, Aisling was navigator (good choice) and so took that stress on board. I didn't help one bit - hate those back seat driver types.... Ah sleep....

Ok - background info - Canberra wasn't always Australia's capital so you are forgiven for thinking of Sydney as the capital rather than Canberra - I'm not saying that I  did that, I'm just saying you wouldn't be the only fool in the world. Anyhoo.... 

The reason the capital was changed just 100 years ago was that the late 19th Century saw an increased nationalism among Australians which led to the push for the Federation of Australia. The establishment of the new Commonwealth of Australia - a step away from being a colony of Britain - was marked with a change in the Capital city from Melbourne to Canberra - a capital city chosen by Australians. In 1908 Charles Scrivener, at the bidding of the Commonwealth Government of Australia was dispatched to choose a site for the new capital, and the Australian Capital Territory State (ACT) was established on January 1st 1911.   The instructions had been to choose somewhere picturesque, distinctive, and with views which he certainly accomplished as Canberra is surrounded by mountains which can be seen from almost any point in the city.

Canberra is one of only two capital cities in the world that have been built to premeditated design - the site was chosen and the designs completed and only then did construction begin - it is most definitely not the sprawling mess that is Greater Dublin. (Incidentally, Canberra was designed by American couple Walter Burley Griffin and his partner and wife Marion Mahony Griffin - I mean really, when you think about it they were probably of Irish descent (hello - Mahony Grrifin?!!?) so really... Australia's capital is designed by an Irish man and woman...) The whole place is so well planned and spaced out and empty that it is reminiscent of a large University Campus, much like University of Limerick for example, but on a Sunday afternoon when everyone is nursing their hangovers indoors as there was barely a soul to be seen.  The population is in and around 320,000 people (we saw about 17 of them) mainly civil servants and people emplyeed by the Government.  It was even hard to pin point a town centre despite the fact it was a Saturday afternoon - a time when most other cities would be bustling and full of pushy-elbowing-shoppers.

We arrived in Canberra after a short 3 hour drive (Ok so 3 hours is not short but for Australians it is - they would barely even put their seat belt on for this kind of a journey) and began our educational tour in the Parliament House which was built in 1978. We arrived just as a tour was starting and ran to catch up and were taken all around the Parliament Building by a lovely older gentleman - unfortunately, old Johnnie Howard was no where to be seen so we have no exciting citing celebrity to report... or do we....??

Then we went on to the National Museum of Australia which was very educational and provided a lot ot background information on Australia, Colonisation, continued Immigration, Aboringal displacement etc. Of course I can't remember any of that stuff now, but at the time I remember thinking that was something I should try and remember.... Anyhoo..... We then went on to see the Old Parliament House, formerly known as the Provisional Parliament House and used from 1927 to 1988 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament when they first relocated from Melbourne to Canberra.  Personally I thought this place was prettier than the New Parliament House but whatcha gonna do -write a letter? I just don't have the time... 

Opposite the very pretty Old Parliament House is the Aboriginal Tent Embassy - this is a controversial semi-permanent assemblage claiming to represent the political rights of Australian Aborigines consisting of a tent and another shed like building. These two constructions are covered in slogans and placards but this is not considered to be an official embassy by the Australian government depsite haveing been in exsistance (on and off) since 1972 when the Australians Governments' refusal to recognise Aboringinal land rights really came to a head. 

After this rather sobering visit we went on to the really upbeat location of the the Australian War Memorial.  It was opened in 1941 to pay hommage to the 120,000 men and women of Australia who had died in battle.  The sobering slogan They Gave Their Lives is engraved above the entrance to the Unknown Soldiers Tomb.  Situated on a hill, the view from the War Memorial extends down upon Canberra and Parliament House, another well chosen spot the Memorial holds an air of serenity and peace which I had not experienced before in other War Memorials.  By fluke, we arrived a few minutes before the Closing Ceremony which involved a lone Bugler playing The Last Post.  A flyer explained that during battle, this was a call for the end of that days duties - now it is used as a final farewell and symbolises that the duty of the dead is over and that they can rest in peace.  Ever so slightly emotional this nearly broke me but I didn't embarrass myself and managed to keep it together. Just. Enough sight seeing for the day we began our journey home.

On the way home we pulled into McDonalds for a break and some dinner and who should we spot but none other than former Big Brother contestant Rob the Gay Hairdresser - a small bout of hysteria followed as Aisling/The Ace went red, Gra acted all Cool and the gang and I missed him altogether more interested in getting my food. Granted you guys won't know who he is but everyone over here was very impressed. Ok, they weren't but still....
And that my friends, was our day in Canberra. Emily