if we mention Australia, people will think of the opera hall, the reef coast and, maybe, kangaroos. Nevertheless, if to speak not about one of the greatest and multicultural cities in the world, Sydney or Melbourne, but regarding the capital of this mind-blowing and unique country, people would be amazed to know that it is Canberra – the city that got the perfect layout.
### The Birth of Canberra
Understanding the origin of Canberra is necessary to start with Detailed information about the capital development can be described as follows: Canberra’s history dating back to the early twentieth century, which was developed in the context of a fierce competition between Sydney and Melbourne. It’s important to emphasize that both cities competed for the role of the national capital. To solve this, the government opted to put up a new city on a median that would be shared with the two regions. Thus, in 1908, a location for the construction of the city was chosen, and an architectural competition was announced to design it for the shareholders. These buildings were designed by the American architect Walter Burley Griffin, with the help of his wife Marion Mahony Griffin and this design stared the ideas in the competition consist of geometrical design and large areas of greenery.
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### A City of Design and Nature
In the end, Griffin devised what was undoubtedly an audacious plan for the location of Canberra envisioning an integral amalgamation of the urban and the landscape topography. Thus, the city developed a structural plan that relies heavily on circles, hexagons, and triangles, which are intersected by immensely wide streets and characterized by numerous open areas. The motor of the city’s life is Lake Burley Griffin, an artificial lake named in honor of the man who designed the city. The lake is essential in the planning and organizing of the city as well as other recreational uses.
Canberra is also called the “Bush Capital” because it has many parklands and the bush communities are near the city. This planning has made it practically possible for the citizens and the visitors of the city to always be close to nature since there are several parks, gardens, and nature reserves nearby.
### Political and Cultural Hub
Being the capital city of Australia and also the city that houses the government, Canberra is home to the Parliament House, where the federal Parliament convenes. The overall appearance and the zenith of the building is truly spectacular – its roofs and even the top levels are covered with grass, while actual interior allows the visitors to walk over it to take a look at the city from above. Close by, the former official residence of the Governor General, the Yarral Ville, is another attraction while the Old Parliament House now serving as a museum, provides information about the early years of the Australian Parliament.
This city is also endowed with many of this country’s important cultural facilities. A few of the well-known galleries include the National Gallery of Australia which features art from within and beyond the country that are now collectibles, the Australian War Memorial which gives a face to Australia’s military face and tales with special memorial and galleries. Others are the National Museum of Australia, the National Library which being the central point together with the National Archives.
### A Growing City
The city was initially developed as a government town but today it has evolved to be an energetic city with a cultural diversity and stable business environment. There are also fine universities in the city like the Australian National University (ANU) – students and faculty from all over the world help create a vibrant intellectual milieu. Also as a development Canberra has recently been growing to be as a technological city and has attracted many startups.
In addition to its governance and strategic utility, Canberra presents sustainable living standards including infrastructure, healthcare and education. These ramifications of the city construction and design culture are able to cultivate an environment that encourages people to engage in outdoor activities due the provisions of bike paths and paved trails for jogging among others.