Canberra

Canberra ( KAN-brə; Ngunawal: Kanbarra) is the capital city of Australia and the largest population centre in the Australian Capital Territory. With an estimated population of 484,630 as of 2025, Canberra is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest Australian city by population. The city occupies most of the northern quadrant of the Australian Capital Territory, and its urban sprawl borders the state of New South Wales to the northwest, northeast and southeast. The Brindabellas are located south and west of the city, and form the northern part of the Australian Alps, the country's highest mountain range. Canberra was established following the federation of the Australian colonies to serve as the seat of government for the new nation, being a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s two largest cities. The area chosen for the capital had been inhabited by Aboriginal Australians for up to 21,000 years, by groups including the Ngunnawal and Ngambri. European settlement commenced in the first half of the 19th century, evidenced by surviving landmarks such as St John's Anglican Church and Blundells Cottage. On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies of Australia was achieved. The capital city was founded and formally named as Canberra in 1913. Unusual among Australian cities, it is an entirely planned city, grounded in a design by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. The Griffins' plan was influenced by the garden city movement and featured geometric motifs aligned with significant topographical landmarks such as Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Capital Hill and City Hill. Its design can be viewed from its highest point at the Telstra Tower and the summit of Mount Ainslie. Other notable features include the National Arboretum and Lake Burley Griffin. As the seat of the Government of Australia, Canberra is home to many important institutions...