Today is a touring day in the city of Canberra. We were not sure of the best way to get around the city and had thought that taking a bus around town might be the best solution. We are getting comfortable driving on the left side of the road but when we are not familiar with the city, letting the bus drivers do the driving is appealing. So our first visit of the day was to head to the Information Center.
We learned that there was indeed a tour bus service in the city but as we talked to the hostess we began to realize that driving was not difficult and that parking on Sunday was free in most cases. So we decided to do the driving ourselves and save some money.
The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely planned city. The Griffins' plan featured geometric motifs such as circles, hexagons and triangles, and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks in the Australian Capital Territory. The city's design was heavily influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title of the "bush capital".
As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House and that was our first port of call. Driving in Canberra really was not difficult and finding a large parking garage under the building made getting there very easy. The building is spectacular and we joined a tour so we were able to view many areas of the building, including the Senate House and the House of Representatives. We were able to learn about how decisions are made and how the two houses (both elected houses) manage decision making process. Here are some pictures of this tour, both inside and out. Note that the marble in the Grand Entrance is from all over the world. Also the wood paneling of plants and animals is inlayed using a variety of wood types.
After we left the Parliament House we headed across the way to the far side of the circle to visit the Australian War Memorial and Museum. I had been asked by my aunt to check to see if a distant relative of ours was named on the memorial wall and we found it fine. I am sending her a picture of that name on the wall. At the end of the Memorial Wall there is a building of remembrance. In here there are 4 stained glass windows and between the windows there are drawings on the walls which all depict the different areas of armed services.
After we walked around the memorial we went into the museum. WOW is all I can say. There was so much to see and it was difficult to – well impossible – for us to see it all. After a couple of hours we really had reached saturation point and left. However, what we saw was impressive. Apparently during World War I, when soldiers were recovering one of the tactics used for Australian men was to have them develop models of the battle fields they had experienced. It was considered a form of therapy and when the models were done, they were shipped to Australia and displayed all around the country. These models are treasures today since all the men who created them are gone. We saw some of the models or replicas of them. I tried to take some pictures but there really is no way to do justice.
In the Air Force museum we came across so many World War II planes (not models but actual planes) on display. I have not seen so many different types of aircraft from the Japanese air force and others used in this area. One plane had the sheet metal removed so you could see some of the construction and lines. Again so much to see and really hard to take enough pictures, but here are a few samples.
We left the museum thinking that by 2 pm it is time to find a place for lunch. We hunted around and finally decided to eat out for a change rather than at the back of the van in an underground parking lot. We ended up finding a McDonalds – and for a hamburger and milkshake each it cost $20. Eatting out is not cheap and we are pleased that we have the van with a fridge.
We headed off to find the Canberra Museum and Gallery. It is described on its website as “A vibrant place in the heart of the city, Canberra Museum and Gallery celebrates the region's social history and visual arts with dynamic exhibitions and unique community programs and events. Showcasing CMAG’s permanent collection in the Canberra Stories Gallery, along with five other gallery spaces,”. We found that the history of Canberra very informative and the exhibits of the history of development. As well as the development of the city there were exhibits of local artists with a variety of mediums, historical artefact from pioneers to this area and success stories of people in business in Canberra. This is very interesting for those looking to get a sense of history and culture as well as the development of the city. In one gallery was a collection of ‘pig’ ornaments.
I should mention that it took us awhile to figure out how to get to the parking lot for this place. We drove around the circle drive and finally just pulled into a parking lot and walked to get in. On foot we figured how it could have been done but the street to turn on was not one that looked like we would have been allowed to turn – but it was a sign for a street close by and not for the museum entry street.
As we left and decided to go shopping for groceries we noticed a water fountain in the distance shooting up about 100 feet. Wes remembered reading about the Captain Cook Fountain and so we decided to explore and see it for ourselves. Karen was put to work and after a couple of misunderstandings on our part of her instructions we found a beautiful park overlooking the lake where the fountain was spraying upward. We took a short rest on the grass with about a 100 other people who were just enjoying the shady grassy area overlooking the lake. On the lake were some paddle boats and around the lake were bikers and walkers.
After a short break we headed off to do our shopping. Woolworth’s here is a grocery store chain and have promotions going with gas stations. If you spend $30 or more you can get 4 cents off at any participating gas station. This was a good deal so we filled up with gas after paying only $1.149 per litre.
After dinner tonight we headed back into town to drive up to Mount Ainslie. It has a lookout area surmounted by a rotating aircraft beacon on the summit which stands 842 metres above sea level and gives excellent 360° views across the city and surrounding country within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and beyond to New South Wales (NSW). Mount Ainslie marks the northernmost point of a land axis, planned by Walter Burley Griffin, that stretches through North and South Canberra. This axis takes in the Australian War Memorial and the two Parliament Houses.
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