The Optimist

Canberra, the national capital city of Australia is situated in the Australian Capital Territory the ACT. Federation occurred by consensus in 1901. Both Melbourne and Sydney contended to become the Australian Capital City. The Yass-Canberra Valley, situated mid way between the two cities was selected in 1908 as the site for the Australian Capital Territory. The elegant city of Canberra stands today with its grand avenues, stately buildings, galleries, monuments, lakes and waterways and open parklands, reflecting as it was designed to do, the entire nation of Australia. Canberra is also host to the multitude of Embassies of Australias friends and neighbours from around the world.

Canberra the capital was planned to become the meeting place of the elected political leaders from all of the newly federated six colonies, which had amalgamated, by free vote to become the Commonwealth of Australia.

Parliament House on Capital Hill overlooks Lake Burley Griffin and can be seen from nearly every part of the city. The new Parliament House boasts an excellent art gallery and facilities that feature Australian timbers and gracious interiors.

Most of the Embassies in Canberra are located in Yarralumla to the west of Parliament House. Many have considerable charm and are well worth visiting like the Indonesian Embassy, which is built like a traditional Indonesian village house and has a pleasant garden out the front, and the Japanese Embassy characterised by its beautiful formal Japanese garden and traditional Japanese tea house. Some, like the huge Chinese Embassy and the United Kingdom, can be seen as you drive towards Parliament House but most require a map to find.