Canberra

City · Australian Capital Territory, 🇦🇺 Australia

Population 381,488

Area 201 km²

Time zone Australia/Sydney

Official website www.act.gov.au

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Featured Lists

JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 3.0

Canberra's Absolute Essentials

Canberra, Australia's planned capital, features a collection of significant national institutions clustered around Lake Burley Griffin. This list highlights the city's architectural landmarks, including the modern Parliament House and the historic Old Parliament House. Cultural highlights include the National Gallery of Australia’s vast art collection and the Australian War Memorial. Natural sites like the National Arboretum and the Australian National Botanic Gardens showcase native flora, while Red Hill Lookout provides panoramic views of the city’s geometric layout.

13 places

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Canberra's Cultural Gems

Canberra’s cultural landscape features major national institutions centered around Lake Burley Griffin. The National Gallery of Australia houses premier indigenous and international collections, including works by Pollock and Monet, while the nearby National Portrait Gallery focuses on Australian identity. Scientific discovery thrives at Questacon, and political history is preserved at Old Parliament House. The Australian War Memorial and National Archives offer deep historical insights. Unique local experiences include watching artists at Canberra Glassworks, exploring the Royal Australian Mint’s coin collections, and visiting the heritage-listed Blundells Cottage to see 19th-century pioneer life.

13 places

Cfitzart / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Sacred Sites & Places of Worship

Canberra’s spiritual landscape features a mix of heritage-listed landmarks and modern community hubs. This collection includes St John the Baptist, the city's oldest church dating back to 1845, and All Saints in Ainslie, a unique structure originally built as a Sydney railway station. Alongside these historic Anglican and Catholic parishes, the list highlights Canberra's religious diversity with Cambodian and Chinese Buddhist temples, Greek Orthodox churches, and quiet spaces of reflection like the Christ the Redeemer Mausoleum.

10 places

Nick-D / CC BY-SA 3.0

Canberra's Modern Architecture

Canberra's planned landscape features a concentrated collection of 20th-century architectural landmarks. This selection highlights the city's evolution, from the Inter-War Stripped Classical style of Old Parliament House to the Brutalist concrete structures of the High Court and National Gallery. Key sites include the iconic copper-clad Shine Dome, the Parthenon-inspired National Library, and the 1988 Parliament House, famous for its boomerang-shaped design and grass-covered roof. Together, these buildings define the aesthetic of Australia's capital.

7 places

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Canberra's Parks and Gardens

Canberra’s layout, designed by Walter Burley Griffin, integrates extensive green spaces and lakefront parklands. This collection spans the heritage-listed Australian National Botanic Gardens in Acton to the 250-hectare National Arboretum. Visitors can explore the lakeside Sculpture Garden’s contemporary works, the historic National Rose Gardens in Parkes, and specialized sites like the National Rock Garden. These spaces offer a mix of native flora, themed plantings, and historical monuments across the capital.

12 places

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Viewpoints and Peaks

Canberra’s urban design is best appreciated from its surrounding summits, which form a key part of the city's geometric layout. This list covers the major peaks of the Canberra Nature Park, including Mount Ainslie and Black Mountain, which provide clear sightlines along Walter Burley Griffin’s planned axes. Beyond the central basin, these locations offer views of the Murrumbidgee River at Shepherd’s Lookout, the 94 forests of the National Arboretum, and the historic astronomical site at Mount Stromlo.

27 places