Território da Capital Australiana

The state

Get to know Território da Capital Australiana

The Australian Capital Territory was created to house the country's capital, Camberra (Canberra), and lies within New South Wales, between Sydney and Melbourne. Like the Federal District in Brazil, it is not a state: it is a territory with its own government, and most of its area is mountains and parks.

Canberra was chosen as the capital in the early 20th century and was designed by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, winners of an international competition. The plan linked government buildings along axes around an artificial lake, Lake Burley Griffin, which today bears the architect's name.

In the Parliamentary Triangle are the Parliament, with guided tours and the terrace overlooking the lawn; the old Parliament, now the Museum of Australian Democracy; the National Gallery; the National Portrait Gallery; and Questacon, a science museum for families. Across the lake, the Australian War Memorial tells the country's story in wars, and the National Museum sits on the waterfront.

The lookout on Mount Ainslie shows the city's layout at a glance. In spring, the Floriade flower festival fills the lakeside gardens, and in autumn colorful hot-air balloons rise over the city.

To the south, Namadgi National Park occupies much of the territory, with trails and Aboriginal rock art, and the Tidbinbilla reserve has kangaroos, koalas and emus in open areas.