116-530: Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre is an interactive science communication facility in Canberra , Australia. It is a museum with more than 200 interactive exhibits related to science and technology . The National Science and Technology Centre hosts the Questacon Science Circus which is a science outreach program. Questacon is an interactive science centre that began as
232-571: A Skywhale family , an event marked by Skywhale-themed pastries and beer produced by local companies as well as an art pop song entitled "We are the Skywhales". In 2014, Canberra was named the best city to live in the world by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , and was named the third best city to visit in the world by Lonely Planet in 2017. Canberra covers an area of 814.2 km (314.4 sq mi) and
348-597: A dairy on the site in 1832, now regarded as the oldest standing European building in Canberra, followed by the imposing stone house that is now the officers' mess of the Royal Military College, Duntroon . The Campbells sponsored settlement by other farmer families to work their land, such as the Southwells of " Weetangera ". Other notable early colonists included Henry Donnison, who established
464-601: A Royal Commission in 1916 ruled his authority had been usurped by certain officials and his original plan was reinstated. Griffin's relationship with the Australian authorities was strained and a lack of funding meant that by the time he was fired in 1920, little work had been done. By this time, Griffin had revised his plan, overseen the earthworks of major avenues and established the Glenloch Cork Plantation. The Commonwealth government purchased
580-509: A cut in funding of $ 43 million over three years when accounting for inflation. In the 2019–20 federal budget funding was around $ 3.2 billion over three years ($ 1.06 billion per year) for the ABC. The Enhanced Newsgathering Fund , a specialised fund for regional and outer-suburban news gathering set up in 2013 by the Gillard government , was $ 44 million over three years as of
696-461: A cut of $ 254 million (4.6% ) to funding over the following five years together with the additional unfunded cost of the news channel meant that the ABC would have to shed about 10% of its staff, around 400 people. There were several programming changes, with regional and local programming losing out to national programs, and the Adelaide TV production studio had to close. In November 2016
812-567: A few days earlier. Planned development of the city slowed significantly during the depression of the 1930s and during World War II. Some projects planned for that time, including Roman Catholic and Anglican cathedrals, were never completed. (Nevertheless, in 1973 the Roman Catholic parish church of St. Christopher was remodelled into St. Christopher's Cathedral, Manuka , serving the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. It
928-435: A grid. Griffin's proposal had an abundance of geometric patterns, including concentric hexagonal and octagonal streets emanating from several radii. However, the outer areas of the city, built later, are not laid out geometrically. Lake Burley Griffin was deliberately designed so that the orientation of the components was related to various topographical landmarks in Canberra. The lakes stretch from east to west and divided
1044-653: A licensing scheme administered by the Postmaster-General's Department was established, allowing certain stations (with "Class A" licences") government funding, albeit with restrictions placed on their advertising content. In 1928, the government established the National Broadcasting Service to take over the 12 A-Class licences as they came up for renewal, and contracted the Australian Broadcasting Company ,
1160-444: A new logotype and brand positioning under its tagline, Yours . The 2002 silver logo is no longer in use by the corporation. The operations of the ABC are governed by a board of directors, consisting of a managing director, five to seven directors, and until 2006, a staff-elected director. The managing director is appointed by the board for a period of up to five years, but is eligible for renewal. The authority and guidelines for
1276-612: A new system, similar to that of the BBC, for appointing members to the board. Under the new system, candidates for the ABC Board would be considered by an independent panel established "at arm's length" from the Communications Minister. If the minister chose someone not on the panel's shortlist, they would be required to justify this to parliament. The ABC chairman would be nominated by the prime minister and endorsed by
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#17327982511881392-765: A private company established in 1924, to supply programs to the new national broadcaster. After it became politically unpopular to continue to allow the Postmaster-General to run the National Broadcasting Service, the government established the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) on 1 July 1932, under the Australian Broadcasting Commission Act 1932 . to take over the Australian Broadcasting Company and run
1508-812: A project of the Australian National University (ANU), in spare space at the Ainslie Public School in Canberra. It opened with 15 exhibits and was staffed by volunteers and by the ANU physics lecturer Professor Mike Gore AM . It inspired him to develop Australia's first interactive science centre, based on the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The name 'Questacon' combines two words— 'quest' meaning 'to discover' and 'con' meaning 'to study'. Professor Gore went on to become
1624-458: A reduced amount". In all, over a five-year period, there were 737 redundancies, a further 866 resignations, and 203 retirements; but the total number of staff only fell by 313 due to the ABC hiring 650 staff over that period. In June 2021 the ABC announced its plan to move around 300 staff to offices in Parramatta , in a plan which would see 75% of journalists and producers moving out of
1740-596: A result of commercial agreements with digital platforms flowing from the Morrison government 's News Media Bargaining Code . In May 2024 the ABC started moving from its Ultimo office to a new Parramatta office. The first program to be broadcast from the new studio in Parramatta was ABC Radio Sydney Mornings . The ABC logo is one of the most recognisable logos in Australia. In the early years of television,
1856-534: A team of about 60 volunteers. The centre features several performance spaces used for presentations to the general public and student audiences by Questacon's in-house theatre troupe, the "Excited Particles". The Excited Particles also perform puppet shows for young children. NKRYPT is a sculpture installation outside the Questacon building installed in that consists of eight laser-etched stainless steel poles that each carry an encoded message. This outdoor exhibit
1972-405: A village and its disorganised collection of buildings was deemed ugly. Canberra was often derisively described as "several suburbs in search of a city". Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies regarded the state of the national capital as an embarrassment. Over time his attitude changed from one of contempt to that of championing its development. He fired two ministers charged with the development of
2088-608: A week. This event coincided with a heatwave across south-eastern Australia during which the temperature in Canberra reached 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit (42.5 Celsius) on 11 January. On Friday, 13 January, the Black Friday bushfires caused 71 deaths in Victoria and Wells accompanied the Governor-General on his tour of areas threatened by fires. Immediately after the end of the war, Canberra was criticised for resembling
2204-724: Is Jo White. She commenced in the role in November 2022, having moved from the Australian Institute of Botanical Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Their previous director, Professor Graham Durant AM, retired in August 2021 after holding the role for 19 years. As of 2023, there are 8 galleries: Questacon has around 500,000 visitors per year. The galleries are staffed by 200 paid staff, as well as
2320-693: Is a partnership between Questacon and the Australian National University . The Science Circus won the Prime Minister's Award for Community Business Partnerships in 2006. Fifteen or sixteen science graduates staff the Science Circus as it travels, bringing lively presentations of science to towns and schools. The Science Circus supports the teaching of science and technology by running practical and fun professional development workshops for teachers. While working for
2436-399: Is an outreach program of Questacon and is the most extensive science outreach program of its kind. Every year, the Science Circus engages with more than 100,000 people, travels 25,000 kilometres, runs professional development courses for 600 teachers, and visits about 30 remote Indigenous communities as well as hospitals , nursing homes and special schools. The Questacon Science Circus
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#17327982511882552-581: Is common in the winter months. Snow is rare in the CBD (central business district) due to being on the leeward (eastern) side of the dividing range, but the surrounding areas get annual snowfall through winter and often the snow-capped Brindabella Range can be seen from the CBD. The last significant snowfall in the city centre was in 1968. Canberra is often affected by foehn winds, especially in winter and spring , evident by its anomalously warm maxima relative to altitude. The highest recorded maximum temperature
2668-568: Is influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation. 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 , born out of the 2003 Canberra bushfires , and Lake Burley Griffin , named for Walter Burley Griffin. Highlights in the annual calendar of cultural events include Floriade ,
2784-612: Is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory at the northern tip of the Australian Alps , the country's highest mountain range. As of June 2023, Canberra's estimated population was 466,566. 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
2900-596: Is located near the Brindabella Ranges (part of the Australian Alps ), approximately 150 km (93 mi) inland from Australia's east coast . It has an elevation of approximately 580 m (1,900 ft) AHD ; the highest point is Mount Majura at 888 m (2,913 ft). Other low mountains include Mount Taylor 855 m (2,805 ft), Mount Ainslie 843 m (2,766 ft), Mount Mugga Mugga 812 m (2,664 ft) and Black Mountain 812 m (2,664 ft). The native forest in
3016-630: Is the national broadcaster of Australia . It is principally funded by the Australian taxpayer and is administered by a government-appointed board . The ABC is a publicly owned body that is politically independent and accountable such as through its production of annual reports and is bound by provisions contained within the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, with its charter enshrined in legislation,
3132-1008: Is the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance such as the Australian War Memorial , the Australian National University , the Royal Australian Mint , the Australian Institute of Sport , the National Gallery , the National Museum and the National Library . The city is home to many important institutions of the Australian Defence Force including the Royal Military College Duntroon and
3248-730: Is the only cathedral in Canberra. ) From 1920 to 1957, three bodies — successively the Federal Capital Advisory Committee , the Federal Capital Commission , and the National Capital Planning and Development Committee — continued to plan the further expansion of Canberra in the absence of Griffin. However, they were only advisory and development decisions were made without consulting them, which increased inefficiency. The largest event in Canberra up to World War II
3364-414: The 2019/2020 bushfires . On 1 January 2020, Canberra had the worst air quality of any major city in the world, with an AQI of 7700 (USAQI 949). Canberra is a planned city and the inner-city area was originally designed by Walter Burley Griffin , a major 20th-century American architect. Within the central area of the city near Lake Burley Griffin, major roads follow a wheel-and-spoke pattern rather than
3480-475: The ABC Australia satellite channel. News and current affairs content across all platforms is produced by the news division. The postal address of the ABC in every Australian capital city is PO Box 9994, as a tribute to the record-breaking Test batting average of Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman . After public radio stations were established independently in the state capitals from 1924,
3596-559: The Australian Broadcasting Act that meant the ABC would receive its funding directly from the federal government. Licence fees remained until 1973, when they were abolished by the Whitlam Labor government , on the basis that the near-universality of television and radio services meant that public funding was a fairer method of providing revenue for government-owned radio and television broadcasters. In 2014
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3712-633: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 . ABC Commercial , a profit-making division of the corporation, also helps to generate funding for content provision. The ABC was established as the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 1 July 1932 by an Act of federal parliament. It effectively replaced the Australian Broadcasting Company , a private company established in 1924 to provide programming for A-class radio stations. The ABC
3828-574: The Australian Defence Force Academy . It hosts all foreign embassies in Australia as well as regional headquarters of many international organisations, not-for-profit groups, lobbying groups and professional associations. Canberra has been ranked among the world's best cities to live in and visit. Although the Commonwealth Government remains the largest single employer in Canberra, it is no longer
3944-600: The Australian Labor Party at the 1972 election), as well as Sir Henry Bland, David Hill was close to Neville Wran , while Donald McDonald was considered to be a close friend of John Howard . From 2003 the Howard government made several controversial appointments to the ABC Board, including prominent ABC critic Janet Albrechtsen , Ron Brunton , and Keith Windschuttle . During their 2007 federal election campaign Labor announced plans to introduce
4060-446: The FM band, broadcasting from Adelaide . It was initially known as ABC-FM (later ABC Classic FM) – referring both to its "fine music programming and radio frequency". ABC budget cuts began in 1976 and continued until 1998, the largest cuts (calculated by the ABC as 25% in real terms) coming between 1985 and 1996. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 changed the name of
4176-810: The Murrumbidgee north-west of Canberra, which in turn flows north-west toward the New South Wales town of Yass. The Queanbeyan River joins the Molonglo River at Oaks Estate just within the ACT. A number of creeks, including Jerrabomberra and Yarralumla Creeks, flow into the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee. Two of these creeks, the Ginninderra and Tuggeranong, have similarly been dammed to form Lakes Ginninderra and Tuggeranong . Until recently
4292-671: The Science Circus , each presenter also completes a Masters of Science Communication Outreach through the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University . Coursework includes studies in print media, program evaluation and exhibition design. Every year the Science Circus presenters graduate from the course and a new team are selected. The first team graduated in 1988 and there are now over 300 Science Circus graduates. Graduates have contributed to programs on Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio,
4408-702: The Yarralumla estate—now the site of the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia—in 1827, and John Palmer who employed Duncan Macfarlane to form the Jerrabomberra property in 1828. A year later, John MacPherson established the Springbank estate, becoming the first British owner-occupier in the region. The Anglican church of St John the Baptist , in the suburb of Reid,
4524-488: The districts of Woden Valley and Belconnen commenced in the mid and late 1960s respectively, followed by the district of Tuggeranong in the mid 1970s. Many of the new suburbs were named after Australian politicians such as Barton , Deakin , Reid , Braddon , Curtin , Chifley and Parkes . On 9 May 1988, a larger and permanent Parliament House was opened on Capital Hill as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations. The Commonwealth Parliament moved there from
4640-492: The leader of the opposition . A new merit-based appointment system was announced on 16 October 2008, in advance of the new triennial funding period starting in 2009. In 2013 the Coalition government introduced a merit-based system for appointing the board based on the recommendations of a nominations panel. However, the panel was ultimately only advisory, with almost all of the board members in 2018 directly appointed by
4756-542: The 100th anniversary of the naming of Canberra. On 11 March 2014, the last day of the centennial year, the Canberra Centenary Column was unveiled in City Hill . Other works included The Skywhale , a hot air balloon designed by the sculptor Patricia Piccinini , and StellrScope by visual media artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart. On 7 February 2021, The Skywhale was joined by Skywhalepapa to create
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4872-489: The 2019–20 budget, a reduction of $ 28 million per year since the 2016 Australian federal election . This came after speculation that the fund would be removed, to which Acting managing director David Anderson wrote to Communications Minister Mitch Fifield expressing concerns. Despite the cuts made by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the freeze introduced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield,
4988-449: The ABC absorbed $ 254 million in federal budget deficits. In the 2018–19 budget handed down by then-Treasurer Scott Morrison , the ABC was subject to a pause of indexation of operation funding, saving the federal government a total of $ 83.7 million over 3 years. In fiscal year 2016–17, the ABC received $ 861 million in federal funding, which increased to $ 865 million per year from 2017 to 2018 to 2018–19, representing
5104-476: The ABC announced that ABC News 24, ABC NewsRadio , as well as its online and digital news brands, would be rebranded under a unified ABC News brand, which was launched on 10 April 2017. Michelle Guthrie took over from managing director Mark Scott , whose second five-year contract finished in April 2016. Between July 2017 and June 2018, the whole of the ABC underwent an organisational restructure, after which
5220-447: The ABC had been using Lissajous curves as fillers between programmes. In July 1963, the ABC conducted a staff competition to create a new logo for use on television, stationery, publications, microphone badges and ABC vehicles. In 1965, ABC graphics designer Bill Kennard submitted a design representing a Lissajous display, as generated when a sine wave signal is applied to the "X" input of an oscilloscope and another at three times
5336-605: The ABC music label. In 1991 the corporation's Sydney radio and orchestral operations moved to a new building, the ABC Ultimo Centre, in the inner-city suburb of Ultimo . In Melbourne, the ABC Southbank Centre was completed in 1994. In 1992 Australian children's television series Bananas in Pyjamas first aired. International television service ABC Australia was established in 1993, while at
5452-623: The ACT's first government, led by the Chief Minister Rosemary Follett , who made history as Australia's first female head of government. The 1990s also saw urban development begin in the district of Gungahlin in the far north of the ACT. Parts of Canberra were engulfed by bushfires on 18 January 2003 that killed four people, injured 435 and destroyed more than 500 homes as well as the major research telescopes of Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory . Throughout 2013, several events celebrated
5568-570: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1983. The ABC provides radio, television, online, and mobile services throughout metropolitan and regional Australia. ABC Radio operates four national networks, a large number of ABC Local Radio stations, several digital stations, and the international service Radio Australia . ABC Television operates five free-to-air channels, as well as the ABC iview streaming service and
5684-701: The Canberra area include the Ngunnawal , Ngunawal and Ngambri peoples. Other groups claiming a connection to the land include the Ngarigo (who also lived directly to the south) and the Ngambri-Guumaal. Neighbouring groups include the Wandandian to the east, the Walgulu also to the south, Gandangara people to the north and Wiradjuri to the north-west. The first British settlers into the Canberra area described two clans of Ngunnawal people resident to
5800-411: The Canberra region was almost wholly eucalypt species and provided a resource for fuel and domestic purposes. By the early 1960s, logging had depleted the eucalypt, and concern about water quality led to the forests being closed. Interest in forestry began in 1915 with trials of a number of species including Pinus radiata on the slopes of Mount Stromlo. Since then, plantations have been expanded, with
5916-455: The Communications minister, despite some being rejected by the panel or not being considered at all. As of March 2024 board members include: The ABC is primarily funded by the Australian government , in addition to some revenue received from commercial offerings and its retail outlets . The ABC's funding system is set and reviewed every three years. Until 1948 the ABC was funded directly by radio licence fees; amendments were also made to
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#17327982511886032-429: The Diffusion Science Radio Show, Cosmos Magazine and The Mr. Science Show podcast. Canberra Canberra ( / ˈ k æ n b ər ə / KAN -bər-ə ) is the capital city of Australia . Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest Australian city overall . The city
6148-417: The Molonglo River had a history of sometimes calamitous floods; the area was a flood plain prior to the filling of Lake Burley Griffin. Under the Köppen-Geiger classification , Canberra has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ). In January, the warmest month, the average high is approximately 29 °C (84 °F); in July, the coldest month, the average high drops to approximately 12 °C (54 °F). Frost
6264-414: The National Broadcasting Service. The ABC became informally referred to as "Aunty", originally in imitation of the British Broadcasting Corporation's nickname . The structure and programming was broadly modelled on the British Broadcasting Corporation, and programs not created in Australia were mostly bought in from the BBC . In 1940 one of the ABC Board 's most prominent members, Dick Boyer ,
6380-480: The Provisional Parliament House, now known as Old Parliament House. In December 1988, the Australian Capital Territory was granted full self-government by the Commonwealth Parliament, a step proposed as early as 1965. Following the first election on 4 March 1989, a 17-member Legislative Assembly sat at temporary offices at 1 Constitution Avenue, Civic, on 11 May 1989. Permanent premises were opened on London Circuit in 1994. The Australian Labor Party formed
6496-424: The Radio and Television Divisions were no longer separate entities each under a director, instead being split across several functional divisions, with different teams producing different genres of content for television, radio and digital platforms. The Entertainment & Specialist (E&S) team focussed on comedy, kids' programs, drama, Indigenous-related programs, music, other entertainment and factual content;
6612-419: The Ultimo building by 2025 to reduce costs. Rental from some of the vacant space in the city centre would earn additional income to offset the ongoing effects of the significant funding cuts since 2014 and the recent indexation freeze. In December 2021 the ABC announced that, in addition to the 83 additional positions already established, it was to create an additional "50-plus" new jobs in regional Australia as
6728-509: The appointment of directors is provided for in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 . Appointments to the ABC Board made by successive governments have often resulted in criticism of the appointees' political affiliation, background, and relative merit. Past appointments have associated directly with political parties – five of fourteen appointed chairmen have been accused of political affiliation or friendship, include Richard Downing and Ken Myer (both of whom publicly endorsed
6844-400: The area 21,000 years previously. Still today, Ngunnawal men into the present conduct ceremony on the banks of the river, Murrumbidgee River. They travel upstream as they receive their Totems and corresponding responsibilities for land management. 'Murrum' means 'Pathway' and Bidgee means 'Boss'. The submerged limestone caves beneath Lake Burley Griffin contained Aboriginal rock art, some of
6960-449: The benefit of reducing erosion in the Cotter catchment, and the forests are also popular recreation areas. The urban environs of the city of Canberra straddle the Ginninderra plain , Molonglo plain , the Limestone plain, and the Tuggeranong plain (Isabella's Plain). The Molonglo River which flows across the Molonglo plain has been dammed to form the national capital's iconic feature Lake Burley Griffin . The Molonglo then flows into
7076-482: The board advised that it could not support the Griffins' plan in its entirety and suggested an alternative plan of its own devising. This plan ostensibly incorporated the best features of the three place-getting designs as well as of a fourth design by H. Caswell, R.C.G. Coulter and W. Scott-Griffiths of Sydney, the rights to which it had purchased. It was this composite plan that was endorsed by Parliament and given formal approval by O'Malley on 10 January 1913. However, it
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#17327982511887192-439: The case. In June 2020 the ABC announced it needed to cut 229 jobs, a number of programs, and reduce its travel and production budgets after the Turnbull government 's announcement of a freeze to indexation of its budget in 2018 this was estimated at the time to cost the ABC A$ 84 million over three years, however the actual appropriation did not decrease and the ABC chair was quoted as saying it would actually increase "but by
7308-430: The city for poor performance. Menzies remained in office for over a decade and in that time the development of the capital sped up rapidly. The population grew by more than 50 per cent in every five-year period from 1955 to 1975. Several Government departments, together with public servants, were moved to Canberra from Melbourne following the war. Government housing projects were undertaken to accommodate
7424-416: The city in two; a land axis perpendicular to the central basin stretches from Capital Hill —the eventual location of the new Parliament House on a mound on the southern side—north northeast across the central basin to the northern banks along Anzac Parade to the Australian War Memorial . This was designed so that looking from Capital Hill, the War Memorial stood directly at the foot of Mount Ainslie . At
7540-439: The city's growing population. The National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) formed in 1957 with executive powers and ended four decades of disputes over the shape and design of Lake Burley Griffin — the centrepiece of Griffin's design — and construction was completed in 1964 after four years of work. The completion of the lake finally laid the platform for the development of Griffin's Parliamentary Triangle . Since
7656-730: The derivative name "Canberra" started to appear from around 1857. Numerous local commentators, including the Ngunnawal elder Don Bell, have speculated upon possible meanings of "Canberra" over the years. These include "meeting place", "woman's breasts" and "the hollow between a woman's breasts". Alternative proposals for the name of the city during its planning included Austral, Australville, Aurora, Captain Cook, Caucus City, Cookaburra, Dampier, Eden, Eucalypta, Flinders, Gonebroke, Home, Hopetoun, Kangaremu, Myola, Meladneyperbane, New Era, Olympus, Paradise, Shakespeare, Sydmelperadbrisho, Swindleville, The National City, Union City, Unison, Wattleton, Wheatwoolgold, Yass-Canberra. The first peoples of
7772-412: The examination of over 9,200 documents, including internal emails. In February 2020 the case was dismissed by the federal court . In June 2020, the AFP sent a brief of evidence to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP), the federal public prosecutor, recommending charges be laid against journalist Dan Oakes for breaking the Afghan Files story, but in October 2020, the CDPP dropped
7888-464: The exhibitions in Canberra, Questacon runs the Questacon Science Circus and Engineering is Elementary nationally and Q2U in the Canberra region. Past outreach programs run by Questacon include the Tenix Questacon Maths Squad , NRMA Roadzone , NRMA Tomorrow's Drivers , Starlab , Questacon Smart Moves , Questacon Science Play , Questacon Science Squad , and a number of programs in remote Indigenous communities. The Questacon Science Circus
8004-462: The first half of the 19th century, as 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. Following a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital, a compromise was reached: the new capital would be built in New South Wales , so long as it was at least 100 mi (160 km) from Sydney. The capital city
8120-442: The founding Director of Questacon and in 2015, he received an Australia Day honour for his service to science. Questacon's current building was given to Australia by Japan for the 1988 Bicentenary , and was opened on 23 November 1988. The Japanese government and business contributed ¥1 billion, half of the capital cost of A$ 19.64 million. Questacon was formerly housed at the Ainslie Primary School. The current director
8236-413: The frequency at the "Y" input. The letters "ABC" were added to the design and it was adopted as the ABC's official logo. Kennard was presented with £ 25 (about AU $ 850 in 2024) for his design. On 19 October 1974 the Lissajous curve design experienced its first facelift with the line thickened to allow for colour to be used. It would also be treated to the 'over and under' effect, showing the crossover of
8352-533: The growth of a boy into a man. In October 1820, Charles Throsby led the first British expedition to the area. Four other expeditions occurred between 1820 and 1823 with the first accurate map being produced by explorer Mark John Currie in June 1823. By this stage the area had become known as the Limestone Plains. British settlement of the area probably dates from late 1823, when a sheep station
8468-721: The initial construction of the lake, various buildings of national importance have been constructed on its shores. The newly built Australian National University was expanded and sculptures as well as monuments were built. A new National Library was constructed within the Parliamentary Triangle, followed by the High Court and the National Gallery . Suburbs in Canberra Central (often referred to as North Canberra and South Canberra ) were further developed in the 1950s and urban development in
8584-768: The largest flower festival in the Southern Hemisphere, the Enlighten Festival , Skyfire , the National Multicultural Festival and Summernats . Canberra's main sporting venues are Canberra Stadium and Manuka Oval . The city is served with domestic and international flights at Canberra Airport , while interstate train and coach services depart from Canberra railway station and the Jolimont Centre respectively. City Interchange and Alinga Street station form
8700-496: The line in the design. To celebrate its 70th anniversary on 1 July 2002, the ABC adopted a new logo, which was created by (Annette) Harcus Design in 2001. This logo used a silver 3D texture but the crossover design was left intact and was then used across the ABC's media outlets. After the on-air revival of the 1974 logo since 2014, the ABC gradually reinstated the classic symbol. The most recent change happened in February 2018, with
8816-567: The main hub of Canberra's bus and light rail transport network. The word "Canberra" is derived from the Ngunnawal language of a local Ngunnawal or Ngambri clan who resided in the area and were referred to by the early British colonists as either the Canberry , Kanberri or Nganbra tribe. Joshua John Moore , the first European land-owner in the region, named his grant "Canberry" in 1823 after these people. "Canberry Creek" and "Canberry" first appeared on regional maps from 1830, while
8932-480: The majority employer. Other major industries have developed in the city, including in health care, professional services, education and training, retail, accommodation and food, and construction. Compared to the national averages, the unemployment rate is lower and the average income higher; tertiary education levels are higher, while the population is younger. At the 2016 Census, 32% of Canberra's inhabitants were reported as having been born overseas. Canberra's design
9048-422: The mountains. The area is generally sheltered from a westerly wind, though strong northwesterlies can develop. A cool, vigorous afternoon easterly change, colloquially referred to as a 'sea-breeze' or the 'Braidwood Butcher', is common during the summer months and often exceeds 40 km/h in the city. Canberra is also less humid than the nearby coastal areas. Canberra was severely affected by smoke haze during
9164-400: The national capital started during debates over federation in the late 19th century. Following a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital, a compromise was reached: the new capital would be built in New South Wales, so long as it was at least 100 mi (160 km) from Sydney, with Melbourne to be the temporary seat of government while the new capital
9280-564: The new ABC Specialist team created content across the arts, science, religion & ethics, education and society & culture; while the Regional & Local team focussed on regional and local content. Around 23 September 2018 Guthrie was fired. A leadership crisis ensued after allegations arose that Chair, Justin Milne , had, according to the MEAA , engaged in "overt political interference in
9396-521: The northern side of the city, was designated the municipal axis. The municipal axis became the location of Constitution Avenue , which links City Hill in Civic Centre and both Market Centre and the Defence precinct on Russell Hill. Commonwealth Avenue and Kings Avenue were to run from the southern side from Capital Hill to City Hill and Market Centre on the north respectively, and they formed
9512-480: The only mainland Australian city where snow-capped mountains can be seen in winter, although snow in the city itself is uncommon. As the seat of the Government of Australia , Canberra is home to many important institutions of the federal government, national monuments and museums. These include Parliament House , Government House , the High Court building and the headquarters of numerous government agencies. It
9628-487: The only sites in the region. Galambary (Black Mountain) is an important Aboriginal meeting and business site, predominantly for men's business. According to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, Mt Ainslie is primarily for place of women's business. Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie are referred to as women's breasts. Galambary was also used by Ngunnawal people as an initiation site, with the mountain itself said to represent
9744-428: The organisation to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, effective 1 July 1983. Although funded and owned by the government, the ABC remains editorially independent as ensured by the 1983 Act. At the same time, the newly formed corporation underwent significant restructuring, including a split into separate television and radio divisions, and ABC Radio was restructured significantly again in 1985. Geoffrey Whitehead
9860-674: The pastoral property of Yarralumla in 1913 to provide an official residence for the Governor-General of Australia in the new capital. Renovations began in 1925 to enlarge and modernise the property. In 1927, the property was officially dubbed Government House. On 9 May that year, the Commonwealth parliament moved to Canberra with the opening of the Provisional Parliament House . The Prime Minister Stanley Bruce had officially taken up residence in The Lodge
9976-486: The region. Around 1825 James Ainslie , working on behalf of the wealthy merchant Robert Campbell , arrived to establish a sheep station. He was guided to the region by a local Aboriginal girl who showed him the fine lands of her Pialligo clan. The area then became the property of Campbell and it was initially named Pialligo before Campbell changed it to the Scottish title of Duntroon . Campbell and his family built
10092-571: The required territory as they did not accept the site. In 1906, the New South Wales Government finally agreed to cede sufficient land provided that it was in the Yass-Canberra region as this site was closer to Sydney. Newspaper proprietor John Gale circulated a pamphlet titled 'Dalgety or Canberra: Which?' advocating Canberra to every member of the Commonwealth's seven state and federal parliaments. By many accounts, it
10208-452: The running of the ABC that is in clear breach of the ABC charter and the role of the chairperson" by interfering in editorial and staffing matters. After pressure for an independent inquiry or statement from Milne, or his resignation, following meetings by ABC staff in various locations, on 27 September Milne resigned. In February 2019, after the roles of ABC chair and managing director had been vacant for more than four months, Ita Buttrose
10324-586: The same time Radio Australia increased its international reach. Reduced funding in 1997 for Radio Australia resulted in staff and programming cuts. The ABC Multimedia Unit was established in July 1995 to manage the new ABC website, which was launched in August. The ABC was registered on the Australian Business Register as a Commonwealth Government Entity on 1 November 1999. In 2001 digital television commenced (see Online, below ). At
10440-472: The same time the ABC's multimedia division was renamed "ABC New Media", becoming an output division of the ABC alongside television and radio. In 2002 the ABC launched ABC Asia Pacific , the replacement for the defunct Australia Television International operated previously by the Seven Network . A digital radio service, ABC DiG , was also launched in November that year. On 8 February 2008 ABC TV
10556-466: The side of the majority of the board with the design by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin of Chicago , Illinois , United States , being declared the winner. Second was Eliel Saarinen of Finland and third was Alfred Agache of Brazil but resident in Paris, France. O'Malley then appointed a six-member board to advise him on the implementation of the winning design. On 25 November 1912,
10672-408: The southwestern end of the land axis was Bimberi Peak , the highest mountain in the ACT, approximately 52 km (32 mi) south west of Canberra. The straight edge of the circular segment that formed the central basin of Lake Burley Griffin was perpendicular to the land axis and designated the water axis, and it extended northwest towards Black Mountain . A line parallel to the water axis, on
10788-487: The vast area to be serviced. In 1947 a proposal to increase the fee for a broadcast listeners' licence from £1 to £1/5/ was scotched, and in 1949 the Chifley government decided that the ABC would be directly funded by the taxpayer, with licence fees subsumed into general revenue. Later funding was supplemented with commercial activities related to its core broadcasting mission. The Australian Broadcasting Commission became
10904-664: The vicinity. The Canberry or Nganbra clan lived mostly around Sullivan's Creek and had ceremonial grounds at the base of Galambary ( Black Mountain ), while the Pialligo clan had land around what is now Canberra Airport . The people living here carefully managed and cultivated the land with fire and farmed yams and hunted for food. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the region includes inhabited rock shelters, rock paintings and engravings, burial places, camps and quarry sites as well as stone tools and arrangements. Artefacts suggests early human activity occurred at some point in
11020-525: The war ended. The urban areas of Canberra are organised into a hierarchy of districts, town centres, group centres, local suburbs as well as other industrial areas and villages. There are seven residential districts, each of which is divided into smaller suburbs, and most of which have a town centre which is the focus of commercial and social activities. The districts were settled in the following chronological order: Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation ( ABC )
11136-467: The west by the Brindabellas which create a strong rain shadow in Canberra's valleys. Canberra gets 100.4 clear days annually. Annual rainfall is the third lowest of the capital cities (after Adelaide and Hobart ) and is spread fairly evenly over the seasons, with late spring bringing the highest rainfall. Thunderstorms occur mostly between October and April, owing to the effect of summer and
11252-680: The western and eastern edges of the central basin. The area enclosed by the three avenues was known as the Parliamentary Triangle , and formed the centrepiece of Griffin's work. The Griffins assigned spiritual values to Mount Ainslie, Black Mountain, and Red Hill and originally planned to cover each of these in flowers. That way each hill would be covered with a single, primary colour which represented its spiritual value. This part of their plan never came to fruition, as World War I slowed construction and planning disputes led to Griffin's dismissal by Prime Minister Billy Hughes after
11368-458: The wife of Governor-General Lord Denman , announced that the city would be named "Canberra" at a ceremony at Kurrajong Hill, which has since become Capital Hill and the site of the present Parliament House . Canberra Day is a public holiday observed in the ACT on the second Monday in March to celebrate the founding of Canberra. After the ceremony, bureaucratic disputes hindered Griffin's work;
11484-412: Was 44.0 °C (111.2 °F) on 4 January 2020. Winter 2011 was Canberra's warmest winter on record, approximately 2 °C (4 °F) above the average temperature. The lowest recorded minimum temperature was −10.0 °C (14.0 °F) on the morning of 11 July 1971. Light snow falls only once in every few years, and is usually not widespread and quickly dissipates. Canberra is protected from
11600-429: Was appointed to the ABC, becoming chairman on 1 April 1945. Today known for the continuing series of Boyer Lectures initiated by him in 1959, he had a good but not too close working relationship with Sir Charles Moses (general manager 1935–1965 ), and remained chair until his retirement in 1961. He was determined to maintain the autonomy of the ABC. The ABC commenced television broadcasting in 1956. ABN-2 in Sydney
11716-720: Was boycotted by the Royal Institute of British Architects , the Institution of Civil Engineers and their affiliated bodies throughout the British Empire because the Minister for Home Affairs King O'Malley insisted that the final decision was for him to make rather than an expert in city planning. A total of 137 valid entries were received. O'Malley appointed a three-member board to advise him but they could not reach unanimity. On 24 May 1911, O'Malley came down on
11832-665: Was built to educate local settlers children, including the Blundell children who lived in nearby Blundell's Cottage . As the European presence increased, the Indigenous population dwindled largely due to the destruction of their society, dislocation from their lands and from introduced diseases such as influenza , smallpox , alcoholism and measles . The district's change from a rural area in New South Wales to
11948-455: Was built. A survey was conducted across several sites in New South Wales with Bombala , southern Monaro , Orange , Yass , Albury , Tamworth , Armidale , Tumut and Dalgety all discussed. Dalgety was chosen by the federal parliament and it passed the Seat of Government Act 1904 confirming Dalgety as the site of the nation's capital. However, the New South Wales government refused to cede
12064-422: Was consecrated in 1845 and is now the oldest surviving public building in the city. St John's churchyard contains the earliest graves in the district. It has been described as a "sanctuary in the city", remaining a small English village-style church even as the capital grew around it. Canberra's first school, St John's School (now a museum), was situated next to the church and opened in the same year of 1845. It
12180-558: Was decisive in the selection of Canberra as the site in 1908 as was a result of survey work done by the government surveyor Charles Scrivener . The NSW government ceded the district to the federal government in 1911 and the Federal Capital Territory was established. An international design competition was launched by the Department of Home Affairs on 30 April 1911, closing on 31 January 1912. The competition
12296-514: Was formed on what is now the Acton Peninsula by James Cowan, the head stockman employed by Joshua John Moore . Moore had received a land grant in the region in 1823 and formally applied to purchase the site on 16 December 1826. He named the property "Canberry". On 30 April 1827, Moore was told by letter that he could retain possession of 1,000 acres (405 ha) at Canberry. Other colonists soon followed Moore's example to take up land in
12412-585: Was founded and formally named as Canberra in 1913. A plan by the American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was selected after an international design contest, and construction commenced in 1913. Unusual among Australian cities, it is an entirely planned city . The Griffins' plan featured geometric motifs and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks such as Black Mountain , Mount Ainslie , Capital Hill and City Hill . Canberra's mountainous location makes it
12528-495: Was given statutory powers that reinforced its independence from the government and enhanced its news-gathering role. Modelled after the British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC ), which is funded by a television licence , the ABC was originally financed by licence fees on households with a broadcast receiver. However, the licence fees soon proved to be insufficient due to Australia's small population and
12644-415: Was inaugurated by prime minister Robert Menzies on 5 November 1956, with the first broadcast presented by Michael Charlton , and James Dibble reading the first television news bulletin. Television relay facilities were not in place until the early 1960s, so news bulletins had to be sent to each capital city by teleprinter , to be prepared and presented separately in each city. In 1975, colour television
12760-660: Was installed during the Centenary of Canberra in 2013. A prize was offered to the first person to solve one of the puzzles. The Questacon Technology Learning Centre is located at the Royal Australian Mint 's former administration building in Deakin and houses more than 80 staff members. All of the outreach programs and exhibition developers, including researchers, designers, electronics, metal, and wood shop staff are based there. There are also an exhibition area, and spaces for technology workshops and holiday programs. In addition to
12876-522: Was managing director of the ABC at this time. Following his resignation in 1986, David Hill (at the time chair of the ABC Board) took over his position and local production trebled from 1986 to 1991. Live television broadcasts of selected parliamentary sessions started in 1990, and by the early 1990s, all major ABC broadcasting outlets moved to 24-hour-a-day operation. In 1991 the ABC helped launch Australian children's music band The Wiggles , under
12992-620: Was named chair. Buttrose named David Anderson as managing director in May 2019. On 5 June 2019 Australian Federal Police (AFP) raided the headquarters of the ABC looking for articles written in 2017 about alleged misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, later dubbed the Afghan Files . The raid was countered by lawyers for the ABC in litigation against the AFP, challenging
13108-415: Was permanently introduced into Australia, and within a decade, the ABC had moved into satellite broadcasting , greatly enhancing its ability to distribute content nationally. Also, in 1975 the ABC introduced a 24-hour-a-day AM rock station in Sydney, 2JJ ( Double Jay ), which was eventually expanded into the national Triple J FM network. A year later, a national classical music network was established on
13224-449: Was rebranded as ABC1 , and a new channel for children, ABC3 , was funded and announced by the Rudd government in June. A new online video-on-demand service launched in July of the same year, titled ABC iview . ABC News 24 , now known as ABC News, a channel dedicated to news, launched on 22 July 2010. On 20 July 2014, ABC1 reverted to its original name of ABC TV. In November 2014
13340-562: Was the 24th Meeting of ANZAAS in January 1939. The Canberra Times described it as "a signal event ... in the history of this, the world's youngest capital city". The city's accommodation was not nearly sufficient to house the 1,250 delegates and a tent city had to be set up on the banks of the Molonglo River. One of the prominent speakers was H. G. Wells , who was a guest of the Governor-General Lord Gowrie for
13456-512: Was the Griffin plan which was ultimately proceeded with. In 1913, Walter Burley Griffin was appointed Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction and construction began. On 23 February, King O'Malley drove the first peg in the construction of the future capital city. In 1912, the government invited suggestions from the public as to the name of the future city. Almost 750 names were suggested. At midday on 12 March 1913, Lady Denman ,
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