Life Down Under (Part 11): Canberra - Culture and Politics

- Sept. 15-16 , 2022, Thursday to Friday.

- "It's boring there." That's what I was told whenever I'd tell someone that I had plans of going to Canberra. Canberra became the capital city of Australia in 1913. This was after a compromise was made after a long debate whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the capital. Being the capital city, and one of the earliest planned cities in Australia, it concentrates on being the seat of power in Australia. Though it does have tourist sites, Canberra remains quieter than the other could-have-been capital cities (i,e. Sydney or Melbourne.) Still, I decided to visit it since it was close to Melbourne, and because it is the country's capital city after all. (Word has it that some of the proposed names of the capital city were "Meladneyperbane" or "Sydmelperadbrisho", which are combinations of the other Australian capital cities. The word "Canberra" was derived from the aboriginal word for "meeting place.")

- After experiencing some flight delay on the day of my flight, I arrived in Canberra 2 hours later than expected. I checked in at my hostel, The Village Canberra (formerly YHA Canberra), and then headed to the Canberra Museum and Gallery. It was a short walk away from my hostel. The museum and gallery, opened in 1998, showcases works about Canberra, and other works mostly by Australian artists.

It is located in the Civic Centre.

Gallery.

- Since the museum was small, it didn't take long for me to see everything. With some time to spare in the afternoon, I walked towards the Australian War Memorial. It was quite a walk from the Civic Centre, especially under the rain, in hindsight I should've just taken an Uber from my hostel. While there are buses around the city, Canberra still is generally a city of cars. The good thing about going around Canberra's tourist sites in the city is that once you arrive at a particular place, there are other places of interest nearby. In that way, commuting won't be that expensive too.

The memorial was undergoing some developments, but thankfully I checked if it was open. It was. Long walk not wasted!

This giant war plane welcomes guests.

Canons.

More war planes and canons (used in Egypt.)

- The memorial was built in the early 1940s just when World War II began. Like any war memorial, it was to honor all those who served and perished in the various wars that Australia was in. Although I wasn't able to see some (minor) galleries since I arrived late in the afternoon, I still made it to the highlight, which was the last post ceremony. The last post ceremony honors a fallen hero, ne of tens of thousands in the roll of honor. A different hero is honored each day. Wreaths are laid by family members and other VIPs, and the life of the honored person is narrated by a representative of the Australian Defense Force. Seeing the whole ceremony was a solemn yet definitely a memorable experience. 

Pool of Reflection. 

Oh look at that.

It showed the photo of the late Queen Elizabeth II before being changed to the person being honored that day for the ceremony.

The War Memorial directly faces the Parliament House.

Inside the Hall of Memory.

Hallway.

There was a bagpiper during the ceremony.

A last look at the memorial before leaving.

- Since Canberra was a rather....calm....city, I had more time to rest at night. The following day, however, was a busy day. I started the day by riding an Uber all the way to Capital Hill and visited the Parliament House. It was built in 1988, decades after Canberra became the capital of Australia. For 61 years, the provisional Parliament House or "Old Parliament House" was where the Parliament met and discussed various matters (you can see this if you scroll down.)

The design on top of the building is said to be two boomerangs supporting the pole carrying the Australian flag.

Parliament House.

You can see the Old Parliament, the War Memorial, and Mount Ainslie.

The Telstra Tower erected on Black Mountain can also be easily seen at the Parliament House.

- Many rooms are open to the public, to give an insight on how things work and where people meet inside the building. People are free to see the meeting rooms as long as they are not being used.

Lobby.

Model of the Parliament House.

Senate Hall.

Queen Elizabeth II's portrait.

House of Representatives.

The Great Hall.

Had a fancy breakfast at the Parliament House - scones with cream and jam!

- From the Parliament House I walked towards the Old Parliament House, which is now called the Museum of Australian Democracy. It shows well-preserved rooms used by politicians for 61 years. The building looks small, and it is hard to imagine how many government offices are crammed in this rather small structure. Yet, Australia was run from this building just below Capital Hill until the new/current Parliament House was built. It was also for this reason that they had to build a new building - to make sure there was space for everyone!

The rear of the Old Parliament (the facade was being renovated.)

Exhibit on the free press.

I hope people learn.

Old camera used by media people. The Old Parliament had its own media and press office!

National news was filmed here.

Prime Minister's office.

Cabinet Room.

Parliament Library.

I couldn't sit on the actual chair inside the House of Representatives Chamber, so I'm glad the museum had this replica outside - complete with a "judge outfit" to wear.

House of Representatives Chamber.

Their own mini crown room.

President of the Senate's Suite, also known as the Queen's Room. Queen Elizabeth II used this room when she visited Australia in 1954.

- After visiting the museum, I had a short stroll along Lake Burley Griffin, passing by the International Flag Display, and seeing both the Captain Cook Memorial water jet and the National Carillon from afar. 

International flag display.

These flags represent the missions that are present in Canberra. (See the Philippines?)

This is the Captain Cook Memorial water jet, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his first sighting of East Australia.

The National Carillon was a gift from the British government to Australia to celebrate the 50th year of Canberra's founding as the country's capital.

Oh I also passed by the National Library of Australia!

- I had lunch inside the science museum, also known as Questacon. It was conceptualized in 1975, and the museum was finished in 1988 - with generous funding from Japan. The museum is quite interactive, with various thematic galleries. My favorite was seeing the giant realistic moon!

Questacon.

I wonder what this crocodile skull is celebrating.

There was a giant slide and the kids on their field trip were crazy over it!

When I said that I loved you to the moon and back, I just meant Canberra.

Lobby.

- From Questacon I walked towards the National Portrait Gallery. It opened in the 1990s, but used to be located inside the Old Parliament House before moving to its current location in 2008. It shows portraits of Australians (and the British royal family) in various mediums. 

So many....people.

The greatest showmen.

Of course, Queen Elizabeth.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding portrait.

Not sure what this orange blob is supposed to be (obviously an art installation.) It's right outside the National Portrait Gallery. It reminds me of Nickelodeon.

High Court of Australia (right across the National Portrait Gallery.)

-  Finally, I went across the street check out the National Gallery of Australia. The gallery, founded in 1967, showcases indigenous and contemporary works. May favorite work is actually an outdoor installation called "Within Without," a 2010 skyspace by James Turrell. From what I understand, his works often show light and the sky, and are often in the shape of naked observatories. I liked this work because the shallow pool around the main observatory gave a calming effect, and that I could interact with this work.

The above-ground pathway to the NGA. (There is a lower level entrance too, the main entrance.)

Indigenous art.

Art, in general.

Pollock!

This one was an interesting work, I liked this so much too. This is "Sermon on the Mount" by Kadim Ali (2020). 

Once you see this outside the NGA, you're on your way to Turrell's "Within Without."

Geometric perfection.

Another West Anderson-esque photo.

This is how aliens are born from the giant egg.

- This blog entry alone shows much of what needs to be seen in Canberra's center, although there are still a couple more that I missed in this entry. This is why people think that Canberra is "boring" - there's just not as much to see compared to other bigger cities of Australia. However, Canberra seems to always try to improve and reinvent itself so people would have something to do. Canberra is worth checking out!