Canberra Day

When is Canberra Day 2022?

Canberra Day, a public holiday in the Australian Capital Territory, is observed on the second Monday in March to commemorate the official recognition of Canberra as Australia's capital. It highlights an important festival in the territory and pays tribute to Canberra's official foundation in 1913.

Lady Denman, the spouse of the governor-general at the time, Lord Denman, gave this city its name in March 1913. The Canberra Festival and yearly events connected with Hands Up For Canberra Giving Day are only a few ways this holiday is honored.

Canberra Day History

As per the Australian Government's Culture and Recreation Portal, a clan of Indigenous Australians known as the Ngunnawal people has lived in the Canberra area for approximately 21,000 years. The number of Aboriginal people who remained in the region when European settlers arrived in the 1820s, generally working on sheep ranches, gradually decreased over time.

The European colony grew, and the region now Canberra became the centerpiece when it was picked as Australia's new capital city in 1911 as a conclusion of global competition with more than 130 entries. The proposal to build a new capital city was won by American architect Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, Marion Mahony Griffin. Green bands surrounded population areas, and wide boulevards bordered by massive buildings, formal parks, and water features were all part of their ideas for Canberra.

The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 after the Australian colony was unified under the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act. After the nation was formally established, choosing a capital city sparked a heated discussion between Melbourne and Sydney. To end this argument, Section 125 of the Constitution was written, which stipulated that the state of New South Wales must choose a capital city that is at least 100 miles away from Sydney.

To assess the potential locations for the future Federal Capital Territory in New South Wales, federal senators set out on a trip in 1902 with a team of surveyors. The Yass-Canberra region was chosen in 1908 to be the location of the new Federal Capital Territory, and the Seat of Government Act declared this decision official.

On 24th May 1912, Walter Burley Griffin was declared the winner of a design competition that had been held to determine the best plan for the Federal Capital. Canberra was chosen as the city's name, which Lady Gertrude Mary Denman revealed on 12th March 1913 while standing on the base for the Foundation column. Since that momentous day, the capital city's establishment has been honored with Canberra Day, observed on the second Monday in March.

The ACT was established on 1st January 1911 and achieved self-government status in 1989. Canberra is the capital of the ACT and Australia's federal politics center. According to the ACT Holidays Act 1958, Canberra Day was observed on the third Monday of March until 2008, when it was formally shifted to the second Monday of March. The adjustment pushed the public holiday closer to the city's official founding date, 12th March 1913.

Is Canberra Day a public holiday?

Australian Capital Territory observes Canberra Day as a public holiday, meaning that most establishments, including schools and organizations, are closed.

The ACT observes Canberra Day as a public holiday. Thus, all government offices, schools, and other enterprises are closed that day. People who plan to use public transportation on that particular day should verify with their local transportation authority because ticket pricing and schedules are subject to change. For instance, on public holidays, the ACTION bus service in Canberra sells off-peak tickets.

Canberra Day Symbols

Australia's capital city, Canberra, is home to significant cultural landmarks like:

• The Australian War Memorial
• The High Court
• The National Gallery of Australia
• Old Parliament House
• Parliament House
• The National Library of Australia
• The Aboriginal Tent Embassy

These sites images, especially Parliament House, can be found in numerous city promotions, books, postcards, and other Australian publications.

What Are People's Activities on Canberra Day?

One of the main events of the Celebrate Canberra festival is Canberra Day, during which the citizens of Australia's capital city commemorate its virtues, including its natural beauty and cultural uniqueness. The event features a variety of entertainment genres, such as:

• People attend athletic events, concerts, and unique exhibitions on this day.
• It's a day when folks go camping or on vacation to take advantage of the long weekend.
• The Canberra Festival and the Chief Minister's Canberra Day Awards Ceremony, which recognizes the year's top Canberrans, are significant occasions on this day.
• The grandest birthday celebration in Canberra is celebrated in the Park.
• Due to the fact that Canberra Day is observed on a Monday, some people may plan extended weekends away. A camping vacation, a shopping excursion to a different city, like Sydney, or a road drive through the countryside are all examples of retreat activities.

Canberra's Interesting Facts

Despite the fact that many people outside of Australia might not be familiar with Canberra or Canberra Day, there is plenty to be said about this country's capital. People might not be aware of numerous additional noteworthy aspects of it. Everyone should enjoy the amusing facts about Canberra listed below.

• Canberra is thought to have originated from the Aboriginal Australian language Ngunnawal, which means "gathering place" in English.
• Canberra is home to one of only three NASA stations that connect to spacecraft orbiting other planets.
• Around Canberra, there are around 30 distinct wineries.
• Three cities are twin cities to Canberra. These three cities are Wellington (New Zealand), Beijing (China) and Nara (Japan).
• Canberra is home to the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Parliament House.

Canberra Day Observances