Editing Canberra (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Canberra}}
{{See also|History of the Australian Capital Territory}}

=== First Nations peoples ===
The first peoples of the Canberra area include the [[Ngunnawal]], Ngunawal and [[Ngambri]] peoples.<ref name=":8" /> Other groups claiming a connection to the land include the [[Ngarigo]] (who also lived directly to the south) and the Ngambri-Guumaal.<ref name=":9" /> 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 the vicinity. The ''Canberry'' or ''Nganbra'' clan lived mostly around Sullivan's Creek and had ceremonial grounds at the base of Galambary ([[Black Mountain (Australian Capital Territory)|Black Mountain]]), while the ''Pialligo'' clan had land around what is now [[Canberra Airport]].<ref name="bluett">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2908643 |title=ABORIGINES ADVISED AINSLIE TO CHOOSE DUNTROON |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=28 |issue=3,213 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=30 April 1954 |access-date=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16374628 |title=CANBERRA BLACKS. |newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |issue=27,886 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=21 May 1927 |access-date=24 May 2022 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The people living here carefully managed and cultivated the land with fire and farmed yams and hunted for food.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |url=https://services.anu.edu.au/files/guidance/Aboriginal_Heritage_Trail2.pdf |title=Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Trail |publisher=Australian National University}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Gillespie84">{{cite book |last=Gillespie |first=Lyall |title=Aborigines of the Canberra Region |publisher=Wizard (Lyall Gillespie) |location=Canberra |year=1984 |pages=1–25 |isbn=0-9590255-0-2}}</ref> Artefacts suggests early human activity occurred at some point in the area 21,000 years previously.<ref name=":1">{{citation |last1=Flood |first1=J. M. |last2=David |first2=B. |last3=Magee |first3=J. |last4=English |first4=B. |year=1987 |title=Birrigai: a Pleistocene site in the south eastern highlands |journal=Archaeology in Oceania |volume=22 |pages=9–22 |doi=10.1002/j.1834-4453.1987.tb00159.x}}</ref>

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'.<ref name=":7" />

The submerged limestone caves beneath Lake Burley Griffin contained Aboriginal rock art, some of the only sites in the region.<ref name=":7" />

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 the growth of a boy into a man.<ref name=":7" />

=== British exploration and colonisation ===
[[File:Exterior of St John the Baptist Church Reid April 2017.jpg|thumb|[[St John the Baptist Church, Reid|St John's Anglican Church]], the oldest surviving public building in the inner city, consecrated in 1845]]
[[File:Historic Blundells' Cottage.jpg|upright=1.15|thumb|[[Blundells Cottage]], built around 1860,<ref name=BLUNDELL>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234:blundells-cottage&catid=57:ql-menu-visiting&Itemid=197 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501223848/http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234%3Ablundells-cottage&catid=57%3Aql-menu-visiting&Itemid=197 |archive-date=1 May 2013 |title=Blundells Cottage |publisher=National Capital Authority |access-date=13 May 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> is one of the few remaining buildings built by the first white settlers of Canberra.]] In October 1820, [[Charles Throsby]] led the first British expedition to the area.<ref name="cambage">{{cite journal |last1=Cambage |first1=R.H. |title=Exploration between the Wingecarribee, Shoalhaven, Macquarie and Murrumbidgee Rivers |journal=Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society |date=1921 |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=217–288 |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-596088877 |access-date=23 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/canberra-australias-capital-city |publisher=Australian Government |title=Canberra – Australia's capital city |date=4 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212004359/http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/canberra-australias-capital-city |archive-date=12 February 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=5}}{{sfn|Gillespie|1991|pp=3-8}} 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.<ref name="cambage" /><ref>{{Citation |author1=Currie, Mark John |title=Journal of an excursion to the southward of Lake George in New South Wales |year=1823 |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-62444232 |id=nla.obj-62444232 |access-date=24 May 2022 |via=Trove}}</ref>

British settlement of the area probably dates from late 1823, when a [[sheep station]] was formed on what is now the Acton Peninsula by James Cowan, the head stockman employed by [[Joshua John Moore]].{{sfn|Gillespie|1991|p=9}} 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 {{cvt|1000|acres|0}} at Canberry.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29891172 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728133212/http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/29891172 |url-status=live |archive-date=28 July 2013 |title=LETTERS. |newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=31 January 1934 |access-date=8 October 2012 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Other colonists soon followed Moore's example to take up land in the region. Around 1825, [[James Ainslie (pastoralist)|James Ainslie]], working on behalf of the wealthy merchant [[Robert Campbell (1769–1846)|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.<ref name="bluett" /> The area then became the property of Campbell and it was initially named [[Pialligo, Australian Capital Territory|Pialligo]] before Campbell changed it to the Scottish title of [[Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory|Duntroon]].<ref name="selkirk" />{{sfn|Gibbney|1988|p=48}}{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=9}} Campbell and his family built a [[dairy]] on the site in 1832, now regarded as the oldest standing European building in Canberra,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/duntroon-dairy/ |title=Duntroon Dairy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.canberratracks.act.gov.au/heritage-trails/track-2-the-limestone-plains/duntroon-dairy |title=Duntroon Diary |last= |first= |date=4 August 2022 |website=www.canberratracks.act.gov.au |publisher= |access-date=7 September 2024 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://exhibitions.cmag.com.au/dont-forget-the-milk/early-dairies-in-canberra |title=Early dairies in Canberra |website=Exhibitions}}</ref> followed by the imposing stone house that is now the officers' mess of the [[Royal Military College, Duntroon]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dha.gov.au/publications/australian-capital-territory.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318062335/http://www.dha.gov.au/publications/australian-capital-territory.pdf |archive-date=18 March 2012 |title=The Royal Military College, Duntroon |publisher=Defence Housing Australia |page=81 |access-date=13 May 2010}}</ref> The Campbells sponsored settlement by other farmer families to work their land, such as the Southwells of "[[Weetangera, Australian Capital Territory|Weetangera]]".{{sfn|Gibbney|1988|pp=87-95}}

Other notable early colonists included Henry Donnison, who established the [[Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory|Yarralumla]] estate—now the site of the [[Government House, Canberra|official residence]] of the [[Governor-General]] of Australia—in 1827, and John Palmer who employed Duncan Macfarlane to form the [[Jerrabomberra (district)|Jerrabomberra]] property in 1828. A year later, John MacPherson established the [[Springbank Island|Springbank]] estate, becoming the first British owner-occupier in the region.<ref name="selkirk" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article169144960 |title=Canberra and the Early Settlers |newspaper=[[The Sydney Mail|Sydney Mail]] |volume=XXXI |issue=789 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=11 May 1927 |access-date=24 May 2022 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/content.php?id=24 |title=Government House |publisher=Governor General of Australia |access-date=23 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719211832/http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/content.php?id=24 |archive-date=19 July 2008}}</ref>

The Anglican church of [[St John the Baptist Church, Reid|St John the Baptist]], in the suburb of Reid,{{sfn|Sparke|1988|p=116}} was consecrated in 1845, and is now the oldest surviving public building in the city.{{sfn|Gillespie|1991|p=78}}{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=17}} St John's churchyard contains the earliest graves in the district.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.australiancemeteries.com/act/stjohns.htm |last=Weatherill |first=David |year=2007 |title=Church of St John the Baptist Cemetery |publisher=The Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra |access-date=7 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403094643/http://www.australiancemeteries.com/act/stjohns.htm |archive-date=3 April 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> It has been described as a "sanctuary in the city",<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Randall |title=Sanctuary in the city: the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist Canberra |date=2012 |publisher=The Anglican Church of St John the Baptist, Canberra |isbn=9780646574455}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sanctuary in the City |url=https://www.stjohnscanberra.org/sanctuary-in-the-city |access-date=11 April 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727090422/https://www.stjohnscanberra.org/sanctuary-in-the-city |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Discover our territory |url=http://www.canberrahistory.org.au/discover.asp |website=Canberra History |publisher=Canberra & District Historical Society |access-date=22 April 2020 |archive-date=12 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912075512/http://www.canberrahistory.org.au/discover.asp |url-status=live}}</ref> It was built to educate local settlers children,<ref name="Nohra">{{cite news |last1=Danielle |first1=Nohra |title=New roof for Canberra's oldest church |url=https://citynews.com.au/2019/new-roof-for-canberras-oldest-church/ |access-date=22 April 2020 |publisher=City News (Canberra) |date=3 July 2019 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727075315/https://citynews.com.au/2019/new-roof-for-canberras-oldest-church/ |url-status=live}}</ref> including the Blundell children who lived in nearby [[Blundell's Cottage]].<ref name="Sue W">{{cite web |last1=W |first1=Sue |title=St John's Church & Schoolhouse Museum |url=https://www.weekendnotes.com/st-johns-church-and-school-house-museum-canberra/ |website=Weekend Notes |access-date=22 April 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727065911/https://www.weekendnotes.com/st-johns-church-and-school-house-museum-canberra/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

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]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rowley |first1=C.D. |title=The Destruction of Aboriginal Society |date=1970 |publisher=ANU Press |location=Canberra}}</ref><ref name=canb/>

===Creation of the nation's capital===
[[File:Parliamenthouse2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|right|The opening of [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] in May 1927]]
The district's change from a rural area in [[New South Wales]] to the national capital started during debates over [[Federation of Australia|federation]] in the late 19th century.{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=92}}{{sfn|Gillespie|1991|pp=220-230}} Following a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital,<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |title=The Oxford Companion to Australian History |editor1-last=Davison |editor1-first=Graeme |editor2-last=Hirst |editor2-first=John |editor3-last=Macintyre |editor3-first=Stuart |year=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=464–465, 662–663 |isbn=9780195535976}}</ref> a compromise was reached: the new capital would be built in New South Wales, so long as it was at least {{cvt|100|mi|km|-1}} from Sydney,{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=92}} with Melbourne to be the temporary seat of government while the new capital was built.{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|p=24}} A survey was conducted across several sites in New South Wales with [[Bombala]], southern [[Monaro (New South Wales)|Monaro]], [[Orange, New South Wales|Orange]], [[Yass, New South Wales|Yass]], [[Albury]], [[Tamworth, New South Wales|Tamworth]], [[Armidale]], [[Tumut]], and [[Dalgety, New South Wales|Dalgety]] all discussed.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Old Canberra and the search for a capital |last=Fitzhardinge |first=L. F. |publisher=Canberra & District Historical Society |year=1975 |isbn=0-909655-02-2 |page=27}}</ref> 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 the required territory as they did not accept the site.<ref name=":0" /> 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.{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=92}} Newspaper proprietor [[John Gale (journalist)|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 was decisive in the selection of Canberra as the site in 1908 as was a result of survey work done by the government [[surveying|surveyor]] [[Charles Scrivener]].{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=93}} The NSW government ceded the district to the federal government in 1911 and the [[Australian Capital Territory|Federal Capital Territory]] was established.{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=92}}
[[File:Sketch of canberra.jpg|thumb|The Griffins' plan for Canberra]]
An international design competition was launched by the Department of Home Affairs on 30 April 1911, closing on 31 January 1912. The competition 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.<ref name=tom>Tom Lawrence, "The competition for the plan of Canberra", in supplement "Australia - 100 Years a Nation", ''The Canberra Times'', 1 January 2001</ref> 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,{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=100}} O'Malley came down on 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.{{sfn|Gillespie|1991|p=178}}{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|pp=160-166}} Second was [[Eliel Saarinen]] of Finland and third was [[Alfred Agache (architect)|Alfred Agache]] of Brazil but resident in Paris, France.<ref name=tom/> O'Malley then appointed a six-member board to advise him on the implementation of the winning design. On 25 November 1912, 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.<ref name=tom/> However, it 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.{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|p=63}} 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&nbsp;March 1913,{{sfn|Gillespie|1991|p=303}}<ref>{{citation |url=http://aso.gov.au/titles/historical/naming-federal-capital/clip3/ |archive-date=17 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140217062840/http://aso.gov.au/titles/historical/naming-federal-capital/clip3/ |url-status=live |publisher=[[National Film & Sound Archive]] |work=Australian Screen |title=Naming the Federal Capital of Australia |year=1913}}</ref> [[Gertrude Denman, Baroness Denman|Lady Denman]], the wife of Governor-General [[Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman|Lord Denman]], announced that the city would be named "Canberra" at a ceremony at Kurrajong Hill,{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=103}}{{sfn|Australian Bureau of Statistics|1963}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px7vFz9HIK0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/Px7vFz9HIK0 |archive-date=28 October 2021 |title=View Naming the Federal Capital of Australia |website=[[YouTube]] |date=12 March 1913}}{{cbignore }}</ref> which has since become Capital Hill and the site of the present [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]].{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=105}} [[Canberra Day]] is a public holiday observed in the ACT on the second Monday in March to celebrate the founding of Canberra.<ref name=canb>{{cite web |url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/canberra/ |title=Canberra – Australia's capital city |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts |date=4 February 2010 |access-date=23 April 2010 |archive-date=10 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410090632/http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/canberra/}}</ref> After the ceremony, bureaucratic disputes hindered Griffin's work;{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|pp=70-71}} a Royal Commission in 1916 ruled his authority had been usurped by certain officials and his original plan was reinstated.{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=101}} Griffin's relationship with the Australian authorities was strained and a lack of funding meant that by the time he was fired in&nbsp;1920, little work had been done.{{sfn|National Capital Development Commission|1988|p=4}}{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|pp=69-79}} By this time, Griffin had revised his plan, overseen the earthworks of major avenues and established the Glenloch Cork Plantation.<ref name="act">{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=171 |title=History of the NCA |date=11 June 2009 |publisher=National Capital Authority |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212091704/https://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=171 |archive-date=12 February 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=26 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tams.act.gov.au/live/heritage/heritage_assets/duntroon_wollshed |title=Glenloch Cork Oak Plantation |publisher=Territory and Municipal Services |access-date=26 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721193100/http://www.tams.act.gov.au/live/heritage/heritage_assets/duntroon_wollshed |archive-date=21 July 2008}}</ref>

=== Development throughout 20th century ===
[[File:Canberra Government House.jpg|thumb|Canberra's [[Government House, Canberra|Government House]], the official residence of the [[Governor-General of Australia]]]]
[[File:CSIRO ScienceImage 11612 Parliament House Canberra.jpg|thumb|The land-axis aligns [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] (foreground) with [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] (background) ]]
The Commonwealth government purchased the pastoral property of [[Government House, Canberra|Yarralumla]] in 1913 to provide an official residence for the Governor-General of Australia in the new capital.<ref name="Australiana Fund">{{cite web |title=Government House |url=https://www.theaustralianafund.org.au/houses/government-house.html |publisher=The Australiana Fund |access-date=2 May 2020 |archive-date=18 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418201114/http://www.theaustralianafund.org.au/houses/government-house.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Renovations began in 1925 to enlarge and modernise the property.<ref>{{cite web |title=Government House |url=https://www.gg.gov.au/about-governor-generalgovernor-generals-official-residences/government-house |publisher=Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor General |access-date=2 May 2020 |archive-date=10 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310144051/https://www.gg.gov.au/about-governor-generalgovernor-generals-official-residences/government-house |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1927, the property was officially dubbed Government House.<ref name="Australiana Fund"/> On 9 May that year, the Commonwealth parliament moved to Canberra with the opening of the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Provisional Parliament House]].{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=130}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://moadoph.gov.au/blog/witness-to-history-the-opening-of-the-provisional-parliament-house-in-1927/ |title=Witness to history: the opening of the Provisional Parliament House in 1927 |publisher=Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House |author=Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513125119/http://moadoph.gov.au/blog/witness-to-history-the-opening-of-the-provisional-parliament-house-in-1927/ |date=12 April 2010 |archive-date=13 May 2013}}</ref> The [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[Stanley Bruce]] had officially taken up residence in [[The Lodge (Australia)|The Lodge]] a few days earlier.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/bruce/spouse.aspx |title=Ethel Bruce – Stanley Melbourne Bruce – Australia's PMs – Australia's Prime Ministers |publisher=[[National Archives of Australia]] |access-date=23 April 2010 |archive-date=11 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211195353/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/bruce/spouse.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|p=101}} Planned development of the city slowed significantly during the [[Great Depression in Australia|depression]] of the 1930s and during World War&nbsp;II.{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|pp=125-128}} Some projects planned for that time, including [[Roman Catholicism in Australia|Roman Catholic]] and [[Anglican Church of Australia|Anglican]] cathedrals, were never completed.{{sfn|Gibbney|1988|pp=116-126}} (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 is the only cathedral in Canberra.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-guides.com/australia-continent/australia/australian-capital-territory/canberra/canberra_churches.html |title=Canberra Churches and Cathedrals: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory - ACT, Australia |access-date=22 November 2021 |archive-date=29 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229075026/http://www.world-guides.com/australia-continent/australia/australian-capital-territory/canberra/canberra_churches.html |url-status=live}}</ref>)

From 1920 to 1957, three bodies — successively the [[Federal Capital Advisory Committee]],{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=115}} the [[Federal Capital Commission]],{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=128}} 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.<ref name=act/>{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|p=113}}

The largest event in Canberra up to World War II 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 [[Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie|Lord Gowrie]] for 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.<ref>Stephen Wilks, "The visitation of 1939", ''The Canberra Times'', 29 June 2000, p. 11</ref>

Immediately after the end of the war, Canberra was criticised for resembling a village and its disorganised collection of buildings was deemed ugly.{{sfn|Sparke|1988|p=6}}{{sfn|Sparke|1988|pp=1-3}}{{sfn|Sparke|1988|pp=7-9}} Canberra was often derisively described as "several suburbs in search of a city".<ref>{{Cite book |first=A. E. |last=Minty |editor1-last=Ackermann |editor1-first=William C. |editor2-last=White |editor2-first=Gilbert F. |editor3-last=Worthington |editor3-first=E. B. |title=Man-Made Lakes: Their Problems and Environmental Effects |chapter=Lake Burley Griffin, Australia |page=804 |year=1973 |publisher=American Geophysical Union}}</ref> Prime Minister [[Sir Robert Menzies]] regarded the state of the national capital as an embarrassment.{{sfn|Sparke|1988|p=30}} Over time his attitude changed from one of contempt to that of championing its development. He fired two ministers charged with the development of 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.{{sfn|Sparke|1988|pp=31-32}}{{sfn|Sparke|1988|pp=103-104, 145, 188, 323}} The population grew by more than 50&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent in every five-year period from 1955 to&nbsp;1975.{{sfn|Sparke|1988|pp=103-104, 145, 188, 323}} Several Government departments, together with public servants, were moved to Canberra from Melbourne following the war.{{sfn|Wigmore|1971|pp=111-120}} [[Public housing in the Australian Capital Territory|Government housing]] projects were undertaken to accommodate the city's growing population.{{sfn|Gibbney|1988|pp=230-242}}

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&nbsp;1964 after four years of work.{{sfn|Sparke|1988|pp=130-140}} The completion of the lake finally laid the platform for the development of Griffin's [[Parliamentary Triangle, Canberra|Parliamentary Triangle]].{{sfn|Sparke|1988|pp=170-180}} Since the initial construction of the lake, various buildings of national importance have been constructed on its shores.{{sfn|National Capital Development Commission|1988|p=18}}
[[File:Parliament House, National Library of Australia, Canberra, 2023.jpg|thumb|Various civic landmarks line [[Lake Burley Griffin]]. Pictured is the [[National Library of Australia|National Library]] and [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] (background)]]
The newly built [[Australian National University]] was expanded and sculptures as well as monuments were built.{{sfn|National Capital Development Commission|1988|p=18}}{{sfn|Sparke|1988|pp=173-174}} A new [[National Library of Australia|National Library]] was constructed within the Parliamentary Triangle, followed by the [[High Court of Australia|High Court]] and the [[National Gallery of Australia|National Gallery]].{{sfn|Sparke|1988|p=116}}{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=138}} Suburbs in [[Canberra Central]] (often referred to as [[North Canberra]] and [[South Canberra]]) were further developed in the&nbsp;1950s and urban development in the [[Suburbs of Canberra#Districts|districts]] of [[Woden Valley]] and [[Belconnen]] commenced in the mid and late 1960s respectively, followed by the district of [[Tuggeranong]] in the mid-1970s.{{sfn|Gibbney|1988|p=250}}{{sfn|Sparke|1988|p=180}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nca.gov.au/education/canberras-history/building-canberra-1958-1988# |title=Building Canberra from 1958-1988 |last= |first= |date= |website=www.nca.gov.au |publisher= |access-date=7 September 2024 |quote=}}</ref> Many of the new suburbs were named after Australian politicians such as [[Edmund Barton|Barton]], [[Alfred Deakin|Deakin]], [[George Reid|Reid]], [[Edward Braddon|Braddon]], [[John Curtin|Curtin]], [[Ben Chifley|Chifley]] and [[Henry Parkes|Parkes]].{{sfn|Universal Publishers|2007|p=6}}

On 9 May 1988, a larger and permanent Parliament House was opened on Capital Hill as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations.<ref name=pho/>{{sfn|Fitzgerald|1987|p=138}} The Commonwealth Parliament moved there from the Provisional Parliament House, now known as Old Parliament House.<ref name=pho>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/features/aph/page01.htm |title=Australian Parliament House – 10 Years On |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=5 May 1998 |access-date=23 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418161119/http://www.abc.net.au/news/features/aph/page01.htm |archive-date=18 April 2010}}</ref>

=== Self-government ===
In December 1988, the Australian Capital Territory was granted full self-government by the Commonwealth Parliament, a step proposed as early as 1965.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Buxton |first=David |date=1965 |title=Self-Government for the Australian Capital Territory? |journal=The Australian Quarterly |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=40–49 |doi=10.2307/20634023 |jstor=20634023 |issn=0005-0091 |hdl=1885/132092 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> Following the first election on 4 March 1989,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections/1989/timetable_89.html |title=Election timetable – 1989&nbsp;Election |publisher=Elections ACT |access-date=23 April 2010 |archive-date=28 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110328084555/http://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections/1989/timetable_89.html}}</ref> a 17-member [[Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] sat at temporary offices at 1&nbsp;Constitution Avenue, Civic, on 11 May 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legassembly.act.gov.au/education/fact-sheets.asp?nav=factsheet02#1 |title=Fact sheets |publisher=[[Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly for the ACT]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329130619/http://www.legassembly.act.gov.au/education/fact-sheets.asp?nav=factsheet02 |archive-date=29 March 2013 |access-date=23 April 2010}}</ref><ref name="ass">{{cite web |url=http://www.legassembly.act.gov.au/education/role-of-the-assembly.asp |title=Role of the Assembly |publisher=[[Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly for the ACT]] |access-date=23 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527141718/http://www.legassembly.act.gov.au/education/role-of-the-assembly.asp |archive-date=27 May 2010}}</ref> Permanent premises were opened on London Circuit in 1994.<ref name="ass" /> The [[Australian Labor Party]] formed the ACT's first government, led by the Chief Minister [[Rosemary Follett]], who made history as Australia's first female head of government.<ref name="state_el" /><ref>{{cite news |title=NSW boasts first female leadership team |url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/nsw-boasts-first-female-leadership-team-20091204-k94l.html |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Fairfax Media |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515212717/http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/nsw-boasts-first-female-leadership-team-20091204-k94l.html |archive-date=15 May 2012 |date=3 December 2009 |last=Jerga |first=Josh |access-date=13 January 2010}}</ref> The 1990s also saw urban development begin in the district of [[Gungahlin]] in the far north of the ACT.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lamberton |first=Hugh |date=19 October 1991 |title=Follett launches our fourth satellite |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/134160766 |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=Canberra Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://mygungahlin.com.au/about-gungahlin/ |title=About Gungahlin |website=My Gungahlin}}</ref>
[[File:The Skywhale and Skywhalepapa February 2021.jpg|thumb|The Skywhale and Skywhalepapa in 2021]]
Parts of Canberra were engulfed by [[2003 Canberra bushfires|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]].<ref name="Doogan">{{cite book |last=Doogan |first=Maria |title=The Canberra Firestorm: Inquests and inquiry into four deaths and four fires between 8 and 18 January 2003 |publisher=ACT Coroners Court |location=Canberra |access-date=7 June 2010 |date=December 2006 |volume=1 |url=http://www.courts.act.gov.au/BushfireInquiry/The_Canberra_Firestorm_Report/The%20Canberra%20Firestorm%20%28VOL%20I%29%20%28chapter%201%29.pdf |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090516030249/http://www.courts.act.gov.au/bushfireinquiry/The_Canberra_Firestorm_Report/The%20Canberra%20Firestorm%20(VOL%20I)%20(chapter%201).pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 May 2009}}</ref>

Throughout 2013, several events celebrated the 100th anniversary of the naming of Canberra.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://canberra100.com.au/about |title=About the Centenary of Canberra |publisher=Centenary of Canberra unit – ACT Government |access-date=8 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218210025/http://www.canberra100.com.au/about/ |archive-date=18 February 2013}}</ref> 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]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Sculpture as hot-air balloon - a whale of a commission |url=http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/cmcd/2013/sculpture-as-hot-air-balloon-a-whale-of-a-commission |work=Media release |publisher=ACT Chief Minister and Cabinet Directorate |access-date=12 May 2013 |archive-date=14 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514074711/http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/cmcd/2013/sculpture-as-hot-air-balloon-a-whale-of-a-commission |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''StellrScope'' by visual media artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Maher |first1=Louise |title=StellrScope: Swirling art and science |url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/08/06/3819290.htm |website=666 ABC Canberra |publisher=ABC |access-date=3 April 2017 |archive-date=4 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404045047/http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/08/06/3819290.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> On 7 February 2021, ''The Skywhale'' was joined by ''Skywhalepapa'' to create 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".<ref name="ABC 2021 New Skywhale hot air balloon">{{cite news |date=7 February 2021 |title=New Skywhale hot air balloon, Skywhalepapa, debuts in Canberra but unfavourable weather keeps sculpture on the ground |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-07/skywhalepapa-unveiled-in-canberra-at-national-gallery-australia/13127580 |access-date=7 February 2021 |archive-date=7 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207000809/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-07/skywhalepapa-unveiled-in-canberra-at-national-gallery-australia/13127580 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2014, Canberra was named the best city to live in the world by the [[OECD|Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]],<ref name=":3" /> and was named the third best city to visit in the world by [[Lonely Planet]] in 2017.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />