Editing Canberra (section)

=== 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" />