White settlement in the area can be said to have begun in 1824, when a homestead or station was built in what is now the Acton peninsula.  Other stations were built in turn by other settlers.  The European population in the Canberra area continued to slowly grow throughout the rest of the 19th century.  The Aboriginal population dwindled as the European presence increased, mainly from diseases such as smallpox and measles.  By 1878, the Aboriginal culture and population had largely ceased to exist, with its members largely absorbed into European culture through half-caste marriages. "Queen Nellie" Hamilton, said to be the last full-blood Aboriginal in the Canberra region, died in Queanbeyan in 1897.

The district's change from a New South Wales rural area to the national capital began during debates over Federation in the early 20th century.  After an extensive search, the present site, about 300 kilometres south-west of Sydney in the foothills of the Australian Alps, was chosen in 1908.  An international competition was held in 1911 to select a design for the layout of the city. An American architect, Walter Burley Griffin, won the competition in 1913.  His idea was to divide the city into two parts using a lake as a dividing point. The sections divided into were: the civilisation part and the governmental part.  The name of Canberra was eventually settled upon. At midday on March 12, 1913 the city was officially given this name.

Canberra is a fantastic base from which to explore the many treasures of the surrounding region. The region offers historic townships, natural wonders, beautiful coastlines and the famous Snowy Mountains. 

So allow enough time to linger longer and enjoy all the nation’s capital has to offer.

To find out more about Canberra and the surrounding regions, visit