Back in Canberra

As I didn't get to see some of my friends when I was previously in Canberra I'm back here again and thankfully it is better timing for some of my friends this time.  And of course, being back here also gives me the opportunity to visit some more of my favourite places here in Canberra.

The National Carillon was a gift from the British government to the people of Australia and Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the 50 metre tall National Carillon in 1970.

Carillons must have at least 23 bells to be considered as such, and the National Carillon has 55.  Each bell weighs between seven kilograms and six tonnes.  The bells span four and a half octaves chromatically.  The carillon is on regular use, chiming every quarter hour and playing a short tune on the hour along with tours and recitals on many days.  I was lucky to be here for a free concert one afternoon - so I guess you could say this was view I had from my 'seat' (which was relaxing on a picnic blanket underneath).

The National Museum of Australia, another lovely place to spend some time.

This big flagpole, on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, was a gift to Australia from the Canadian Government and the Canadian timber industry.  It is a single spar of douglas fir, 39 metres tall with three metres in the ground and 36 metres freestanding.  When logged from a forest in British Columbia, it weighed 7.1 tonnes. The Canadian Flag is raised each year on Canada Day.

The High Court of Australia is the highest court in the Australian judicial system and this beautiful building was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1980.

The Public Hall is where you first enter, a large area with a 24 metre high ceiling.

The building contains three courtrooms of different sizes which are used for different purposes.  Courtroom 1, the largest of the three, is used on all ceremonial occasions and for all cases where a Full Bench of the seven Justices of the Court is required to sit. 

Several major works of art have been included in the building design.  This work represents the recognition of traditional Aboriginal law by the broader Australian legal system and is absolutely one of my favourites.  The artist is Rosella Namok, Today now...we all got to go by the same laws.  This is the artist's explanation of her work:

"When I look in the middle...it's hard...hard for me to think, to talk 'proper English'.

Look inside middle...before time...then go look, go outside...that's Australia today.

Inside middle...before time...there was strong law.  People...they would know what way they belong...it was really strong those days...strong....tradition...culture...people...country...law.  Strong and straight...everyone knew it...everyone followed it.

Then people come from over the world...every place different...got own laws...own culture.

Today now...we all got to go by same laws...but...that traditional law...it's still there underneath."

National Library of Australia - Australia's largest reference library

Looking across Lake Burley Griffin to the Australian War Memorial

Rundle Mall in Adelaide has its pigs and Civic Centre in Canberra has sheep

Nighttime at Lake Burley Griffin 

Old Parliament House, known formerly as the Provisional Parliament House, was the seat of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988.  The building began operating in 1927 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament after its relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra, until a more permanent building could be constructed.  In 1988, the Commonwealth Parliament transferred to the new Parliament House on Capital Hill.  Today Old Parliament House is open to the public to tour and it also serves as a venue for temporary exhibitions, lectures and concerts.

King's Hall

 House of Representatives Chamber

 Senate Chamber

The Prime Minister's Office/Suite in Old Parliament House

Beautiful gardens surround Old Parliament House

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a semi-permanent assemblage claiming to represent the political rights of Aboriginal Australians.  It is made up of a group of activists, signs and tents that reside on the lawn of Old Parliament House.  It is not considered an official embassy by the Australian Government.  In 1972, four Aboriginal men arrived in Canberra from Sydney to establish the Aboriginal Embassy by planting a beach umbrella on the lawn in front of Parliament House (now Old Parliament House).  The Embassy was established in response to the Government's refusal to recognise Aboriginal land rights.  The beach umbrella was soon replaced by several tents and Aboriginal people and non-indigenous supporters came from all parts of Australia to join the protest. During the first six months of its life in 1972 the Embassy succeeded in uniting Aboriginal people throughout Australia in demanding uniform national land rights and mobilized widespread non-indigenous support for their struggle.  Over the years, arson attacks have damaged or destroyed some of the structures on the site however, in 1995 the Australian Heritage Commission registered the Embassy site on the National Estate and in 2012 the Aboriginal Tent Embassy celebrated its 40th anniversary, making it Australia’s longest standing site of political agitation.  The Aboriginal Tent Embassy has become a lasting symbol of Aboriginal unity on land rights and sovereignty.

Parliament House, the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, opened in 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia.  The design involved burying most of the building under Capital Hill, and capping the edifice with an enormous spire topped by a large Australian flag.  The façades, however, included deliberate imitation of some of the patterns of the Old Parliament House, so that there is a slight resemblance despite the massive difference of scale.

 The Marble foyer

 House of Representatives

 Senate

 The 101 metre flag mast on the roof of Parliament House

And what would a trip to Australia be without going to an Aussie Rules Footie game?  Greater Western Sydney Giants (GWS Giants), who representing Western Sydney and Canberra, were playing their first pre-season game here in Canberra at Manuka Oval.  Unfortunately the Giants were soundly beaten, by the Western Bulldogs, but it was still fun to be at the game!

The Canberra Show was on while I was here, and although (as everyone knows) I'm very much a city girl, it's still fun to bring out my 'country side' every once and a while.

Some very cute alpacas 

 First place winners in cookie decorating,

 a fruit and vegetable collage

and cake decorating

I loved watching these sheep dogs show off their skills:

My last afternoon here found me with friends at a place called Lanyon Homestead, an historic homestead, just outside of the city proper.  The site was first occupied following white settlement by Timothy Beard, who depastured cattle on the Limestone Plains as early as 1829. Beard had been transported to Australia for life and arrived in the colony in 1806.  After receiving his pardon he entered the pastoral industry as a squatter.  In 1834 the land was granted to James Wright and John Lanyon and together with convicts from Sydney who had been assigned to them, they established a home farm to provide food, built a small house and huts for the convicts, and a kitchen and barn both of which still stand today.

In 1849 a new homestead was built, and an addition was added on to it in 1905.  This entire original homestead remains today.

The whole homestead is located in the heart of the classic Canberra landscape of great natural beauty.