Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

598
CHAPTER 13 . CANBERRA
The displays are well done, and there’s a film that provides an overview of the
city’s design.
On the lakeshore at Regatta Point in Commonwealth Park. & 02/6257 1068. Free admission. Daily
9am–6pm (5pm in winter).
National Gallery of Australia Linked to the High Court by a pedestrian
bridge, the National Gallery showcases both Australian and international art.
The permanent collection and traveling exhibitions are displayed in 11 separate
galleries. You’ll find paintings by big names such as Claude Monet and Jackson
Pollock, and Australian painters Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Arthur Streeton,
Charles Condor, Tom Roberts, and Albert Tucker. The exhibition of Tiwi
islander burial poles in the foyer is also interesting (the Tiwi Islands include
Melville and Bathurst islands off Darwin), and there’s a large collection of Aboriginal
bark paintings from central Australia. A sculpture garden surrounding
the gallery has 24 sculptures and is always open to the public.
Parkes Place. & 02/6240 6502. www.nga.gov.au. Free admission (except for major touring exhibitions). Daily
10am–5pm, closed Christmas. Guided tours daily at 11am and 2pm; free tour focusing on Aboriginal art Thurs
and Sun at 11am. Bus: 36 or 39 from Old Parliament House, or 34 from Parkes Place in front of the High Court.
National Museum of Australia This, the first official all-encompassing
museum dedicated to the nation of Australia, opened in 2001 to rave reviews.
Using state-of-the-art technology and hands-on exhibits, the museum is based on
three main themes: Australian society and its history since 1788; the interaction
of people with the Australian environment; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander cultures and histories. In reality it doesn’t so much rely on actual historic
objects to tell the stories of Australia but on images and sound. Allow a couple of
hours if it grabs you, and 30 minutes to rush around baffled if it doesn’t.
Acton Peninsula (about 5km/3 miles from the city center). & 1800/026 132 in Australia, or 02/6208 5000.
www.nma.gov.au. Free admission (fees for special exhibitions). Daily 9am–5pm.
Old Parliament House The seat of government from 1927 to 1988, the Old
Parliament House is now home to exhibitions from the National Museum and
the Australian Archives. The National Portrait Gallery is also here, and outside
on the lawn is the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, which was set up in 1972 in a bid
to persuade the authorities to recognize the land ownership claims of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people. The red, black, and yellow Aboriginal flag first
came to prominence here. Interestingly, the Australian Heritage Commission
now recognizes the campsite as a place of special cultural significance.
On King George Terrace, midway between the new Parliament House (see below) and the lake. & 02/6270
8222. www.oldparliamenthouse.gov.au. Admission A$2 (US$1.30) adults, A$1 (US65¢) children, A$5
(US$3.25) family. Daily 9am–5pm. Bus: 39.
Parliament House Conceived by American architect Walter Burley Griffin
in 1912, but only built in 1988, Canberra’s centerpoint was designed to blend
organically into its setting at the top of Capital Hill; only a national flag supported
by a giant four-footed flag pole rises above the peak of the hill. In good
weather, picnickers crowd the grass that covers the roof, where the view is
spectacular. Inside are more than 3,000 works of Australian arts and crafts,
and extensive areas of the building are open to the general public. Look for a
mosaic by Michael Tjakamarra Nelson entitled Meeting Place, which represents
a gathering of Aboriginal tribes; it can be found just inside the main
entrance. There’s also a 20m (66-ft.) long tapestry by Arthur Boyd in the Great
Hall on the first floor and one of the four known versions of the Magna Carta