Australian Capital Territory historical timeline

Origins

Ngunnawal people have lived here for more than 20,000 years, and the Namadgi ranges hold occupation sites and rock art. The name Canberra is generally understood to derive from a Ngunnawal word for meeting place.

Turning points

Federation in 1901 left the capital question unresolved between Sydney and Melbourne. The constitution settled it by requiring a new capital in New South Wales at least 100 miles from Sydney; the site was chosen in 1908 and the Territory excised in 1911.

Influential people

Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, Chicago architects, won the 1912 design competition. Marion Mahony Griffin drew the renderings that won it, and her contribution went largely uncredited for most of a century.

Cultural evolution

Building stalled through two wars and the Depression; the lake was not filled until 1963, and Parliament House took until 1988. The city visitors see is barely two generations old.

Present-day significance

Government, defence and higher education carry the Territory, which has the highest median income and education level in the country.