The National Triangle, which is referred to as the Parliamentary Triangle, is the ceremonial precinct of
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
, containing some of Australia's most significant buildings. The National Triangle is formed by
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
,
Kings
Kings or King's may refer to:
*Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings
*One of several works known as the "Book of Kings":
**The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts
**The ''Shahnameh'' ...
and Constitution Avenues. Buildings within the National Triangle have been located and designed intentionally for visual effect, and those of national significance are popular tourist attractions.
The National Triangle was a significant feature of
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia's capital city and the New South Wales towns of Griffith and Leeton. He has been cr ...
's Plan for Canberra. The apices of the triangle are
Parliament House, the seat of government; the Defence Headquarters at
Russell; and
City Hill, representing the civilian part of Canberra. Griffin planned the city around two axes which converge in the centre of the National Triangle. The land axis connects
Mount Ainslie,
Capital Hill and
Red Hill and extends off towards
Mount Bimberi the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding township#Aust ...
's highest mountain. The water axis runs at right angles to the land axis along the length of
Lake Burley Griffin.
The southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin bisects the National Triangle forming a smaller Triangle known as the Parliamentary Zone bounded by Kings and Commonwealth Avenues.
Consistent with Walter Burley Griffin's
Garden City design, the National Triangle is characterised by streets lined with large deciduous trees, and buildings set in expanses of grassed parkland. Consequently, it has a very open feel and buildings are located several minutes walk away from one another. It was Griffin's original intention for more grand government buildings to be located within the precinct, but these have not eventuated as yet.
Development within the National Triangle is strictly controlled by the
National Capital Authority, an agency of the Commonwealth Government (not the ACT Government) within the
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
Significant buildings and monuments
The area covered by the National Triangle corresponds largely with the suburb of
Parkes. Parliament House and
Old Parliament House are the most significant features within the National Triangle. Other buildings significant to the design and symmetry of the Triangle are the
High Court and the
National Gallery
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director ...
, located near Lake Burley Griffin, forward of Old Parliament House and to the east, and the
National Library and
Questacon located forward of Old Parliament House and to the west.
Commonwealth Place is located at the centre of the lakeshore and
Commonwealth Park and
Kings Park line the opposite shore of the lake.
Other significant buildings within the precinct include the
Department of the Treasury and the
John Gorton Building. The
National Carillon, a gift from the British government which marked 50 years since the establishment of Canberra, is located on
Queen Elizabeth II Island.
The
National Rose Garden is located beside old Parliament House and the
Aboriginal Tent Embassy is located in front of it.
Reconciliation Place, a monument to
reconciliation between Australia's
indigenous people and the
settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer.
Settle ...
population is located near the High Court. The
National Archives and 'West Block' – old departmental offices – are located behind the Old Parliament House near Kings Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue respectively. Other government departments, such as the
Attorney-General's Department and the
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet are located in the suburb of
Barton nearby.
Connection with Washington, D.C. and Brasília
There are similarities with the design of Canberra and that of
Washington, D.C. and
Brasília
Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
. The three cities consist of triangles that link up the House of Government with other monuments and important places.
Restaurants and recreation
The National Triangle has several dining and recreational facilities which cater to the large number of departmental employees, tourists and Canberra locals. Cafes are located in the National Gallery and National Library. 'The Lobby' located near Old Parliament House and the 'Café in the House' located within it, are restaurants popular with public servants. The Café in the House has recently developed into a trendy bar popular with younger public servants on Friday evenings. The 'Waters Edge' is a restaurant located in Commonwealth Place.
See also
*
Parliament Hill, Ottawa
External reference
Parliament Act 1974The National Capital Expands - NCAParliamentary Zone Info Sheet
References
{{Reflist
Canberra urban places
Landmarks in Canberra
Tourist attractions in Canberra