Kings Avenue is a road in

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 ...

which goes between New Parliament House (), across

Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River, which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle, was dammed. It is named after Wal ...

at the Kings Avenue Bridge (), to Russell near the Australian-American Monument. ().

Route

It begins at State Circle around Capital Hill and forms the border between the suburbs of

Parkes Parkes may refer to: * Sir Henry Parkes (1815–1896), Australian politician, one of the earliest and most prominent advocates for Australian federation Named for Henry Parkes * Parkes, New South Wales, a regional town * Parkes Observatory, a radi ...

and Barton. It passes the

National Archives of Australia The National Archives of Australia (NAA), formerly known as the Commonwealth Archives Office and Australian Archives, is an Australian Government agency that serves as the national archives of the nation. It collects, preserves and encourages ...

Robert Garran Sir Robert Randolph Garran (10 February 1867 – 11 January 1957) was an Australian lawyer who became "Australia's first public servant" – the first federal government employee after the federation of the Australian colonies. He served as th ...

offices, Edmund Barton Building, Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Bowen Place and Kings Park. It ends at the intersection with Russell Drive. Significant roads off it include: National Circuit; King George Terrace and King Edward Terrace within the

Parliamentary Triangle The National Triangle, which is referred to as the Parliamentary Triangle, is the ceremonial precinct of Canberra, containing some of Australia's most significant buildings. The National Triangle is formed by Commonwealth, Kings and Constitutio ...

; and, to the north of the Lake,

Way, the major thoroughfare from the Canberra airport to the city. The road was originally named Federal Avenue by the architect 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 ...

. Principal roads in

are laid out in a geometrical pattern when viewed on a map. One of the predominant features forming this geometry is Capital Hill with major roads (Avenues) emanating radially from it. Two of these roads form the

incorporating bridges crossing Lake Burley Griffin.

wanted to name these major avenues with grand names reflecting the reason for the creation of the city with the names Commonwealth Avenue and Federal Avenue. The government had different ideas; it renamed the road after the

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

at the time

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

. The act of renaming the road from Federal Avenue to Kings Avenue gives rise to two interpretations of the name of Commonwealth Avenue. Rather than the name of the new nation "

Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

" and "Federal Avenue" for the federation of the states that formed that nation, the interpretation is now "Commonwealth Avenue" for the Commonwealth of British Colonies and "Kings Avenue" for the

of that

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 ...

, violating Griffin's original intent. The speed limit on Kings Avenue is 60 km/h from the State Circle end to the southwestern side of Kings Avenue Bridge. The speed limit over the bridge and up to the Parkes Way overpass is 80 km/h. The avenue is a property on the Australian edition of board game

Monopoly (game) ''Monopoly'' is a multi-player economics-themed board game. In the game, players roll two dice to move around the game board, buying and trading properties and developing them with houses and hotels. Players collect rent from their opponents, a ...

References

Streets in Canberra {{Australia-road-stub

Route

See also

References