When the states were federated in 1901, Australia's Capital Territory (ACT) was created by the fathers of the country's constitution. Completely surrounded by the massive state of New South Wales, the tiny ACT's area totals only 100 sq. km (40 sq. m). It is a neutral location made for decision-making, and its capital, Canberra, is named from an ancient Aboriginal term for "meeting place".

In 1908, American architect Walter Burley Griffin won an international competition to design the modern city of Canberra, and his vision of a geometrical expanse filled with green spaces and cultural buildings resulted in the Parliamentary Triangle, which is located on two axes, both land and water. The man-made Lake Burley Griffin meanders through part of the space, and dotted among the triangle's carefully landscaped lawns are the Parliament House, the Old Parliament House, the National Gallery and the National Library. The nearby town of Kingston is the proud home of the Canberra Railway Museum, and the Canberra Observatory in Dickson studies the distinct stars of the southern hemisphere.