Canberra Historic Buildings and Places

One of Canberra’s treasured buildings is Old Parliament House. Situated between Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin, it is easily accessible and an appealing tourist attraction.

To see inside Old Parliament House, join an organised tour, or follow the simple maps and information sheets to guide your way through the building.

Built in the late 1920s, Old Parliament House was only intended as a temporary building but it was the home of the Nation’s Government until 1988.

Discover the ins and outs of Australia’s judicial system at the High Court of Australia, and learn about its key function of interpreting the law of Australia to decide cases of key significance.

Find out about the Nation’s legal history, and witness an important case by attending an open court where visitors get to observe important rulings being made.

Australian War Memorial is a tribute to the members of the arms forces who fought in the Commonwealth wars. The memorial sits at the end of ANZAC Parade, carefully positioned to overlook Canberra city and Parliament House.

The Australian War Memorial includes the Commemorative Area, the Hall of Memory with the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, the Memorial’s Galleries, the Research Centre, and Sculpture Garden.

Anzac Parade is the site used for ceremonial occasions including many major military memorials.

This location was included in the original city plans designed by Walker Burley Griffin.

Eucalypts line either side of this ceremonial throughway, leading through to Parliament House, with the rolling hills of Mount Ainslie as the site's backdrop.

National Carillon is situated on Aspen Island on the scenic Lake Burley Griffin, and was a gift from the British Government to the people of Australia.

Large by world standards, Australia’s National Carillon has a total of 55 bronze bells which weigh between seven kilograms and six tonnes.

Captain Cook Memorial Jet is positioned on the beautiful Lake Burley Griffin, and offers a spectacular sight, shooting water into the air up to 147 metres.

Created to celebrate the bicentenary of when Captain Cook discovered Australia’s East Coast, the jet was inaugurated in 1970 by Queen Elizabeth II.

A Memorial Globe has also been placed on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, detailing the route that Captain Cook took during his 3 voyages of discovery.

Discover the intriguing Hermit Caves - a group of rocky outcrop caves crafted into several distinct rooms by Italian migrant Valerio Ricetti.

Learn about the fascinating history of these caves that have been hand carved to create walk ways, gardens, terraces and a chapel.

Stretching across 1 kilometre the caves were Ricetti's residence during the 1920s through to the 1950s, providing him with his own private haven.

Blundells cottage is a little 1860 stone cottage that was built by the original settlers, prior to the establishment of the Nations Capital.

The city has been developed around the cottage, which now has views of Lake Burley Griffin’s banks, the High Court of Australia, and the National Gallery of Australia.

Join a tour of this historically significant museum house and gain an insight into life during the nineteenth century. View some of the original items of the cottage’s residents, and see the memorial of the pioneers of the limestone plains.