Meeting central

There are many reasons to visit Australia's capital and not all of them have to do with politics.

Follow this link to >> conference venues in Canberra

Behind Canberra's formal image is a city offering highlights of Australian art, science, technology and sport. At just 2400 square kilometres, the Australian Capital Territory packs a lot into a small space.Canberra is easy to access with highways linking Sydney, Melbourne and other regional centres, while the city's airport is just ten minutes from the CBD and services some 20,000 passengers a day. Direct flights link Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Albury, Newcastle, the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Canberra itself has some outstanding reasons for visiting. Boasting one of the country's best purpose-built convention centres; excellent five-star hotels, serviced apartments and boutique properties; award-winning restaurants serving the freshest produce sourced from around the region; and some of the country's most compelling museums and art galleries. Most can be utilised for conferences, seminars, functions and special events.

Parliament House and the old Parliament House that preceded it. The National Museum of Australia. The National Library of Australia. The National Gallery of Australia. The High Court of Australia. The Australian War Memorial. The Australian Institute of Sport. Each and every one is a fascinating place to explore as well as being a conference or special event venue in its own right.

As designed by American architect Walter Burley Griffin, Canberra ended up as a blueprint that was only ever partially realised. In essence, however, Canberra developed largely as Griffin envisaged. The Bush Capital, as it became known, grew from sheep paddocks into the international visitor destination it is today.