Australia Up Close Australia'S Capital City Shows Historical Face By DARREN McLEAN	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
キャンベラは見所がたくさん 親戚の結婚式に出るため、筆者は先月、週末を利用して家族でキャンベラに行ってきました。風格ある国会、戦争記念館、アボリジニのアートなど見所が多い都市で、筆者は出身地のゴールドコーストとはずいぶん違う雰囲気の首都を堪能しました。

Last month I escaped from university life for a weekend and traveled with my family down to Canberra, Australia's capital city and part of the Australian Capital Territory. It was a special occasion for my family as our relations traveled from all parts of Australia to celebrate my cousin's wedding there.

I flew from Brisbane Airport on Saturday morning with my parents, my sister Chelsea, who previously wrote "Australia Up Close," and my nanna and pop. Upon arrival in Canberra we reunited with uncles, aunts and long-lost relations I haven't seen in years.

Canberra is sometimes called the "bush capital" of Australia because it is set amongst Australia's green hills and rugged countryside. The surrounding bushland extends right into the city center with over half of Canberra being classified as national park or nature reserve.

Before the Canberra area was declared as the Australian Capital Territory in 1911, it was a large sheep station district established by early European settlers. It was then called "Canberry," after a local Aboriginal tribe.

Just like Paris, Canberra is a preplanned city. I was surprised to find that an international competition was held in 1911 to design Canberra, Australia's new capital city. More than 130 entries were received from all parts of the globe, the winning entry submitted by American landscape architect Walter Burley Griffin.

At the center of the city is Australia's Parliament House, set on Capital Hill. All major roads lead to Parliament House and are set on a North/South or East/West axis. There is also a series of ring roads around the city center, so if you are a tourist you will probably find yourself ending up where you started from.

Parliament House was opened in 1988 by Queen Elizabeth II, and replaced the Old Parliament House, which now serves as the National Art Gallery. The building itself is unique as it is built into the top of Capital Hill, allowing visitors to walk up the side and over the top of the government chambers. Rising above Parliament House is an 81-meter-high flag-post, which can be seen from most parts of the city.

Since Parliament House belongs to the Australian people it is open to the public every day of the year. During my short stay in Canberra, I took the opportunity to stroll through Australia's most significant building and see its history and impressive architecture.

I quickly discovered that Parliament House is a work of art in itself. The building's forecourt area is a mosaic painting designed by Aboriginal artist Michael Tjakamarra Nelson. The painting represents the sand painting tradition of the indigenous Australians. The most striking feature in the lobby area is a set of 48 marble columns with two crafted marble staircases on each side. All the surrounding walls are made from native Australian timber.

The main function room in Parliament House is the Great Hall, which has a vast tapestry work as its centerpiece. This tapestry was made by the famous Australian artist Arthur Boyd specially for its location in the Great Hall. It is only one of over 3,000 art works in Parliament House.

At the top of one marble staircase is the Parliament House Art Gallery. This is truly a walk through time for visitors as it displays an array of paintings and sculpture that are symbolic of Aus tralia's discovery, exploration and settlement.

Parliament House is the focal point of Australian political life. In Australia more news emanates from this location than from any other in the country.

My cousin's wedding ceremony was held in the Parliament House rose gardens. This was a beautiful setting for the couple to exchange their vows. Much to our despair rain set in at the end of the ceremony, and all the guests made a dash for cover. I suddenly realized why Canberra has such a bad reputation for its weather!

The most fascinating part of my trip to Canberra was visiting the National War Memorial. Here there are enormous plaques covering two long walls listing the names of all Australian soldiers killed in wars, and even a display of one of the original rowboats used by Australian soldiers to land on Gallipoli in 1915.

Unfortunately my two-day vacation and family reunion was over in a flash, but it is always good to return home to the sunshine, beaches and warm weather of the Gold Coast.

Shukan ST: April 9, 1999

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