National Capital Exhibition

The National Capital Exhibition at Regatta Point, beside Lake Burley Griffin, explains how Canberra was chosen and designed as Australia’s capital. Interactive displays, maps, videos and a light-up city model trace the plan by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, along with the city’s development. Historical photographs and artefacts add detail to the story. Admission is free, and the lakeside path makes it easy to continue your visit outdoors. There is also a small theatre for audiovisual presentations about Canberra.

How Canberra became the capital

The exhibition tells the story of Canberra’s creation as Australia’s national capital. Its displays explain the decision to establish a new city and the process of choosing its site and design. An international competition was held to find a plan, and Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin’s design was selected in 1912.

The competition and the Griffins’ plan help make sense of Canberra’s layout. The exhibition follows the city from its original concept through its development into the capital visitors see today. It also covers details of the city’s beginnings, including how Canberra got its name and where the bricks used to build it were made.

Models, maps and early Canberra

A light-up scale model of the city is one of the central ways to understand the Griffins’ design. It shows the layout while explaining the thinking behind the plan. Interactive displays, maps and videos add context, so you can follow the city’s development at your own pace.

Historical photographs and artefacts offer a closer look at Canberra’s early years and the people and decisions involved in its formation. The presentation is compact, with information arranged to make the story of the planned city clear without requiring a long visit.