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2013: Canberra's centenary year



Canberra, the capital of Australia, turns 100 on March 12 this year.
A hundred years ago, Australia’s entire population was just 4,800. Now it’s almost 22 million. Canberra was home to the Ngunnawal, Ngarigo, Wandandian, Walgulu, Wiradjuri, and Gandangara people, long before Europeans settled in the area, and now has 367,752 citizens (July 31, 2012), making it the eighth largest city in Australia.
Canberra will celebrate its centenary year with activities throughout 2013. It commenced with a free family concert and party to ring in the New Year with fireworks. The 9:00pm fireworks had a Japanese-inspired cherry blossom theme, while the midnight display ended with a 100 fireworks salute.
Creative Director of the Centenary of Canberra, Robin Archer, announced 100 “journeys of contemplation and investigation” for 2013. This will include promoting historical themes and projects around the capital’s architecture and design, not just in terms of buildings. The year celebrates sport, culture, local produce, stores, exhibitions, people, places, performances – over the past 100 years and into the future - with memorabilia and memories.
This year will also celebrate 100 years of writing by Canberra authors. In addition, the annual National Multicultural Festival aims to be a grand affair this year, to be held from February 8-10. It will include the return of the 'Indigenous Showcase' at the festival highlighting a performance by singer and guitarist G Yunupingu, the return of the Fringe Festival, and the Food and Dance Spectacular with local, national, and international cuisine.
The new Centenary Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be completed in 2013 and there will also be a special centenary-themed birth certificate for all children born in the Australian Capital Territory in 2013.
Centenary of Canberra events are listed at www.canberra100.com.au



Note: G Yunupingu died at the Royal Darwin Hospital on 25 July 2017 at the age of 46. He was described as 'the greatest voice this continent [Australia] has ever recorded' - he had performed for the United States President Barack Obama, the Pope, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. 


 

 

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MARTINA NICOLLS  is an international human rights-based consultant in education, healing and wellbeing, peace and stabilization, foreign aid audits and evaluations, and the author  of: The Paris Residences of James Joyce  (2020), Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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