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About the Canberra & Goulburn Region

Canberra ACT

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was established in 1911 to create a capital for the newly federated country of Australia.

Located on the ancient lands of the Indigenous Ngunnawal people, Canberra’s name is thought to mean “meeting place’.

European settlers first came in the 1830s, and the area was chosen for the federal capital in 1908. An international design

competition was held in 1912 for the design of Canberra. The winner was Walter Burley Griffin

and in 1927 a provisional Parliament House was opened.

Canberra, the urban-rural capital has the best of both worlds. A thriving modern city with all the amenities interspersed

with large areas of undeveloped National Park. The population of Canberra is about 325 000 and continuing to grow.

The surrounding region offers more than 30 wineries historic townships, beautiful coastlines and the famous Snowy Mountains.

Click here for more information on Canberra

Goulburn NSW

The area that has since become the City of Goulburn was passed in 1818 by surveyor John Meehan and Hamilton Hume.

The Goulburn Plains were named after the Secretary of State for War and Colonies, Henry Goulburn

and settlers started arriving in 1825. From the 1830’s Goulburn was the centre for police operation in the southern region

(the Police College remains today). In 1863 the town was the last in the British Empire to become a city by virtue of a

Royal Letters Patent, creating a Bishopric.

The current population of Goulburn is about 22 500 with another 15 000 living in the surrounding districts.

Click here for more information on Goulburn

The Diocese also covers areas of Southern NSW, the South Coast and the Snowy Mountains.

For more information on the regions click the links below.

South Coast NSW        Snowy Mountains       Visit NSW

_{Information from visitcanberra.com and goulburn.nsw.gov.au/tourism}