Houses of Parliament in Canberra and Washington D.C.

The Australian capital, Canberra, has much in common with the capital of the USA, Washington D.C. In both cases, the location was agreed as a compromise between two opposing interests: Sydney and Melbourne in the Australian case, Maryland and Virginia in the American one. Perhaps this is part of why the two cities have such a similar feel? They are both artificial constructs, built on land that would quite likely otherwise be largely uninhabited by humans.

The American Capitol seen from along the National Mall

The most obvious comparison to draw is the layout of the cities, focussed on a central avenue with key buildings at either end. In Washington, the Capitol is at one end of the National Mall: a broad, grassed boulevard that stretches in a straight line from Capitol Hill at one end to the Washington Memorial at the other (with the Lincoln Memorial and others between).

The Old Parliament Building and beyond as seen from the Australian War Memorial, Canberra

In Canberra, a much longer boulevard stretches from Parliament House at the top of Capital Hill to the Australian War Memorial. Unlike Washington, the Australian War Memorial is itself on a hill (Mt. Ainslie) and the boulevard is interrupted by a lake (Lake Burley Griffin). Furthermore, the modern day Parliament House in Canberra is very young, having been built as recently as 1988 (work began on the American Capitol in the late 18th century).

View of the front of Parliament House, Canberra

Canberra's Old Parliament building is closer to the lake but is exactly in line with the modern Parliament House and War Memorial.

View of the front of Old Parliament House, Canberra.

For many people from older countries, the idea of a planning to build a capital city from scratch, complete with boulevards stretching between important landmarks that are perfectly aligned with the compass, seems odd. Parliament buildings in places like London and Berlin are where they are because that's where the previous building was. And the one before that. And everything else will just jolly well have to fit around it! The German parliament building, the Reichstag, does have a boulevard stretching before it but Berlin does not have the same "obviously planned" layout as Canberra and Washington D.C.

The British and German parliaments, surrounded by roads and other buildings. Image sources: Palace of Westminster BBC, Reichstag Trip Advisor.