Quick, quick, what’s the capital of Australia? Huh? Huh?
If you answered ‘Sydney’ YOU’RE WRONG.
It’s Canberra. About two hours’ drive inland and southish of Sydney.
I live in Canberra. Sort of. Just across the border. But if I tell you the name of my village you won’t know where that is. So I just say I live in Canberra, unless I’m in a place where Canberrans aren’t welcome, and then I saw I’m from country New South Wales. Fortunately we don’t have to drive around Australia with ACT (Australian Capital Territory) on our numberplates. I’ve heard that gives you grief.
Our small village is just down the road from Yass, which Americans — apparently — find funny.
Another hint: It’s not Scabby Range, Mount Fairy, or Dog Trap Road and it’s not Goorooyarroo either, though I’d pay good money just to have that as my address.
How does your home town rate in fiction?
Canberra doesn’t fare so well, nor in travel memoirs come to think of it. You rarely read from authors waxing lyrical about the place. Instead you get something like:
Nick stayed overnight in Adelaide. He had another press conference in Canberra the following day and was booked on a commercial flight early in the morning. He could have flown out that afternoon but he preferred to spend as little time in Canberra as possible – he found it a sterile place.
- Judy Nunn, from Maralinga
By the way, this is Judy Nunn:
Yep. Ailsa from Home and Away also writes fiction.
My favourite description of Canberra is from a travelogue by Bill Bryson:
“I glanced at my watch, appalled to realize it was only ten minutes after ten, and ordered another beer, then picked up the notebook and pen and, after a minute’s thought, wrote, “Canberra awfully boring place. Beer cold, though.” Then I thought for a bit more and wrote, “Buy socks.” . . . Then I decided to come up with a new slogan for Canberra. First I wrote, “Canberra — There’s Nothing to It!” and then “Canberra — Why Wait for Death?”"
- from In A Sunburned Country
Bryson then describes how every street corner looks the same. What he doesn’t mention is the by-law in Canberra, in which companies aren’t allowed to stick signage on roads because, well, they’re ugly, and detract from that ‘country town’ feel.
This is all well and good, except when you can’t find a place. I drove up and down a very long road one time searching for The Hilton. No signage. No masses of people to ask, either, this being a ‘country capital’ and all, but I eventually gate-crashed a Perisan carpet exhibition and sure enough, all the Canberrans know exactly where it is. (Right next to the Persian carpet exhibition, as it happens.) So I have to agree, Canberra is a bastard of a place to get lost in.
