Are you thinking of making the move to Canberra? It’s normal to feel a mix of emotions when you’re preparing to move from one city to another. Canberra is no different in this respect no matter where you are moving from. However, Canberra has many idiosyncrasies specific to the bush capital, from Canberra schools to correctly registering your vehicle. With many moving to Canberra, below is part one of a comprehensive guide to life in one of the world’s most livable cities.
A short history
The planning process for Canberra culminated in 1913 when it was officially named the capital city of Australia. Prior to the naming of the city, a hotly contested competition for its design was won by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahoney Griffin. This design has come to be known as one of the great planned city blueprints of the 20th century. The city was designed to sit centrally within the three mountains of Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie and Mugga Mugga, with a man made lake in the middle. Canberra is divided by this man made lake, now known as Lake Burley Griffin, marking the boundary between North and South Canberra. There is a playful rivalry between citizens on either side of the lake.
Canberra was first built to house members of parliament, as well as the associated public service. It was initially planned for a maximum population of 25,000 although that number grew quite rapidly over the years and the city is now home to over 450,000 people. Interestingly, Canberra has had the highest growth rate of any city in Australia over the past ten years.
Lifestyle
Canberra is a great place to live. RealEstate.com.au recently listed Canberra as the most liveable city within the entire country. The benefits of living in Canberra are many:
- A small country town vibe coupled with a city aesthetic. While we have the countries’ highest growth rate, our population is relatively small compared to many of the other capital cities in Australia.
- Hardly any traffic – you can travel from one side of Canberra to the other within a matter of 35 minutes, which makes battling traffic a non-issue in comparison to getting around in larger cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. You can have the city life one day and then venture out into nature and explore the bushwalks and other natural attractions right at your doorstep.
- An up and coming dining scene that is vibrant and full of flavour and diversity.
- Canberra is a truly multicultural city, with more than 30% of its population coming from overseas. We celebrate this diversity and welcome everyone here in Canberra.
- Canberra is home to many of Australia’s cultural institutions such as Parliament House, the National Gallery of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, the National Library of Australia and many more.
- Entertainment and the Arts form a large part of Canberra’s culture. Each year, Canberra hosts annual events that draw in crowds from all over the country and overseas such as Floriade and Summernats. The National Gallery of Australia also hosts some of the world’s best artistic work from the likes of Monet, Van Gogh and many more. You can also listen to some quality live music played by local musicians who form part of a vibrant local music scene.
- A great coffee scene. One of our coffee shops has won the best coffee barista title in Australia.
- Canberra has the highest average income and lowest unemployment rate of any city inAustralia
Community and Safety
Canberra is one of the safest cities in Australia, with crime rates being remarkably low compared to other cities around Australia. Before you choose a suburb to live in Canberra, check out the Canberra suburbs ranked by crime rates. Australian Federal Policing takes care of Canberra’s policing services under ACT Policing. ACT Policing partners with community organisations that helps support the Canberra community in multiple ways:
- Crime Stoppers
- Neighbourhood Watch
- Scamwatch
- SupportLink
- The Canberra Police Community Youth Club (PCYC)
The Canberra community is vast and diverse and has been known to help one another out during times of hardship Local television stations WIN News and ABC News report on local matters that affect Canberrans. For further community support, you can access help from Communities at Work who are Canberra’s largest not-for-profit community organisation. There are also Facebook groups such as the Canberra Notice Board where you can share questions or tips and tricks about Canberra and have them answered from multiple perspectives.
Weather and Climate
Canberra has a very distinct four seasons all year round. The average summertime temperature is about 28 °c degrees,Although we have been known to have some days as hot as 43° c degrees in the midst of a heatwave. During the winter, the average temperature is a maximum of 11 °c degrees but has been known to dip to below zero degrees on some of the coldest days of the year. A much cherished activity during autumn and spring is to walk around Lake Burley Griffin.
While Canberra gets very brisk, cold mornings and days during winter, it doesn’t typically snow. We have been known to have a sprinkling from time to time but never enough to play in and it usually disappears as soon as it hits the ground. If the snow is your thing, the benefit of living in Canberra means that you will be a short 3 hours away from the ski fields such as Thredbo, Perisher and Selwyn Snow Resort.
Education
According to The Canberra Times in 2018, Canberra is home to the most educated population in the country with 72 percent of Canberrans having completed secondary schooling and 25 percent of people living in Canberra having completed a bachelor’s degree. With Canberra having a large number of universities around town as well as the public sector, it’s no surprise to many that Canberra is home to some of the most educated people around the country.
Canberra has over 230 different education institutions to choose from when it comes to education for our adolescent population. The Canberra education system however, is different compared to the other territory and states in terms of naming conventions and different schooling options. It’s important to understand the system in Canberra if you have children of enrolment age or if you’re planning on having children in Canberra. If you’re moving to Canberra with children, it is recommended that as soon as you know where you will be residing in Canberra, you should submit an online enrolment form to your local school (if you choose to go public) You can use the ACT Schools Map to determine where your local school will be.
There are three different types of schools in Canberra to choose from:
- Government schools (otherwise known as public schools)
- Non-Government schools (otherwise known as independent schools)
- Specialist schools (specialised education for students with disabilities)
Enrolments into ACT public schools open the year before at the end of April and closes the same year at the beginning of June.
Preschool (Early Childhood Education for four year olds)
The Canberra education system formally starts from the age of four when children start preschool, which is mandatory for children in the Australian Capital Territory. If your child turns four before 30 April, they are eligible for preschool that year, with any child with a fourth birthday after 30 April, being enrolled into preschool the following year. This system is then continued throughout the schooling system until year 12. In the ACT, every four year old child is guaranteed a spot in a public preschool, though due to capacity numbers that vary from school to school, a child cannot be guaranteed a spot at your local preschool of choice as the capacity is based on a first come, first serve basis. The ACT Government Education office recommends children be enrolled into preschools for their local primary school to allow children the easier transition into primary school. If your child attended preschool within your local Priority Enrolment Area primary school, your child will automatically be enrolled into the kindergarten at the same school the following year.
Primary School (Kindergarten to Year 6)
Primary school education starts from kindergarten which is otherwise known as preparatory (prep) in some other states. Primary school goes until year 6 which ends when students are twelve years old. To start kindergarten, your child must be already five years old or turning five before 30 April. Any child with a birthday after 30 April that year, will have to start kindergarten the following year instead. Every child is guaranteed a place within their local public school around their suburb, though in instances where you do not want to or legally cannot enrol your child into the local public school, you can apply for an out of area school. There is no guarantee that your child will be accepted into the out of area school of your choice, with the outcome depending on a strict and specific criteria.
High School (Year 7 to Year 10)
In Canberra, high school begins from Year 7 which is no different to any other territory or the states. However in Canberra, high school ends at Year 10 compared to some of the states where high school goes all the way to Year 12. Year 7 is known as an introductory year into high schooling where students can try out options within the school curriculum that will help them choose how best they want to utilise their knowledge and interest in years to come. In the public school system and some independent schools, you have to transition to another school after Year 10 for further education. At the end of year 10, students will receive their Year 10 Certificate and a High School Record that details the programs and units that the student has studied during Year 9 and Year 10.
College (Secondary College for Year 11 to Year 12)
College within Canberra is specific for teaching Year 11 and Year 12 students and preparing them for their future careers once they finish Year 12. Students can choose to study Tertiary subjects or Accredited subjects which will influence their path once they finish school. When a student studies Tertiary subjects/units are designed to prepare students for higher education such as university where a certain Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) score is required to gain entrance into courses. Accredited subjects refers to vocational education that can be used towards careers that require certification but not necessarily a university degree in the future. From accredited subjects, students can choose to do School Based Apprenticeships in areas such as carpentry, hairdressing, electrical and childcare. During their time at College, students are expected to act with maturity and make decisions for themselves around their goals and assessments. Each College has differing opportunities in terms of course offerings and this should be considered when deciding on what College is best for your young adult and what subjects they would like to study outside of the core subjects. At the end of Year 12, students will be given a Year 12 Certificate and a ACT Senior Secondary Statement of Achievement that details the programs and units the student has undertaken during Year 11 and Year 12.
Higher Education
Canberra is home to five universities, including the Australian National University (ANU), the University of Canberra (UC), the Australian Catholic University (ACU), the University of New South Wales – Canberra (UNSW) and Charles Sturt University. Some of these universities have won awards for their ranking around Australia and around the globe. The Australian National University has an enviable reputation of being the top university not only in Australia but Oceania as well, while the University of Canberra is one of the top 10 universities in Australia and the number one choice for graduate employment in the ACT.
For those students that wish to continue their tertiary education with a more vocational emphasis, the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is a viable option, being the local version of Technical and Further Education (TAFE).It provides vocational education in a variety of courses that range from business, creative, construction, early childhood education and many more. In some professional contexts, a qualification from CIT is more highly regarded than a university degree as they largely offer hands-on courses and on the job experience.
If you liked this article on Moving to Canberra, you can keep reading on in this mini series with our next part on the cost of living, transport, housing and jobs.