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The history of Canberra is said to have passed through various stages of development.
The different phases of Canberra history are:
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Historical evidence reveals that this Australian Capital Territory was inhabited by the primitive Nugunnwal and Walgalu tribes. Different kinds of artifacts have been excavated from the primitive caves of Mt Tenant region which confirm the existence of primitive men in those areas.
European exploration, which began during the 1820's are significant in Canberra history. Eminent explorers have led major expeditions and the first areas explored were the Molonglo river which is the present day Lake Burley Griffin.European settlement began from 1824. The first homestead or station was built under the supervision of Joshua John Moore. He named his property Canberry or Canberra. Further, this led to the settlement of different eminent and influential white families.
The development of Canberra as an important Australian Capital Territory began in the early 20th century. There was a controversy whether to choose Melbourne or Sydney as the capital city. As a peaceful solution to this debate it was decided that though Melbourne would be a temporary capital, a new capital city in between Sydney and Melbourne would be constructed. Finally in 1911, a competition was held for designing the layout of Canberra, the new capital city. Finally, Walter Burley Griffin's design layout for the new city was selected. History of Canberra suggests that this capital city experienced a sudden spurt of development Post World War II.
