Well, finally, it’s time to say farewell to Canberra. Our home for the last four years. It’s not the first time we’ve lived in a planned, administrative capital, but Washington was different, and older. While we were here, Canberra celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013, with many events and exhibitions. It was a reminder of the extraordinary achievement in creating a new capital for a young nation out of sheep pastures in the bush.
Canberra’s architects, Walter and Marion Burley Griffin, were pioneers of the “garden city” approach, creating a lake and taking full advantage of Canberra’s landmark hills, which have all been kept as nature reserves. It’s a really beautiful natural setting, particularly in Spring and Autumn – though it gets surprisingly cold in winter (many Brits don’t realise Australia even has a winter, but it’s not all shrimps on the barbie). Most mornings when I’m in Canberra, Sarah and I get up early and go for a walk around the lake. We can pretty well guarantee to see a mob of kangaroos which, even after four years, I still find pretty cool. It’s useful as most of our visitors demand an opportunity to see Australia’s iconic marsupial.
Canberra is home to great national institutions, museums and galleries. And of course the Australian War Memorial, which I have visited so many times for national acts of remembrance, laying a wreath of poppies on behalf of Britain to honour past sacrifice.
At its centre is the Parliament building. A striking edifice with a grass covered sloping roof, topped with a giant Australian flag. On the weeks that Parliament is sitting, it’s a hive of feverish activity. Today has been particularly good example of that, with a spill motion on the Liberal leadership! I regularly go up to call on Ministers (who base themselves there, rather than in their departments) and backbenchers. And on several occasions I’ve been invited to appear before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.
Our High Commission houses around 40% of our Australian staff, with a much wider range of functions than our consulates which focus on trade & investment and consular work. Our Residence, Westminster House, which stands atop a hill with splendid views, is a great place to host events for parliamentarians, officials and visitors from the UK. Sarah estimates that we have had over 5,000 people through our doors in the last four years.
But of course the thing we will remember most is the friends we made here, particularly among the public servants who comprise much of Canberra’s population. On our final weekend we walked up Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest mountain, with friends and hosted farewell events for officials and for Parliamentarians as they returned to Canberra to start the new Parliamentary year. It was sad to say good-bye to so many good friends. Farewell Canberra, we’ve enjoyed calling you home.