7 ways Canberra, Australia’s bush capital, is surprisingly like Washington DC

At the time of their construction, Canberra and Washington, D.C. were newly independent colonies. The U.S. was trying to unify northern and southern states after the Revolutionary War, while Australia, which gained independence from Britain in 1901, wanted to mitigate rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. 

In 1790, seven years after U.S. independence, Pierre Charles L’Enfant laid out Washington, D.C., carving out a federal district on swampy land along the Potomac River where two Native American villages—Nacotchtank, a major trading center, and Nameroughquena, on the river’s opposite bank—had thrived. L’Enfant imagined a modern capital reminiscent of his native Paris. He mapped out broad avenues, open public spaces and a well-organized grid layout with the Capitol building at its heart.  

Over a century later, Australia in 1908 selected Canberra as the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), on the homeland of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples. After winning a competition, an American husband-and-wife architect duo named Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin earned the bid to design the city. 

“The fact that Canberra was co-designed by a woman is remarkable – as far as we know, no other capital city in the world can make that claim,” says Sita Sargeant of She Shapes History, which offers walking tours that uncover the often‑overlooked stories of the women who shaped Australia.

In both Washington, D.C. and Canberra, you can see a nation’s priorities written in stone—or perhaps even grass. In Canberra, known affectionately as the ‘bush capital” for its surrounding forests, nature is part of the design. Australian Parliament House, for example, has a grassy roof visitors can walk on that blends into the environment. The unique, walkable roof is said to symbolize that people are above the government. 

Washington, by contrast, borrows symbols of power from various European cultures. Irish architect James Hoban designed the White House, completed in 1800 and modeled off of Dublin’s Leinster House. Its neoclassical style, with tall white colonnades and commanding symmetry, reflects the civic virtues of ancient Greece and the authority of Rome, a predictable combination for a young, secular democracy asserting both ideals and power. 

For travelers, both capitals reward a full day of culture. Washington offers 17 free Smithsonian museums near the National Mall; Canberra clusters 13 national attractions within easy walking distance. At the center is the National Gallery of Australia, where First Nations art anchors a collection spanning contemporary Australian work and one of the largest holdings of American art outside the U.S.  

“We have the base of our First Nations culture, which is the longest surviving culture of more than 65,000 years,” explained director Dr. Nick Mitzevich. Sergeant says she also notes Aboriginal history during her walking tours: “We talk about Pat Etock, who was the very first Indigenous woman to ever run for Federal Parliament in Australia. She ran in 1972, but it wouldn't be until 2013 that the first Indigenous woman got elected.” That woman was Linda Burney, who became one of three Indigenous Parliamentarians.   

Nearby  attractions – including the National Library of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, Questacon: National Science and Technology Centre and the Royal Australian Mint – expand on the cultural enrichment you’ll get after a visit to the National Gallery. "Start at the National Gallery and work your way west," says Mitzevich. "Within about a mile, you can see a dozen cultural attractions." Most are free, making Canberra's rich cultural marathon as accessible as it is ambitious. 

Washington’s visitors can often find white-tailed deer and red foxes at Rock Creek Park, the U.S.’s third federally designated national park. And just a short ride beyond D.C.’s limits, bald eagles and great blue herons soar above the Potomac at Great Falls, while black bears and rattlesnakes emerge in Shenandoah National Park, roughly two hours out. 

Shortly beyond the bush capital, Canberra's largest wildlife reserve is 40 minutes away—though nature is seen well throughout the city. "The capital is nestled into a rural setting," says Mitzevich. “We regularly have a high number of bird life and kangaroos in the inner city, which makes Canberra so distinct,” he said. He added that he recently saw a mob of “about 30 kangaroos in the front yard of the vice-regal residence of the governor general.” 

About 40 minutes outside Canberra at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, kangaroos, multiple wallaby species, koalas, platypus, potoroos and bandicoots live across 24 trails, including the Sanctuary Loop—a paved two-kilometer path accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.  

“Every time you go out to the bush, you're going to see something different,” says Jessica Ward, manager of the Tidbinbilla Visitor Centre. “That’s the magic of it.” 

Ward says the southern brush-tailed rock wallaby, Canberra's critically endangered mammal and one of the only breeding populations in Australia, also lives there alongside the northern corroboree frog, estimated at just 50 individuals remaining in the wild. The reserve has maintained active conservation programs since 1936, which has over the years increased the number of animal sightings visitors can expect. 

"The wildlife really reveals itself when you're patient, when you're observant,” she said. 

For more nature adventures near Canberra, Australia’s alps—known as the Snowy Mountains region—are about 2.5 hours away, and Mount Stromlo Observatory, some 30 minutes from Tidbinbilla, puts on regular public stargazing sessions. A bit closer to the city, visitors can also soak in a view of the stars along the tranquil Murrumbidgee River, which runs diagonally, from northwest to southeast, through the ACT.  

So, there you have it. For travelers used to skipping capital cities on the itinerary, places like D.C. and Canberra make a compelling case for reconsidering the habit—starting with the mob of kangaroos hopping around the front lawn.