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As a prospective student to help you make your decision about accepting your offer of admission to ANU you may like to consider some of the following information. 

  1. About Canberra
  2. The Bush Capital
  3. Campus Location
  4. Canberra Facts & Figures
  5. Getting Around Canberra
  6. Four Special Seasons
  7. Academic Matters
  8. Learning Resources Available
 

9.   Enrolment at ANU

10. Life in Australia and Canberra

11.  Accommodation and living in Canberra

12. Australian Culture

13. English Language Resources 

14. Family Support

15. ESOS

16.External Sites

 

ABOUT CANBERRA

The Bush Capital

Canberra is a planned city in a natural setting, located within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). European settlers began arriving in the district in the 1820s, although the Ngunnawal, Walgalu and Ngarigo Indigenous peoples had been in the region for tens of thousands of years.  The European settlers first called the region "Canberry" - a version of the local Aboriginal word "Kamberra" which meant, prophetically, "meeting place" and which has now become Canberra.  

Following the federation of Australian States in 1901, both Melbourne and Sydney attempted  to claim national capital status. In 1908, a diplomatic solution was found by selecting a site somewhere in between the two cities. 

On 1 January, 1911 the Australian government (whose home was at that point in Melbourne) launched an international competition for the design of Australia's national capital – Canberra.   Four years later, famed Chicago architect Walter Burley Griffin was announced as the winner of a worldwide competition to design the city. A lake bearing Griffin’s name is a central feature of the city. The original focus on the natural elements continues, with the many parks and nature reserves giving Canberra the title of the ‘Bush Capital’.

The natural environment is complemented by many stunning architectural features, including the home of the Federal Government, Parliament House Diplomats from all over the world also live in Canberra, adding greatly to the multicultural flavour. Many national institutions are in Canberra, including the High Court of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia,National Museum of Australiathe  the National Library, National Film and Sound Archive and the Australian Institute of Sport. These institutions provide a valuable and accessible resource for students, in fact if you visit the National Film and Sound Archive located on the edge of campus, you can see the world's first feature film " The Story of the Ned Kelly Gang" .

As a former colony of Great Britain, Australia inherited its form of government from the Westminster system. Although we have a similar  parliamentary system there is one difference - the power of our parliament is limited by our Constitution. The current government, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, was elected in 2007.

Campus Location

The ANU campus is centrally located, with the city centre just a short walk away. The campus reflects the natural environment of the city, with pleasant natural expanses surrounding the buildings. Sydney is a three-hour drive north of the city. The beaches of the south coast and the Snowy Mountains alpine region are just a few hours away.

From Sydney: 288 kilometeres south west of Sydney (about three hours drive) 
From Melbourne:647 kilometeres north of Melbourne (about seven hours drive)
From the beach: two hours drive down the Clyde Mountain to some of the most spectacular beaches in Australia
From the snow: two hours drive to the Snowy Mountains and two and a half to Mt Kosciusko snow fields

 

 

 

 

Canberra Facts & Figures

  • Canberra's population of 344,000 has a median age of 29 years.
  • The people of the "clever capital" earn the highest average weekly income in the Australia.
  • More than half the ACT is covered by native forests and woodlands, most of which are protected conservation areas. 
  • Canberra people have the highest participation rate in cultural and leisure activties in the country.
  • Canberra is a highly technological city, with the best broadband fibre-optic network in the country. Around 80% per cent of households a have home computer and 66 per cent of households have internet access.

* Figures from Australian Capital Territory in Focus, 2007, Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Getting Around Canberra

The roads in Canberra are probably the best in the country, but that doesn’t mean that you need to own a car to get around the place. Canberra has a reliable internal bus network called ACTION which covers the length and breadth of the city. There is also an excellent network of bicycle paths, which criss-cross the urban areas and the nature reserves. And if the ride gets too much for you, most major bus routes now have on-board bike racks fitted. Cyclists using these racks are given a free ride on the bus.

 

Four Special Seasons

The residents of Canberra enjoy the delights of four distinct seasons of weather.

When spring blossoms, the natural beauty of Canberra is on show. The vibrant yellow wattles are plentiful, and clear blue skies are very common. Morning frosts are not unusual at this time of year, but they generally melt away by mid-morning.

Summers can be quite hot at times, and thunderstorms are more prevalent. The many pools around the city become popular places, as do the rivers around Canberra. With the Pacific Ocean only a few hours to the east, trips to the beach are another way to cool off.

Autumn brings crisp, clear skies, much favoured by the balloonists who often take to the air around this time. The days are pleasant and the nights start to get cooler. The changing colours of the leaves signal entry into winter.

Winter in Canberra can get chilly, though it rarely snows within the city. Even on the coldest days, there is a good chance that the sun will be shining as Canberra winters are generally quite dry. The Snowy Mountains, a few hours south of the city, are the destination of choice for skiers and snowboarders.

Overall, Canberra’s climate is best described as continental – warm summers and cool winters. The hottest month is February and the coldest month is July. You need to be prepared for a range of w eather. Make sure you bring plenty of warm clothes, but also hats and sun-cream for summer.

To find out the weather in Canberra today visit the Bureau of Meteorology.

Academic Matters at ANU

The University's primary educational objective is to become the university of educational choice for the top students locally, nationally and internationally, by offering a unique range of research-led degree programs through learning environments based on interactive enquiry.

Online references:

The ANU has a wide range of facilities and equipment for you to access. Computer labs are spread across the  campus some with 24 hour access - you can find information about the types of labs and IT services available at the Information Commons site.

Learning Resources Available

At the ANU we have  an Academic Progress Officer who provides advice and support to all international students  about your academic career at the university.  This role is designed to help you stay on track (or get back on track) with your studies, and will provide you with referrals to the appropriate service on campus.

The Information Literacy Program provides free workshops on a range of different computing topics that you may need for your academic work.

Another great source of academic support is the Academic Skills and Learning Centre. Visit their site to listen to various students and staff provide useful tips about studying at ANU, and look at the courses they have on offer to help you achieve academic success.

The International Student Services (ISS) section of the Division of Registrar and Student Services  (DR&SS) provides welfare and general support for all international students offering advice on a range of issues; as well as advising staff on international student matters.  Visit their web site to discover more information about ANU and the broad range of services available to international students. A handy site is the A- Z of Student Services @ ANU with information ranging from Driving a Car to Family Support programs.

Enrolment at ANU

There are two important sites for you to visit:

Life in Australia and Canberra

The ESOS framework: providing quality education and protecting your rights

The Australian Government wants overseas students in Australia to have a safe, enjoyable and rewarding place to study. Australia’s laws promote quality education and consumer protection for overseas students. These laws are known as the ESOS framework and they include the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 and the National Code 2007.