“Yes
Minister” was
a satirical British comedy featuring the hapless Right Honourable Jim Hacker
and his permanent secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby. Much of the show’s humour resulted from the
antagonism between the cabinet minister (who believed he was in charge) and the
civil servant (who actually ran the country).
 |
| The view over Canberra from Mount Ainslie |
Rumour
has it that Canberrans believe “Yes Minister” is a documentary. A little unkind.
Whilst Canberra’s streets were awash with
lanyard-sporting bureaucrats, we found the Nation’s capital to be attractive
and intriguing with its geometric wheel & spoke road system designed by
Walter Burley Griffin.
 |
Parliament House from the
War Memorial |
Probably
best viewed from Mount Ainslie, Lake Burley Griffin dissects the road system
and complements Canberra’s inner city planning. Canberra is green, leafy with a comfortable feel whether it’s a stroll
down suburban streets or a drive along Embassy row.
 |
| Touring the War Memorial |
The iconic Australian War Memorial lies at the foot of Mount Ainslie and is so well done -
not only serving as a memorial to Australia's fallen but as a Museum and place of
learning, the throngs of school children
testament to that.
 |
| Old Parliament House |
The
view from the Memorial to the far end of Commonwealth Avenue is striking, with
both the old and new Parliament Houses standing in complete contrast to the another, it appears as though the two buildings are one.
 |
| And behind it, Parliament House |
Old
Parliament House, now a museum, an attractive classical white building opened in 1927 and now provides a fantastic representation of Australia’s
political history.
A visit to the (new)
Parliament House, a modern, stylish (and mostly underground) building with its
oversized spire of stylized boomerangs and flagpole, provides a hands on opportunity
to see how Australia's Government does its business.
 |
View towards Mount Ainslie from
Parliament House |
 |
Doug entrusted with the drive
from Canberra to Sydney |
There’s
lots to do in Canberra - the National Gallery of Australia another enjoyable stop
- and the next time an Australian tells us there’s nothing much to do in
Canberra, we’ll be happy to put them right.
Obviously they’ve never been there or truly believe the “Yes
Minister” representation.
All
this and fun visits with Roger and Julie’s family - Canberra had been a
terrific stop.
As
far as our research reveals, no Drop Bears have ever aspired to a career in
public office, however many Embassies have had to install comprehensive netting
around their premises to prevent Drop Bear attacks on foreign dignitaries.
No comments:
Post a Comment