Why and how did Canberra become the capital of Australia?
The first survey peg marking the beginning of the development of the city of Canberra was driven in on 20 February 1913. The foundation stone was laid on 12 March 1913. Lady Denman, wife of the Governor-General, then announced the name of the city as Canberra, believed to be a derivation of an Aboriginal word for ‘meeting place’.