Canberra Day is a public holiday held annually on the second Monday in March in the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

 (ACT) to celebrate the official naming of Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

. Canberra was named at a ceremony on 12 March 1913 by Lady Denman

Gertrude Denman

Gertrude Mary Denman, Baroness Denman, GBE , née Pearson, sometimes known as Trudie, was a British woman active in women's rights issues including the promotion of Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom...

, the wife of the then Governor-General

Governor-General of Australia

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...

 Lord Denman

Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman

Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman GCMG, KCVO, PC was a British Liberal politician and the fifth Governor-General of Australia.-Early years:...

. In 2011 Canberra Day falls on 14 March. In 2012 it falls on 12 March.

On 3 March 2007, ACT Minister Andrew Barr

Andrew Barr

Andrew Barr is an Australian politician and Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory. He has been an Australian Labor Party member for the seat of Molonglo in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly since 5 April 2006, after being elected on a countback to replace...

introduced a bill to change the day of Canberra Day to the second Monday in March so it falls closer more often to the actual birthday of Canberra. Previously it had been held on the third Monday in March.

Annual events associated with Canberra Day include the Canberra Festival, which runs from 11-20 March 2011, the Chief Minister's Canberra Day Awards Ceremony, and the Canberra Festival Balloon Spectacular.