Commonwealth Avenue, Canberra
Encyclopedia
Commonwealth Avenue is a major road in Canberra
, Australian Capital Territory
, Australia
. It connects Civic
with South Canberra
. Specifically, it runs between City Hill
and Capital Hill
.
The first Commonwealth Avenue Bridge was constructed in 1928. It replaced a ford across the Molonglo River
.
The road is six lanes wide with a wide median down the middle. It crosses Lake Burley Griffin
over the Commonwealth Bridge. It is connected with Parkes Way
by freeway style on-ramps. Along its length on the northern side are the Catholic
Archbishop
's residence and Commonwealth Park. On the south side of the lake the road is lined with large trees and is bounded by the suburb of Parkes
on the east and Yarralumla
on the west. Significant sites along this stretch include the Albert Hall
, the Hotel Canberra
and the High Commissions of the United Kingdom
, New Zealand
and Canada
.
Upon reaching Capital Hill, the road turns into Capital Circle
which circles around Parliament House
before connecting with Adelaide Avenue which connects it with Woden Valley
. There is a ramp at the end of Commonwealth Avenue which allows access to Parliament House
.
Between the spans on the southern side are two granite
stones from the 1817 Waterloo Bridge
across the River Thames
in London
. These were presented to Australia after the 1817 bridge was demolished in the 1940s and replaced by a modern structure. A plaque reads, in part, "Stones such as these from the bridge were presented to Australia and other parts of the British world to further historic links in the British Commonwealth of Nations
."
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...
, 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...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It connects Civic
City Centre, Australian Capital Territory
The central business district of Canberra, Australia's capital city, is officially named City . However it is also referred to as Civic, Civic Centre, City Centre, Canberra City and Canberra ....
with South Canberra
South Canberra
South Canberra or the Inner South is a central district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia.South Canberra is located to the south of Canberra's city centre, on the south bank of Lake Burley Griffin....
. Specifically, it runs between City Hill
City Hill, Canberra
City Hill is a park located in Canberra, Australia on one of the points of the Parliamentary Triangle, a feature of Walter Burley Griffin's plan for the city. The park is surrounded by Vernon Circle, at the south end of Northbourne Avenue but the precinct extends to London Circuit and is an...
and Capital Hill
Capital Hill, Australian Capital Territory
Capital Hill , is the location of Parliament House, Canberra, at the south apex of the land axis of the Parliamentary Triangle....
.
Molonglo River
The Molonglo River rises on the western side of the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia in the state of New South Wales. Its source is on the other side of the mountain range from where the Shoalhaven River rises, in Tallaganda state forest at ~1200 metres altitude...
.
The road is six lanes wide with a wide median down the middle. It crosses Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River—which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle—was dammed...
over the Commonwealth Bridge. It is connected with Parkes Way
Parkes Way, Canberra
Parkes Way is a road in Canberra, Australia, which runs east-west between Kings Avenue and the Glenloch Interchange. At Glenloch Interchange it intersects with William Hovell Drive, Tuggeranong Parkway and Caswell Drive.The road is a freeway from Glenloch Interchange to the Commonwealth Avenue...
by freeway style on-ramps. Along its length on the northern side are the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
's residence and Commonwealth Park. On the south side of the lake the road is lined with large trees and is bounded by the suburb of Parkes
Parkes, Australian Capital Territory
Parkes is an inner suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Located south of the Canberra CBD, Parkes contains the Parliamentary Triangle area. On Census night 2006, Parkes had a population of 4 people....
on the east and Yarralumla
Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory
Yarralumla is a large inner south suburb of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Located approximately south-west of the city, Yarralumla extends along the south-west bank of Lake Burley Griffin...
on the west. Significant sites along this stretch include the Albert Hall
Albert Hall, Canberra
The Albert Hall is a hall in Canberra, Australia, used for entertainment. It is on Commonwealth Avenue between Commonwealth Bridge and the Hotel Canberra in the suburb of Yarralumla.- Overview :...
, the Hotel Canberra
Hotel Canberra
The Hotel Canberra, also known as Hyatt Hotel Canberra is in Yarralumla, near Lake Burley Griffin and Parliament House, in Canberra. It was built to house politicians when the Federal Parliament moved to Canberra. It was constructed by the contractor John Howie between 1922-1925. Originally...
and the High Commissions of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Upon reaching Capital Hill, the road turns into Capital Circle
Capital Circle
Capital Circle is a three-quarter, non-limited-access beltway around the western, southern and eastern sides of Tallahassee, Florida, USA.*For the western half, see State Road 263*For the eastern half, see US 319/State Road 261...
which circles around Parliament House
Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...
before connecting with Adelaide Avenue which connects it with Woden Valley
Woden Valley
Woden Valley is a district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Its name is taken from the name of a nearby homestead owned by Dr James Murray who named the homestead after the Old English god Woden in October 1837. He named it this as he was to spend his life in the pursuit of wisdom and...
. There is a ramp at the end of Commonwealth Avenue which allows access to Parliament House
Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...
.
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
stones from the 1817 Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The name of the bridge is in memory of the British victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815...
across the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. These were presented to Australia after the 1817 bridge was demolished in the 1940s and replaced by a modern structure. A plaque reads, in part, "Stones such as these from the bridge were presented to Australia and other parts of the British world to further historic links in the British Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
."