Sister city since October 26, 1993
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■Location Between Sydney and Melbourne on the east coast
■Average temperature 22℃
■Average rainfall 630mm
■Population approximately 310,000
■Area 2,395km2
■Language English
■Currency Australian dollar ( $1=approximately 78 yen)
■Time difference with Japan +1 hour (+2 hours in summer)
■Voltage 220～250V The plug-in shape is the ﾊ
■City flower, City bird
| Bluebell | Cockatoo |
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【Location, Climate, and Nature】
It is located between Sydney and Melbourne, in the northeast of Australian Capital Territory in southeast Australia. There are many pastures, beautiful mountains, forests, and canyons.
Because of the plateau climate, 571m above sea level, there are clearly the changes of the four seasons such as warm or hot summer, cold winter, colorful spring, and calm autumn.
As Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, when it is winter in Nara, it is summer in Canberra. Because it belongs to the Temperate Zone, it is comfortable to live all year round.
【History, Politics】
The Australian Constitution was promulgated on January 1, 1901, and the Federation of Australia, consists of six states, was established. Canberra, which is 571m above sea level, was selected the capital of Australia in 1908 among nearly forty proposed sites. For the moment the administrations of Australia were in Melbourne, and when the Federal Congress was moved to Canberra in 1927, Canberra got to be the capital in reality as well as in name. "Canberra" means the "meeting place " in Aboriginal languages.
A worldwide competition was launched to find a design suitable for the new national capital. American architect, Burley Griffin, won the competition in 1912.
His vision for Canberra ensured perfect harmony between urban development and the beautiful natural landscape chosen for the city.
In 1989 it was approved to settle its own administration in ACT that has been under the direct control of the Federal Government. At present the Canberra Council (137 members of the Legislative Assembly) runs its administration.
The office in charge of the sister city relationship between Canberra-Nara is the section of Commercial Development of the Canberra Government.
【Transportation】
Air route：11 hours from Kansai Airport to Sydney. 30min. from Sydney by domestic airlines (Canberra International Airport)
Road：3 hours from Sydney, Hume Highway / Federal Highway
【Industry, Culture, and Education】
As Canberra is famous worldwide for its research institutions, IT industry, electric communications, a high tech manufacturing division, and a defense system are developing. Canberra is the first city in the world to set up the goal of producing no waste by 2010. Over 100 business projects relate to an environmental management industry, and export the technologies and services. In the agricultural industry, stockbreeding, fisheries, forestry, wine, cheese, fruits such as cherries, plums, apples, apricots, nectarines, pears, and cut flowers are all very prosperous.
Also, the export of Kangaroo meat is increasing, because of the fear of BSE disease.
The ACT education system consists of 1-year preschool for 4-year olds, and 10-year compulsory education; 6-year elementary school for 6-year olds to 11-year olds, and 4-year junior high school for 12-year olds to 15-year olds.
Most of the students graduating from the compulsory education enter the 2-year secondary college. In secondary college, students acquire knowledge and skills for the future jobs and professions.
The students who want to go to a higher education need to take an exam of TER(stands for Tertiary Entrance Rank which is required for entry to tertiary institutions such as the Australian National University and the University of Canberra) in the second year of the secondary college. There are also other schools that offer a higher education, the technical college (3years), and vocational schools(3years).
【Partnership Progress】
There has been cultural exchange between Nara and Canberra, when the Chorus of Boys and Girls of Nara performed the concert in Canberra and also the Tsubai elementary school and the Ainslie elementary school exchanged letters and pictures, and staying with each other.
Also, the late Father Tony Glynn of Canberra, who was working for the Tomigaoka Catholic Church in Japan, worried much about the terrible lack of upkeep of the Japanese grave in Cowra, and whenever he returned to Canberra, he would clean up the graveyard. His action incited the Australian veterans and the community people into cleaning up the graveyard.
This charitable action spread, and new Japanese graves were made during the anti-Japanese sentiment of Australia in 1964 in cooperation with Japanese and Australian governments.
Because of such relationship, in the presence of the Australian consul general to Osaka, the signing ceremony of the Sister City Relationship was held on October 26, 1993 in Nara city.
【Community Substance】
There are exchanges of pupils and students with public schools and Nara Women's university. There is also an exchange of teachers between the Ichijyo High School and the schools in Canberra. The civilian organizations also tie up with others to establish the sister city relationship, and civilian goodwill visits have been exchanged.
The Canberra Day was held on the fifth anniversary of the Sister City Relationship in Nara, and approximately 250 people from Canberra participated.
While there are art exchanges and sports exchanges such as soccer, there is also the exchange of the staffs of the ACT government as administration trainees.
In April, 1999, the Canberra Nara Park was opened in the Lennox Garden to promote the ties of friendship between Nara and Canberra.
Many citizens of Nara contributed to this foundation. A time capsule with 10,000 contributors' names of Nara was preserved inside a Kasuga garden lantern in the park.