Paul

__History__ ** Aboriginals have lived in A.C.T for 21,000 years. 6,000 years later earth experienced an ice age, so temperature dropped, but it’s a lot warmer now. There were three main language groups in A.C.T. with 30 to 40 people in each group. The groups were the Walgalu people, the Ngunawal people and the Ngarigo people. At the time of European settlement there were around 500 people in each of these language groups. Aborigines wouldn’t hunt in the same area for long, they would go place to place like nomads. ** __European Settlement__ ** On May 1813 Lawson, Wentworth and Blaxland found a way through the Blue Mountains. The first white man to explore A.C.T was a naval surgeon named Charles Throsby in 1820. Joseph Wild and James Vaughan went with Charles Throsby. Just short of a year later Charles found the Murrumbidgee River in 1821. The first settlement in A.C.T. was by Joshua John Moore in 1825. He was a cattle farmer. __Government and Laws__ ** Australia has 3 levels of government: Federal, State and Local. The Senate is the upper house of Parliament. It has 76 members: 12 from each state and 2 from each territory. John Hogg is the president of the Senate. John Hogg has been the president since 26th August 2008. Every 3 years they have an election. Senate members get selected for a period of 6 years. ** __The House of Representatives __ ** The House of Representatives is the lower house of Parliament. The Speaker of the lower house is Harry Jenkins. Harry Jenkins has been Speaker since the 12th February 2008. There are 150 members in the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives creates laws and sends them to the senate. The senate then would accept the law or send it back to the House of Representatives. __Landmarks and Tourist Attractions__ ** One of the most important landmarks of A.C.T is the Parliament House. It is built on a hill. The roof is covered with grass to make it blend in with its surroundings. A very important war landmark is the Australian War Memorial. An unknown Australian soldier was brought back from a World War 1 battlefield in 1993 and was laid to rest in the hall. Near the hall is the Reflection Pool. It has the names of 102,000 dead Australian soldiers. The High Court of Australia is Australia’s highest judicial court. The Black Mountain Tower is located on the Black Mountain. The tower is 195.2 metres above the mountain summit. __Facts__ ** The capital city of A.C.T is Canberra. The estimated population of A.C.T at 30th June 2007 was 339,800. The Faunal emblem is the Gang gang Cockatoo. The floral emblem of A.C.T is the Royal Bluebell. A.C.T is in the Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). A.C.T’s major industry is Public administration and safety.
 * __Australian Capital Territory (A.C.T.)__ ****
 * __Aboriginal History__ **
 * __The Senate__ **

The size of A.C.T is 2,358 square kilometres. The distance from Bendigo to Canberra is 462km. Canberra’s latitude is 35° and its longitude is 149°. A.C.T has the smallest amount of area out of each territory or state in Australia. The Parliament house property is on 32 hectares on Capital hill. Native Plants and Animals __** The floral emblem of A.C.T is the Royal Bluebell. Some protected plants in A.C.T are: the Alpine Ballart (scientific name: Ecocarpos Nanus), the Burralang (scientific name: Macrozania Communis) and the Grass Tree (scientific name: Xanthorrhoea Australis). Click here for more - [|Territory and Municipal Services - Protected Native Flora] **__ Native Animals __** The faunal emblem of A.C.T is the Gang Gang Cockatoo. Major animals in Australia are: Kangaroos, Possums, Wombats, Platypus and Echidnas. Some major birds of A.C.T are the Gang Gang Cockatoo and the Sulphur. References __** Territory and Municipal Services [] Wiki [] Google [] Google [|http://images.google.com.au] Aussie Info [] Maps of world [] Gott, R 1997, //Australian Capital Territory,// Heinemann Library, Melbourne
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