Canberra is the capital of Australia. It is the eighth largest city in Australia. But why was it chosen to be the capital? It is an interesting story. Melbourne was once the capital of Australia. And Sydney is the largest city in Australia, which is an important financial industrial, and educational center. It's known especially for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and for the Sydney Opera House. So, Sydney citizens and those living in Melbourne also wished to make their city the capital. It was difficult for the government to make the decision. Then in 1911, the government chose a place to build the new capital. It was between Sydney and Melbourne. It took more than 14 years to build the city. In 1927, the city was established. It became the capital and was named “Canberra”. which means “a place for friends to get together”. However, Sydney is often mistaken for the capital. Actually , not all the largest cities are the capitals. As we know New York is the largest city in America, but the capital city of America is Washington. D.C.