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Photo: Mark Coomber from Sydney, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Prime Minister's official residence. Generally closed to the public and you can only see part of the garden from behind the wall and the entrance from the freeway. There are open days about once a year and if you are lucky to be in Canberra then, it shouldn't be missed.
The Lodge is the primary official residence of the prime minister of Australia. Located at 5 Adelaide Avenue in the Canberra suburb of Deakin, it is situated a short distance away from Parliament House. The Lodge is one of two official prime ministerial residences, the secondary residence being Kirribilli House in Sydney. The building was completed in 1927 in the Georgian revival style and since then twenty-three people have served as prime minister, six of whom chose to live elsewhere either full- or part-time during their tenure, and two who chose to live at Kirribilli House.
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The seat of Australia's federal government and legislature and a remarkable piece of modern architecture. Outside, the forecourt faces Federation Mall and has iconic views. Much of the inside is open to the public during business hours (your bags are x-rayed and persons pass through a metal detector at the entrance). When inside the building, do not miss: Queens Terrace upstairs towards the forecourt, and the roof (via an elevator close to walkway to the House of Representatives). Various art, including portraits of past prime ministers are hung in the hallways. Enthusiastic guides perform free tours daily at 10AM, 1PM and 3PM (no booking required). Tours are shorter when Parliament is sitting as the chambers are occupied.
A casual watercraft rental service located at Lotus Bay on the southern side of Lake Burley Griffin. The club rents out Hobie Wave resort-style catamarans (no sailing experience required), RS Quest dinghies (for experienced sailors), and stand-up paddleboards. All hires include lifejackets. Operations are weather-dependent and may close during excessive or insufficient winds.
Open seasonally from October to April for group bookings of 10 to 28 people. A lakeside aquatic hire service based at the YMCA Sailing Club on Yarralumla Bay. Offers two-hour sessions using a fleet of single kayaks, double kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs).
The renovated National Archives building has excellent public galleries. It has two permanent exhibitions and holds others from time to time. The staff are most helpful if you have a personal archival query
featuring the Museum of Australian Democracy
The headquarters of the Australian government from the 1920s to 1988, this building is a must for political and/or historical junkies. The building gives a real feel of what it was like when it was in use and has in the past regularly featured rotating exhibitions on the controversies and scandals that rocked Australian politics. It is now a permanent museum. Most of the main rooms - the Prime Minister's office, the Cabinet Room, the various party rooms, the two houses - are open to visitors, as are many smaller rooms like the whips' offices and the broadcasting area. There are also historical photos of Canberra as it used to be, including the times prior to the creation of the artificial lake that shows Canberra under snow during winter (the lake warmed up the city and snow falls rarely on the city now). The gift store has decent souvenirs.
A small museum with lots of restored fire appliances used during the 20th century, including several large fire trucks. The museum is free to access, but a gold-coin donation is encouraged for maintenance purposes.