Canberra Centenary Trail - Black Mountain to Stromlo Forest Park

Canberra's national sport facilities

Today, Canberra residents can enjoy sports at both the local and national levels of competition.

It wasn't until well into the 1920s that community sporting clubs and facilities were developed and made available for public use. The booming number of public servants and their families arriving from Melbourne in 1927 put pressure on the Federal Capital Commission to provide amenities that would turn the new settlement into a community.

Sports ovals, tennis courts, a golf course, racing track and river swimming hole featured in the early suburban settlement around Acton. Modern Canberra suburbs now feature public sports facilities as a part of their planned design.

As the National Capital, Canberra is also home to the world class Australian Institute of Sport at Bruce, and Stromlo Forest Park, a world-class, multi-use recreational sporting facility.

Natural values

Look out for pictures of the trail's flora and fauna on each of the trail head signs and learn about Canberra's plants and animals. Bring a pencil and your own printed copy of the Whose Backyard activity sheet (1.9 MB) to collect a special pencil rubbing for each trail section.

In this section, you may see:

• Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Add a sighting to the NatureMapr or visit the Canberra Birds website.