Canberra - Yarralumla

As Canberra only developed slowly, most diplomatic missions remained for a long time in Sydney (NSW) or Melbourne (VIC). First to come to Canberra, in 1936, was the British High Commission, followed in 1940 by the U.S. Embassy.

Most of the diplomatic missions are west of Capital Hill in the Yarralumla district. For the most part they are featureless functional buildings: more interesting architecturally are the High Commission of Papua New Guinea (built in the form of a cult house, with a high patterned gable), the Greek Embassy (with marble-clad columns) and the Indonesian Embassy (with sculptures of Balinese deities).

Government House, the residence since 1927 of the Governor-General (the Australian head of state and representative of the Queen), is a mansion in the Yarralumla district originally built in 1891 for Frederick Campbell, grandson of Robert Campbell.