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Saving Canberra—or Losing It? Tim Ross, Heritage, and the Acton Waterfront Question
By Michael Keating, Inside Canberra At the National Film and Sound Archive on Tuesday night, the 2026 ACT Heritage Oration—Saving Our Suburbs—was delivered with characteristic wit and urgency by design advocate Tim Ross. What began as a reflection on mid-century modernism quickly evolved into something more confronting: a warning that Canberra risks eroding the very…
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Inside Canberra’s Quiet Diplomacy: How Tennis Courts, Cocktail Parties and Living Rooms Shaped a Nation
Byline: Michael Keating ⸻ The hidden architecture of Canberra’s power At first glance, Canberra in the 1950s looked like a sparse, unfinished capital — more paddock than power centre. Yet behind the official façades of government departments and embassies, a very different city was taking shape — one defined not by institutions alone, but by dense, informal…
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Australia’s Defence Industry Surges — But Still a Small Slice of the Economy
Fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics offers a revealing look at the scale—and limits—of Australia’s domestic defence industry, just as Canberra embarks on its most ambitious military build-up in decades. The latest Australian Defence Industry Account (experimental estimates) shows a sector growing rapidly in jobs, output and strategic importance—but still modest in its…