Canberra wasn't Australia's first choice for the nations capitol. It was a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, but has now become one of the biggest cities in the nation. It's first bit of land was bought in the early 1800's by a settler who let some of the indigenous people live on his land. It kept growing from there. Everything about this city is planned, from the architecture of every building, to the very way the city is laid out. In fact, it was planned this way to reduce traffic and make life easier on drivers and pedestrians alike by an architect in the early 1900's.
Economy:
The Australian dollar is actually only one-one-thousandth away from our dollar, which makes travelling and shopping there much much easier.
Politics:
The National Parliament at Canberra has over 250 politicians, and the city of Canberra is often blamed for bad political decisions or unpopular laws