Curious Canberra
Curious Canberra
Curious Canberra
Curious Canberra is a new project from ABC News Canberra that invites you to have a say in the stories we cover. Every week, a journalist answers a question posed by you - the audience. Ask us something you've always wondered about the city, its region or its people: abc.net.au/curiouscanberra
Who's behind the Canberra Lost Pet Database Facebook page?
In the nation's capital, a popular Facebook page is helping the city's lost pets find their way home. Dinny McGettigan is a dog-owner and he wants to know - who's behind the page, and how do they reunite so many pets each year?
Feb 2, 2018
6 min
Why is Canberra the place where Summernats is held every year?
We're about to take a break for 2017 but before we do, we wanted to answer a question about an iconic summer festival in Canberra - Summernats. Rebecca Pearse thinks it's an odd fit in Canberra, she wants to know how it came to be here, and if there are any women who attend. Photo: Christine Corkhill
Dec 8, 2017
4 min
Can the ACT Government name your baby for you?
Sam Robinson was chatting to a colleague at work, when something unusual came up. "Someone she had come across had heard that if a baby wasn't named within a fixed number of days ... then the government gets to name them," he said. He wanted to know if this was true, and if so, whether the ACT Government had named any babies to date. What was the process, he wondered? Digital journalist Elise Pianegonda went looking at the fine print of the ACT Government's Births, Deaths and Marriages practice manual. Photo: Mariain on Flickr (CC-BY-NC) https://flic.kr/p/9M62vr
Sep 15, 2017
6 min
Who looks after Canberra's flags?
Faye Powell has spent years driving down Commonwealth Avenue, and in that time she's noticed a lot of international flags. She wanted to know - how many are there, who looks after them and where are they kept? Reporter Sonya Gee took Faye to the ACT Government's flag store in Fyshwick.
Sep 7, 2017
6 min
Why is the town centre of Woden named after an ancient god?
Gary Brown knew exactly what he wanted Curious Canberra to look into - it's something that's been at the back of his mind for years. His question is about the south Canberra district of Woden, which he thinks has been named after an old Norse god. So how did this happen? Intern Dharshini Sundran and reporter Sonya Gee find out. Music: Track 1 - Heliotrope by Blue Dot Sessions Track 2 - Blinky Fish by J Geer
Sep 1, 2017
6 min
Did Canberra's plastic bag ban cause a spike in bin liner sales?
When single-use plastic bags were banned in 2011, some Canberrans found themselves without a steady supply of free plastic bags. Colin Mckay was one of them. He asked: "Has the sale of kitchen tidy bags increased as a result of not having plastic bags?" His worried that it had, and questioned whether the ban could be considered successful if that was the case. Reporter Sonya Gee peered into a few Canberra bins to find out what was going on.
Aug 25, 2017
9 min
How has Canberra's weather changed according to the Bureau of Meteorology?
We receive a lot of questions about the weather, especially asking whether temperatures in Canberra are changing. Questioner Jacqui White seems pretty sure that they are. She remembers it being warmer in May when she was growing up, whereas these days, she's convinced the month is colder. So how has the weather changed according to the BOM? Reporter Aarti Betigeri spoke to climatologist Joel Lisonbee to find out. Photo: Katherine Laurie captured this photo of Canberra on August 13, 2-17.
Aug 17, 2017
8 min
Is capital bashing a global phenomenon?
Canberran Elias Hallaj has been thinking about how his city is perceived by the rest of the country - it's not always seen in the best light. Often it's quite the opposite. That made him wonder: Is capital city bashing an international phenomenon? In particular, he wanted to know if other countries have the equivalent of 'Canberra bashing'. Reporter Siobhan Heanue makes a few overseas calls in search of an answer.
Aug 11, 2017
6 min
How long did it take to fill Lake Burley Griffin?
Scott Mollan grew up in Canberra and while he can't remember the city without Lake Burley Griffin, he's heard plenty of tales of the days before it existed. He's always wondered about one particular aspect - how the lake was filled and where the water came from. Digital journalist Elise Pianegonda went looking through the capital's archives to find the answer. Photo by Vishal Pandey.
Aug 4, 2017
7 min
Why aren't more buildings heated using geothermal energy?
It's winter, and there's no better time to think and talk about heating. We're answering a question from Don Fletcher, who remembered hearing about an unusual heating system that was installed within the Geoscience Australia building some 20 years ago. What is geothermal energy? And will we see it in more buildings and houses in Australia? Digital journalist Jordan Hayne answers those questions.
Jul 28, 2017
8 min
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