Some places to visit are the Government House , Parliament House , the High Court of Australia , the Australian War Memorial , the National Gallery of Australia , The Royal Australian Mint , Telstra Tower , the National Library of Australia , and the National Museum of Australia . As the seat of the government of Australia , Canberra is the site of Parliament House , the High Court and numerous government departments and agencies . It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance , such as the Australian War Memorial , Australian National University , Australian Institute of Sport , National Gallery , National Museum and the National Library .