Canberra, Australia, is a city of orphans. People arrive temporarily for work, but stay when they discover the unanticipated promise and opportunity Canberra has to offer. An exploration of the city Australia loves to hate, this book shows that there is more to this capital than politics, geometrically designed roads, and mid-century architecture. From the lake and its forgotten suburbs—traces of which can still be found on Burley Griffin's banks—to the mountains that surround the city, this account also examines the unsavory early life of Canberra and the graveyard at St John's, where the pioneers rest.