The Minister for Environment and Heritage, Mick Gentleman has urged Canberra’s families to head outdoors during the school holidays by making use of the popular Canberra Tracks app.
Free from the usual app stores, Canberra Tracks directs users to some of the ACT region’s most iconic sites.
Mr Gentleman said the app used augmented reality (AR) technology to bring heritage sites and trails across the nation’s capital to life with detailed video, audio and images guiding locals and visitors on a journey into the lives of Canberra’s early inhabitants.
He said the app provided a valuable reference and introduction to the rich history found in Canberra’s backyard, including sites such as Kambah Homestead and the foothills of Black Mountain.
“Featuring eight self-drive routes, Canberra Tracks offers a unique and educative way to enjoy a walk, bike ride or weekend drive through places where Aboriginal people and early settlers have inhabited thousands of years before,” Mr Gentleman said.
“Who can resist exploring a churchyard with personal stories at St John’s and Queanbeyan’s Riverside Cemetery?”
He said the app would help people discover the Limestone Plains — a land explored and colonised by convicts and free immigrants.
“Canberra Tracks visits many historic sites including Blundell’s Cottage, the last small farmhouse standing in central Canberra,” Mr Gentleman said.
“Throughout the suburbs there are many blocks left vacant that have stories to tell.”
He said people could learn about Belconnen’s early life, with an unmarked burial ground, various homesteads and a former naval transmitting station.”
