Canberra Day is a public holiday held annually on the second Monday in March in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to celebrate the official naming of Canberra. Canberra was named at a ceremony on 12 March 1913 by Lady Denman, the wife of the then Governor-General Lord Denman. In 2011 Canberra Day falls on 14 March. In 2012 it falls on 12 March.
On 3 March 2007, ACT Minister Andrew Barr introduced a bill to change the day of Canberra Day to the second Monday in March so it falls closer more often to the actual birthday of Canberra.[1] Previously it had been held on the third Monday in March.
Annual events associated with Canberra Day include the Canberra Festival, which runs from 11-20 March 2011, the Chief Minister's Canberra Day Awards Ceremony, and the Canberra Festival Balloon Spectacular.