Canberra Theatre Centre, opened in June 1965 - is the main Australian theatrical marketplace, to the same set up on the initiative of the government.

The center is located in the heart of Canberra, close to the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory and the Parliamentary triangle (government buildings).

Initially the Center consisted of two separate buildings - directly Canberra Theatre and game scenes, which were connected by a closed passageway. The theater, designed for 1,200 seats, was created as a place for performances of national and international companies, and game scenes with capacity for 310 people, was designed for small local theater groups. At the time, the complex includes also a small gallery of Fine Arts and a restaurant.

In the mid-1990s, it began a two-year process of consultation between the administration of the Theater Center and architects, who ended the demolition of the old building game scenes and restructuring as the new site. The opening scene of the new building took place in May 1998. Instead of the traditional fan-shaped auditorium and curved scenes that were used in all theaters of Australia, built in the 20th century, it was built as a semi-circular room with the drum ground and balconies. Capacity has increased almost twice - up to 618 people. The design of the new game scene was borrowed from ancient Greek theater and British theater Elizabethan (16th century). Storeroom - dressing rooms, rooms for the artists, a cloakroom and a lobby with a bar and a café if envelop "drum" scene.

Over the years the Theater Center on its stage staged the greatest works of literary classics and were leading theater companies in the world. Start of the 21st century was marked by the appearance on the scene and traditional Aboriginal art, such as in 2006, here is the Aboriginal dance theater «Bangarra».