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
2012 Canberra Day falls on
12 March. In
2013 it falls on
11 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. Previously it had been held on the third Monday in March.