To mark the milestone, The Canberra Times photographic editor Karleen Minney took to the streets, parks, schools and shops of the city to ask 100 residents – one for every one of Canberra's 100 years – to tell us in their own words what they most love about their home town.

Actually, make that 101 Canberrans. We couldn't resist including William Harry Thomas, of Isabella Plains.

Born in February to Emma and Christopher, little William represents 2013 and nominates Canberra's simple pleasures: "eating, sleeping and pooping".

From Narrabundah's Tae Woo Kim, who was born in 1913 and who loves "tai chi in the autumn", to 1994's Libby Berrie, of Fisher, who loves "how you can be close to the city and to nature", we present in the photo gallery above 101 reasons to love your nation's capital from the Australians proud to call Canberra home.