Canberra, the Australian capital. Australian National University (ANU) is a public research-oriented comprehensive university, founded in 1946, located in Canberra, Australia. It is also a member of the Pacific Rim University Alliance, the International Research University Alliance, the Australian Eight Schools Alliance and the association of commonwealth universities. The school is the only institution in Australia established by the Australian Federal Parliament and enjoys the qualification of a national university. The Australian National University has the largest library in the southern hemisphere, with the supercomputer Gadi and the world-famous Saidingquan Observatory. Australia's four national academies: the Australian Academy of Sciences (AAS), the Australian Academy of Social Sciences (ASSA), the australian academy of the humanities (AAH) and the Australian Law School (AAL) are all located here. The world's first clinical penicillin and photon instantaneous transfer technology was also born here.