On 23 May 1912, exactly 100 years ago, the Australian government announced the winners of the competition to design the country’s new capital. I hosted a public lecture by the renowned architectural historian Alasdair McGregor, as the culmination of a series of Canberra Centenary lectures celebrating the 100th anniversary.
Alasdair spoke about the controversies surrounding the choice of Walter and Marion Burley Griffin’s design for the capital, which was rejected as too daring by the architectural profession of the time. Since neither Sydney nor Melbourne could accept the other as first city, a “bush capital” site had been chosen in the sheep country of inland New South Wales. The Griffin’s design took its inspiration from Canberra’s natural setting. The public buildings were centred on a wheel and spoke pattern, aligned with the axes between major hills. The sleepy Molonglo river was dammed to create a beautiful lake in the heart of the city. The construction began slowly – there was a war on – and there were many disputes between the archictects and the government officials in charge of the building project.
But from those shaky beginings, one hundred years on, a graceful city in an elegant parkland setting has emerged. We are currently seeing it at its finest in this season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, with its ubiquitous trees looking splendid in their autumnal glory. Those who live in the big cities sometimes make fun of it, but Canberrans are proud of its high quality lifestyle. There are great modern edifices like the Parliament which dominates the city, and splendid cultural institutions like the National Gallery. And just minutes from the centre you can be wandering through countryside past friendly kangaroos who stare at you inquisitively.
Canberra is basically a one industry town, and that industry is government. Most of its 350,000 or so inhabitants work in government, associated institutions like the military and the top research university ANU, and the service industries which support them. The politicians fly in and fly out, just like the mining workers who travel to remote mines in Western Australia. For diplomats based here, the only downside is the need to travel very regularly to the major population centres which are the hubs for business and many other aspects of national life. But when you’re posted to a country the size of a continent, a fair bit of travel is inevitable.
Visit our Flickr gallery of the event.