Canberra
Historical Background

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The word Canberra comes from the name given to an early European settler's property—"Canberry." That name, in turn derives from the Aboriginal word, "Kamberra," meaning, "meeting place"—apt for a city that became the nation's capital as a solution to the dispute between rivals Melbourne and Sydney.

For more than 21,000 years, this region was home to the Ngunnawal Aboriginal people. As part of their nomadic migrations, the Ngunnawal regularly visited the area for corroborees and feasts. Archaeological evidence of Aboriginal occupation can be found at Birrigai Rock shelter in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, at the Tuggeranong Creek Axe Grinding Grooves, as rock paintings in Namadgi National Park and at other sites throughout what is now known as the Australian Capital Territory. European settlement, beginning in the 1820s, disrupted the thriving Aboriginal life-style. Although much of their culture was lost, many indigenous people continued to live in the area, taking work on sheep stations.

Following the federation of Australia in 1901, several years were spent searching for a suitable site for the country's capital. Finally, in 1908, Federal Parliament declared that the location of the future city would be in the Yass/Canberra district. The New South Wales Government Surveyor at the time, Charles Scrivener, selected the old "Canberry" property due to its commanding position within an amphitheatre of hills (the city centre of modern Canberra now lies over the middle of that former property). Scrivener's vision was for the flood plain of the Molonglo River to form an ornamental lake in the centre of the city. His proposal was ratified in 1909 and on 1 January 1911, the Australian Capital Territory came into existence. At this stage there were only 1,714 people living in the Territory, outnumbered slightly by horses and greatly by the 224,764 sheep;not to mention the kangaroos!

The government launched an international competition to design the city of Canberra on 24 May 1911 and, from some 137 entries, Walter Burley Griffin's design won first prize. On 12 March 1913, the wife of Australia's Governor General, Lady Denman, officially named Canberra as the capital of Australia and laid three foundation stones in place at the base of the commencement column. These stones can still be seen buried in the lawn of Parliament House.

Later in 1913, Griffin came out to Australia to implement his design. His plan placed Capital Hill at the centre of Canberra with wide, tree-lined avenues radiating from it—each named after an Australian State capital and each pointing in the direction of that city. Griffin's plan related the structure and geometry of the city to the natural terrain of the site, and used three axes to form a great triangle. The land axis linked Mount Ainslie to Capital Hill. The water axis ran from Black Mountain through to what is now Lake Burley Griffin (the lake formed by damming the Molonglo River). The third axis—the Municipal axis (now Constitution Avenue)—ran from City Hill to Russell Hill.

But delays in constructing the capital ensued due to lack of funds and the outbreak of the First World War. It was not until 1926 that Federal Parliament met in Canberra, and then in a "provisional" parliament building, (Old Parliament House), built on a flatter area than the one appearing on Griffin's plan. This building officially opened on 9 May 1927. At this stage the infant capital consisted of two government office buildings, a Prime Minister's residence, the Lodge, several hotels and guest houses, the Royal Military College, a hospital, a dam, a powerhouse, a brickworks, and a construction camp for workers. A railway connection linked Canberra to Queanbeyan and thence to Sydney. By this time a nucleus of inner suburbs had formed—Kingston, Yarralumla, Ainslie, Reid and Forrest—and some public servants had moved to Canberra from Melbourne.

When the Great Depression hit, construction of the nation's capital halted again. With a population of 7,000 people, Canberra went into hibernation. Furthermore, work had scarcely begun on the Australian War Memorial and the National Library when the Second World War halted progress. It was not until after the war that development of the city really began.

In 1954, a housing shortage hit Canberra (now with a population of 39,000), so the government established a Senate Select Committee to inquire into the development of the city. This committee recommended a single well-funded organization to implement construction and development. The Griffin Plan was reviewed and Lake Burley Griffin inaugurated in 1964. Further developments included the construction of bridges and avenues radiating from Capital Hill, which realized the concept of the "Parliamentary Triangle." The establishment of new town centres to the north and south west of Griffin's Canberra commenced, with residents moving into the first new town, Woden, in 1964. Belconnen, to the north, followed in 1967 and Tuggeranong, to the south, in 1973.

More public servants moved from Sydney and Melbourne. A large defense office complex was constructed at Russell Hill, on one of the corners of the Parliamentary Triangle. Completion of the Royal Australian Mint followed and other government buildings were built in town centres to generate retail development and services. The establishment of new embassies reflected Australia's growth and its international links. The National Library, the High Court of Australia, the Australian National Gallery and the National Science and Technology Centre grew up within the Parliamentary Triangle. And finally, following another international competition and ten years of construction, a new Parliament House opened on 9 May 1988—to mark the bicentenary of European settlement.

As the seat of federal government and home to diplomatic embassies of over 60 countries, Canberra is a diverse and cultured city with all the amenities of a modern city but none of the disadvantages. It has taken a long time but the vision of Walter Burley Griffin has now been realized.