When was canberra established

An amateur collector, Henry Percival Moss, finds numerous Aboriginal stone artefacts in the sand ridges along the Molonglo River, including the site of the provisional Parliament House. Moss, who was responsible for establishing the first electricity supply in Canberra in , was the Commonwealth's Chief Electrical Engineer until Temporary structures are built on Capital Hill to house workers employed on Commonwealth construction projects including the building of the provisional Parliament House.

In his speech he states:. It is impossible not to be moved by the significance of today's events as a great landmark in the story of Australia. I say this not only because today sees the opening of a new Parliament House and marks the inauguration of a new capital city, but more because one feels the stirrings of a new birth, a quickened national activity, of a fuller consciousness of your destiny as one of the great self-governing units of the British empire.

The building is designed by Chief Commonwealth Government architect, John Smith Murdoch, and is the first purpose-built home for the Australian Parliament. The design is considered modern for its time, featuring square and circular motifs in the architecture and furniture throughout the building. The construction workers and building materials come from all parts of Australia.

The police try to turn them away because they are 'not properly attired', but the nearby crowd give support and they are allowed inside the building for the ceremony and Yangar is presented to the Duke and Duchess of York. They are the first Aboriginal elders to enter Parliament House. Australian Capital Territory Representation Act gives residents representation in the House of Representatives, though the Member can vote only on matters directly affecting the Territory.

This remains the case until A parallel Act, the Representation Act , increases the size of the House of Representatives from 75 to seats. Prev Next Contents. Australian Parliament House is currently closed to the public. Footnotes WB Griffin, 'Original report' [], reprinted with corrections in Senate, Report from the Select Committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the development of Canberra , September , Appendix B. Issues relating to Mr Griffin , Melbourne, 15 March , p.

Issues relating to Mr Griffin, Melbourne , p. House of Representatives, Debates , 9 May , p. Committees Committees. Winning design for the national capital. Neither Sydney nor Melbourne would agree to the other being declared the capital.

The compromise was that parliament would sit in Melbourne until a dedicated city was built, but that the site would be in New South Wales and at least miles away from Sydney. Nor could it be located on the coast. The second criterion was for defensive reasons, as warships were becoming increasingly powerful and an increasingly militaristic ethos was permeating global affairs.

View of Canberra from Mount Ainslie, with the original design of the city still visible. Photo: Steve Strike. Many communities put forward a case to be selected by parliament. The first tour of senators to inspect sites took place in the blistering February of The heat did some places, like Albury, no favours in the selection process. The prevailing wisdom of the day had it that cool, temperate climates were preferable to hot ones on the dubious basis that cool climates had produced hardier races.

The fight between Dalgety and Canberra revolved around how cold was too cold. In October the House of Representatives voted for Yass-Canberra, followed by a Senate vote in November confirming the choice of Canberra by a whisker. With the decision made, attention turned to the design of the future capital. An international design competition was launched, which attracted entries from all over the world. Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Mahony Griffin were the winners, although the judging process was as fraught as the selection of the site.

From to , virtually no work was done on the city. Things improved in the s, with the construction of the Provisional Parliament House, and other significant infrastructure like the Cotter Dam. This interlude was all too brief. Prime Minister Robert Menzies was an enthusiastic supporter of Canberra, and through his support and advocacy, iconic projects were started including the famous Shine Dome.

Menzies was also responsible for creating Lake Burley Griffin, which was completed in and inaugurated the following year. What have you always wanted to know about Canberra that you'd like an ABC reporter to investigate? More about this initiative. If you have inside knowledge of a topic in the news, contact the ABC. ABC teams share the story behind the story and insights into the making of digital, TV and radio content. Read about our editorial guiding principles and the standards ABC journalists and content makers follow.

Learn more. Curious Canberra. All Investigations About. Why was Canberra established as an inland city and not on the coast? By Sonya Gee. Wish you were here? We know. Canberrans flock to the coast every summer.

Like many Canberrans Lorenzo Thomas loves spending time on the coast. When he gets the chance he heads to Maloneys Beach, just north of Bateman's Bay. It's a few hours away and the drive got him thinking. External Link: Before the Constitution was established, towns all over Australia were vying to be the capital. A promotional pamphlet for Dalgety lists "unlimited water supply" as its top attribute. Supplied: National Archives of Australia.

Supplied: The National Library of Australia. Who asked the question? Curious Canberran Lorenzo Thomas. Curious about Canberra? More Curious Canberra. What are Canberra's most haunted places? If a tree falls on Northbourne and no-one's around, does it make a playground?