CANBERRA

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 1, 1 July 1926, Page 4

CANBERRA

COMMONWEALTH CAPITAL

IN PROCESS OF BUILDING

REALISATION OF A DREAM CITY. In 1909 Hie site of the seat of Government for the Australian nation was dctorniiued finally by the passing of tho Seat of Government' Acceptance Act (No. _3 of 1000) by the Federal Parliament.. In. 1012 a- dream; city was conceived' by an idealist, Walter BurIcy Griffin. On 12tli. March, 1013, tho city was named "Canberra" by Her Excellency Lady Den man at an official! ceremony on Capitol Hill. In 10_(5 the dream city is approaching realisation under tho direction of the mantci- minds of the commissioners, .John Henry. Butlers, Sir John Harrison,_ and C. H. Gorman; On oth May, 102", the Parliament of tho Commonwealth of Australia will assemble in its own home city. Tho. name Canberra is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable and a slurring of the second, writes Fred- ■ prick Watson in the "Sydney Morning. Herald;-" It is-no-new name, but' is found as the name of a district on the map of tho County of Murray, in Basch and Co.'s atlas,.published in"1872. Anyone .present- at the ceremony on Capitol Hill in March, 101-8, would little realise the changes to be effected in 13 years, In March,, 1913, tho country was principally:, devoted' to. tlic grazing 'of sheep. Standing, then on Capitol ;Hill, behind ono saw the moderately timbered Red Hill;, in the immediate foreground was Camp Hill, from which tho land, fell away in all direc? .tions but one, to the banks of the Mo.longlo River;' to the left, in the middle distance, the-road ".'crossed the-river to pass-the little.Acton homestead,, built on the lowest spur of Black. Mountain, dark, beautiful, and heavily timbered; not far from. this. Homestead: lay the woodshed and a relic of the. early days, an old convent building; to tho centre;. ■in the middle distance and- across * tho river, ther.a was seen a small farmhouse a little in front of tho old Canberra church, with its tall spire, and about a quarter of a mile from the parsonage, well sheltered in. a garden, planted with ,many English, trees; in the background was Mount Ainslie; somewhat to the right in the distance at the foot of another hill were the buildings at Duntroon, the old' homestead of the Campbels;. to the right from Capitol. Hill, in tho middle distance lay an open, almost treeless plain, extending to tho hills . and mountains on the horizon. It was a view of fine pastoral country, hills, and. mountains, as far as tho eye could'see, with-a-church and a few scattered buildings.

OW CAPITOL. HILL,

In 1926, again standing on Capitol Hill, behind and a little to tho left, the official residence of the Prime Minister is hidden amongst the trees, a fine building rapidly Hearing completion; behind and a little to the right there arc numerous bungalow residences, built or biiilding, at the foot of Bed Hill, in the district known as Blandfordia. In the immediate foreground', a wooden platform on- Camp Hill is the site of the first land sale at Canberra in December, 1924, and on the slopes of the hill is a great white building, impressive in tho simplicity of its. building lines, its. metal work and its sunken gardens, forming the provisional Parliament House; on each side, recreation grounds- for members of -"arliament, and. in front public gardens, extending to the Molbnglo River, are being, formed. . . In the immediate foreground, to the left, the ground is being; excavated for the building of the second secretariat, and on the other side of: a well-made street is the Hotel Canberra, built on. the: pavilion plan, with a central'living block.- Further in the distance, on the other side of the river;, in the district known as Acton, the administrative offices,, and the residence of the Chief Commissioner on one side of the road', and tho old Acton homestead and staff bachelors' quarters on the other, are prominent.' Near these, but invisible from Capitol. Hill, is the cottage hospital. Still further in the distance is the Hotel Acton, a dark red brick buildin, nearly completed, and. on the otheT side of the road the site of the future University at the foot of Black Moun-

Standing on Capitol Hill, in the front and across the river behind the old. Canberra parsonage, one. sees the ••district of Aiiislie,, where numerous cottages -are built, ami building,, to be let to. future tenants at 21s per week and upwards. " Nearby the Hotel Ainslie, a laundry arid, bakery are erected, and a newspaper office nearly completed. To the- left, there- are- two open fieldslying on either side of a fine avenue. These fields form the principal sections of tho future civic centre; they were sold in allotments- in December,. 1924, and in May of this year; and. the erection of buildings thereon- must bo commenced before December next on a uniform plan.

In tho immediate right foreground from Capitol Hill, the first'secretariat is erected,, and a little further away is the Hotel Kurajong already built. Further to the right is- the Telopea Public School,. and the Telopea Park and the Cricket Ground. In the right middle distance, lies the district of Eastlake, where a huge power-house, shops, and numerous small residences are built. In the distance eair be seen the buildings; of Duntroon Military College;, and. further to the right the plain extending to the- hills and mountains on the horizon. All round; well-made avenues, roads, circles, and circuits can be seen.

A HIVE OP INDtrSTEY.

From Monday to Friday in. each week the whole area is a hive' of industry. Motor-cars and motor-lorries are hastening everywhere, each with a definite object;' Parliament House is nearing completion, hotels are being completed; a second secretariat, a large boardingr house, and. a large picture theatre are commencing;, houses, of all sizes; and architecture are being* constructed, not in ones or twos or throe at a time, but contracts for dozens of cottages are lot at one time; a now span.is being added to the main bridge,, and the concrete retaining walls at the sides of one end were set in twenty-four hours; numerous horse carts are removing soil; where necessary to drain- land, trenches are being cut by a steam trench digger; sewers, arc being' constructed; steam shovels, are at work to level laud;, holes are being dug for the planting of trees; lawns, recreation grounds, tennis courts, and. bowling greens are being formed.

All this huge work requires a small army of artisans and labourers..- A casual visitor wandering around could not find a happier or moro contented body of men, and" could not detect the presence anywhere- of what is. commonly known as tho "government stroke" in other parts of Australia. Everything is co-ordinated; every worker seems willing.. The men are well' cared for; an excellent hospital, and a fine ambulance aro provided, for. the sick; the Telopea School provides for the education of their children, and motor transport for the return of the children' to their homes; water is laid on to the camps, built on tho shelteredslopes of hills; everything that hu-

man- foresight can provide for their comfort is there.

These ideal conditions are duo to the organising ability of tho Commissioners, and more, especially to; the community spirit adopted as the policy of the Commission, - [Within the capital

area one feels that there is an- entire absence of parochialism, and that all arc working with an honest endeavour for a common, object, the construction. of tho Capital City of Australia* A newcomer commencing to work is inir mediately helped and oncouragod to do his quota for the common- end by meialrcady employed. This community spirit has had a farreaching effect in the Capital territory, and tho dream, city is fast becoming an ideal city. From tho. time that Parliament assembles at Canberra, it is to be hoped that this spirit, will spread through the length, and. breadth of Australia, and croalo an. Australian national spirit, unfettered by Stato jealousies and parochialism.