CHRISTENING THE CAPITAL

Northern Advocate, 13 March 1913, Page 5

CHRISTENING THE CAPITAL

HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN GATHERING.

"A CITY THAT WILL BE WORTHY OF THE NATION." -»*

MESSAGES OF CONGRATULATION

(By Telegraph-Press Assn.-Copyright) SYDNEY, March 13. The Federal Capital is named Canberra. Lady Denham opened a golden cas- ; ket containing a slip of paper on which the name was written, and then performed the christening ceremony. Lord Denham laid the foundation stone of the city in the presence of a great representative gathering. The weather was fine, and a display of bunting and a fine military display added to the spectacular effect. Tension was intense as Lady Denham, standing on a specially erected platform, opened the casket and pronounced in clear tones:—"l name the capital of Australia—Canberra." The anouncement was greeted with prolonged cheers and hat-throwing. The foundation stone laid to-day will carry a commemorative trachyte column, twenty-seven feet in height, the base consisting of six blocks of granite representing the States of the Commonwealth placed on the axis of a line joining the centre with the site of Parliament House on Canberra Hill and the site of the Capitol on Mount Kurrajong. At the conclusion of the christening function Mr. Fisher, presiding at a luncheon attended by 400 guests, said the wrangle over the home of the Government of Australia was now over. He believed all parties desired to make it worthy of the country and nation. Here the best thoughts of Australia, legislatively and administratively, would be expressed. He hoped the city would also be a seat of learning and a home of the arts. He read a cable message from Mr. Massey congratulating Australians on the important event, hoping the new city would " be worthy of the great Commonwealth in whose welfare and prosperity New Zealand takes the keenest, most friendly interest." Mr. King O'Malley, Minister for Internal Affairs, in a characteristic peroration, predicted that Australia would become one of the world's greatest nations. A letter was read from Sir Edmund Barton, first Federal Prime Minister, in which the writer said: —In the new seat of Government Australia will be mistress in her own house. I believe that true Federalists will make Australia ever stronger as a partner of the Empire, whose watchword "duty," and theirs " Justice and wisdom," will be the pride of generation after j generation. j