AUSTRALIA'S CAPITAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15626, 4 June 1914, Page 8

AUSTRALIA'S CAPITAL.

PARLIAMENT HOUSE DESIGN. PREMIUM TO BE OFFERED. By Tclcjraph—Press Association—Copyright, Melbourne, Juno 3. Tot, Federal Government propose to offer a premium of £2000 for a design for the new Parliamentary buildings at Canberra. The buildings will cost £1,500,000.

THE SITE OF CANBERRA. EARLY SETTLEMENT ROMANCE. The Canberra district is throughout associated with an Argyllshire family named Campbell. Robert Campbell was a Calcutta, merchant, who came to Australia in 1799 to make inquiries with regard to a ship which had been lost in the Bass Straits, and apparently was sufficiently pleased with Sydney that ho remained in that city. Ho became known aa " Merchant" Campbell. In the early .vears of the last centurv Sydney Buffered from a shortage of 'food, and the Governor desired to send ships to India for supplies. The only two vessels in Port Jackson suitable for such a purpose were two which Mr. Robert Campbell had in the harbour loaded with sealskins. The authorities commandeered these ships, and sent them away for grain, the onlv compensation which Mr. Campbell received being two blocks of land, 5000 and 1000 acres respectively, and about 7000 ewes. The land which he selected is now part of the site of the Federal capital "Merchant" Campbell kid in his employment an old trooper named Ainslie, who had seen sen-ice with the Scots Grevs! and had been seriously wounded at Waterloo. Ho was-deputed" by Mr. Campbell to take charge of the owes, and to select, suitable land. The ewes were obtained in the early 'twenties at Bathurst, but finding the country west of that town occupied Ainslie went south towards Goulbourn and Ya&s. Still finding the country occupied, he went further south, and from the blacks he heard of suitable country in what is now the Queanb»yan district. He was led by a black gin to Duntroon Plains and chose the spot where the Military (ollege now stands on the Canberra city site. The property was cailed Duntroon, alter the family's estate in Argyllshire, Scotland. The aboriginal name for Duntroon is Pialigo, and the district is still to called.by many people. Ainslie managed the property for several years, and grew wheat. His name is commemorated at Canberra in Mount Ainslie.