Damon Mcknight
Australia's capital, Canberra, was founded in 1913. The city's name was officially announced in a ceremony held on 12 March 1913, and construction began the same year. The foundation of Canberra was the result of a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital. The federal government began acquiring the land for the city in 1911, and an international design contest was launched the same year, with American architect Walter Burley Griffin's plan selected as the winner.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date founded | 1913 |
| Date of formal naming | 1913 |
| Name of capital | Canberra |
| Date of federal parliament's first sitting in Canberra | 9 May 1927 |
| Date of the first election for the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly | 4 March 1989 |
| Date of the enactment of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 | 6 December 1988 |
| Date the federal government began acquiring the land for the city | 1911 |
| Date of the Seat of Government (Administration) Act | 1910 |
| Date of the Seat of Government Act 1908 | 1908 |
| Date the territory was transferred to the federal government by New South Wales | 1911 |
| Date of federation of the colonies of Australia | 1 January 1901 |
| Date the site was chosen for the new capital | 1909 |
| Date the first European explorer arrived in the area | 1821 |
| Date Canberra first became a destination for permanent immigrants | 1824 |
| Date most of the land in the district had been settled | End of the 1830s |
| Date of the oldest surviving public building in the city | 1845 |
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What You'll Learn
Canberra was founded in 1913
Canberra, the federal capital of Australia, was founded in 1913. The city was formally named during a ceremony at Kurrajong Hill, now known as Capital Hill, by Lady Denman, the wife of Governor-General Lord Denman. The foundation stone was laid, and construction began in the same year, with work on basic infrastructure and planting trees.
The site for the new capital had been chosen in 1909, and the territory was transferred to the federal government by New South Wales in 1911. The federal government had also launched an international design competition in 1911, with American architect Walter Burley Griffin winning first prize. Griffin's plan featured geometric motifs and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks.
The Commonwealth government purchased the pastoral property of Yarralumla in 1913 to provide an official residence for the Governor-General. Early construction in Canberra was interrupted by World War I, and by the time the federal parliament officially moved to Canberra in 1927, Griffin had left the project due to strained relations with the Australian authorities and a lack of funding.
Canberra is unusual among Australian cities as it is entirely planned. It is located in southeastern Australia, about 150 miles (240 km) southwest of Sydney.
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The city was designed by Walter Burley Griffin
The federal capital of Australia is Canberra, which occupies part of the Australian Capital Territory in southeastern Australia. The city was founded and formally named in 1913, following a dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital.
The design of Canberra is the work of American architect Walter Burley Griffin, who won a worldwide competition launched in 1911 to find a design for a new federal capital. Griffin's plan featured geometric motifs and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks such as Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Capital Hill and City Hill. The plan included an ornamental lake in the east-west Molonglo floodplain and a north-south land axis. The parliamentary triangle was marked by major roads that provided lines of sight between prominent features, with most federal buildings and the Parliament to be within the triangle.
Griffin's plan was selected after this international design contest, and construction commenced in 1913. However, his relationship with the Australian authorities was strained, and by the time he was fired in 1920, little work had been done. The Federal Capital Advisory Committee was established in his wake to advise the government on construction efforts, and it was chaired by John Sulman, who applied the ideas of the garden city movement to Griffin's plan.
The city's first urban district outside the central basin, Woden, began construction in 1962, followed by Belconnen in 1966, Tuggeranong in 1973, and Gungahlin in 1990. Canberra is unusual among Australian cities as it is entirely planned.
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It was named by Lady Denman
Australia's capital, Canberra, was founded and formally named in 1913. The name was announced by Lady Denman, the wife of Governor-General Lord Denman, at a ceremony on 12 March 1913. The name "Canberra" was chosen from almost 750 suggestions.
Lady Denman played a significant role in the naming of the capital. During the ceremony, she announced that the city would be named "Canberra", and she also laid a stone into the base of a proposed column, along with Lord Thomas Denman, the Prime Minister Andrew Fisher, and the Minister for Home Affairs, King O'Malley. This ceremony marked the commencement of the National Capital and the beginning of the construction of the city.
The name "Canberra" is derived from an Aboriginal term meaning "meeting place". The city has a long history of Aboriginal occupation, with the earliest evidence dating back approximately 21,000 years. At the time of European settlement, the main indigenous people in the region were the Ngunnawal. The area that became Canberra was first settled by permanent immigrants in 1824, and by the end of the 1830s, most of the land in the district had been settled. By 1836, the name had evolved to Canberra, and it was officially named as such during the 1913 ceremony.
The choice of the name "Canberra" reflects the cultural and historical significance of the land on which the capital was established. It acknowledges the rich history of Aboriginal occupation and their connection to the land. Additionally, the name "Canberra" also carries a sense of unity and gathering, reflecting its meaning as a meeting place.
The foundation of Canberra as the capital of Australia was a significant moment in the country's history. It marked the resolution of a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital. The decision to establish a new capital in a separate location was a compromise that ensured the capital would be built in New South Wales, while also being at least 100 miles (160 km) away from Sydney. This compromise was outlined in Section 125 of the Australian Constitution, which was established following the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901.
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The site was chosen in 1909
The site for Australia's capital was chosen in 1909, eight years after the federation of the colonies of Australia. The capital was to be built in New South Wales, at least 100 miles (160 km) from Sydney, as stated in Section 125 of the Australian Constitution. This was the result of a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital.
The Seat of Government Act 1908 specified a capital in the Yass-Canberra region, and the territory was transferred to the federal government by New South Wales in 1911. The name "Canberra" is derived from an Aboriginal term meaning "meeting place". The site was a small squatters' settlement of stockmen, called Canberry or Canbury, dating back to 1824.
In 1911, the Commonwealth of Australia launched an international competition to design the new capital city. The American architect Walter Burley Griffin, who had worked in the studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, won the competition. Griffin's plan featured geometric motifs and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks such as Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Capital Hill, and City Hill.
The foundation stone was laid in 1913, and construction began on basic infrastructure, including planting trees and establishing a water supply. The same year, on March 12, Lady Denman, the wife of Governor-General Lord Denman, announced that the city would be named "Canberra" at a ceremony. The capital city was formally founded and named Canberra in 1913, and the Commonwealth Parliament moved to Canberra in 1927.
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Canberra's first school opened in 1845
Canberra, the capital of Australia, was founded and formally named in 1913. The foundation stone was laid that year, and work began on planting trees, establishing a water supply, and building other basic infrastructure. However, Canberra has a much longer history, with the earliest evidence of Aboriginal occupation of the Australian Capital Territory dating back around 21,000 years.
In the early 19th century, Canberra was a small squatters' settlement of stockmen, called Canberry or Canbury, a name derived from an Aboriginal term meaning "meeting place". By 1836, the name had evolved to Canberra, and the city became a destination for permanent immigrants in 1824. Notable early colonists include Henry Donnison, who established the Yarralumla estate in 1827, now the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia.
Canberra's first school, St John's School, opened in 1845 and was situated next to the Anglican church of St John the Baptist in the suburb of Reid. The church is now the oldest surviving public building in the city, and the school has been converted into a museum.
The process of establishing Canberra as the capital city of Australia took several years. The site was chosen in 1909, and the Seat of Government Act was passed in 1908, specifying a capital in the Yass-Canberra region. The territory was transferred to the federal government by New South Wales in 1911, and an international design contest was held for the new capital, with American architect Walter Burley Griffin's plan ultimately being selected.
The construction of Canberra as the capital city commenced in 1913, with Griffin taking up the position of Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction. However, progress was slow, and by the time Griffin was fired in 1920, little work had been completed. The opening ceremony of the Provisional Parliament House took place on 9 May 1927, marking the official transfer of the federal parliament to the new capital.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia's capital, Canberra, was founded in 1913.
There was a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital. A compromise was reached that the new capital would be in New South Wales, at least 100 miles from Sydney.
Lady Denman, the wife of Governor-General Lord Denman, announced that the city would be named Canberra during a ceremony on 12 March 1913.
The name is a derivation of an Aboriginal term meaning "meeting place".
The design of Canberra was the subject of an international competition in 1911, which was won by American architect Walter Burley Griffin.
