1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 1912  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/01/1911   
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FEDERAL CAPITAL CITY: MAP AND DESIGNS FOR LAYOUT

DESIGNS FOR THE CAPITAL CITY

In 1911 the Commonwealth Government invited competitive designs throughout the world for laying out the capital city, with the object of embodying in the construction of the Federal capital the most desirable features from the standpoint of general efficiency for its purposes, of engineering, hygiene, etc. The city will be the permanent seat of Government of the Commonwealth, the place at which the Federal Parliament will meet, where all Commonwealth legislation will be enacted, and where the Governor-General will have his official residence. It will therefore be primarily the official centre of the Commonwealth.

The creation of a capital is a unique opportunity, and it is hoped to reflect in the designs thereof the finest features of modern cities. The Commonwealth will have, as a precedent in the undertaking, the whole experience of the past in architecture and city planning. With the object of inducing experts of world-wide celebrity and reputation to place their talents at the disposal of the Commonwealth Government, it was decided to award premiums of £1750, £750, and £500, respectively, for the three designs considered most meritorious. In response to the invitation thus issued 149 designs were received; these were submitted to a board for investigation and the Minister for Home Affairs has finally adjudicated upon the three premiated designs. The board referred to consisted of three members, viz.: - J. M. Coane, Esq., licensed surveyor, Melbourne; J. A. Smith, Esq., engiueer, Melbourne; and J. Kirkpatrick, Esq., architect, Sydney. The last two members submitted a report making recommendations as to the designs for which the premiums should be awarded, and these recommendations were adopted by the Minister for Home Affairs. The first-named member of the board recommended, in a minority report, that the premiums should be paid for three designs, none of which was included in the report of the other two members of the board. The three premiated designs are reproduced on pages 1147 and 1148 hereof, and explanatory notes may be found on the latter page.

DESIGN No. 29 awarded first Premium. WALTER BURLEY GRIFFIN, Architect and Landscape Architect, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.





DESIGN No. 18 awarded second Premium. ELIEL SAARINEN, Architect, Helsingfors, Finland.





DESIGN No. 4 awarded third Premium. D. ALF. AGACHE, Architect Diplomé par le Gouvernetnent Français, Professeur au Collège libre des Sciences Sociales, Paris, France.