Creator Walter Burley Griffin & Marion Mahony Griffin

Date 1913

Griffin's 1913 Preliminary Plan was prepared a year after he and partner Marion Mahony Griffin won the international competition for the design of Australia's federal capital at Canberra. The previous version, the competition winning plan of 1912, was prepared site-unseen in a studio in snowy Chicago, whereas this 1913 plan followed Walter's first visit, the product of weeks of long walks around the site, and discussions with local officials. It's an easy to read plan which gives a clear picture of the Griffins' vision for the national capital before a century of changes ensued.

The plan shows Lake Burley Griffin and the four 'Federal Groups' forming the heart of the capital - Government, Recreation, University and Military - merging with the lake parklands. The National Stadium occupies the centre of the Recreation Group flanked by the National Opera House and National Theatre, and the national museums and art galleries. Constitution Avenue - a Champs Elysee styled boulevard with trams, which was intended to be the premier shopping street of the nation - connects the Civic Centre business district to the Market District (at Russell), forming a bustling 3 km urban corridor of shops, offices, services, residential and cultural activities along the north shore of the lake. The Sydney to Melbourne railway (never built) crosses The Causeway, an grandly scaled embankment separating the main lake from the (unbuilt) East Lake. It was designed to create an unforgettable impression for those arriving in the capital, with views across the waters reflecting the nation's monuments. Parliament House is located at the centre of Government administrative group, a palatial assemblage of the buildings of a great democracy surrounding the Court of Honour. The Capitol (Capital Hill) is reserved for a commemorative shrine, a 'temple' of the nation's achievements. Today, however, the Parliament House occupies this site, one of many departures from the rich, people-filled vision of Walter and Marion Griffin.

Source: National Library of Australia