Design and development of the National Capital

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After Federation in 1901, one of the first questions considered by the new Commonwealth Government, and the most contentious, was the site for the Federal Capital. The announcement of an international design competition for Canberra in 1911 attracted worldwide interest. Entries were received from the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, Italy, France, as well as from South Africa, Rhodesia, Mexico and Paraguay.

The National Archives holds many maps, plans, files and reports relating to the design and development of Canberra. They range from the competition plans through to the construction of infrastructure, the first Commonwealth buildings, the slow but steady expansion of the capital during the postwar years, and the building of the new Parliament House.

Maps, plans and drawings
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Drawings submitted in the Federal Capital Design Competition 1912 A710
Photographic copies of unsuccessful designs submitted in Federal Capital Design Competition 1912 A763
Linen tracing of design submitted in Federal Capital Design Competition 1912 A764
Photographic negatives of designs submitted in Federal Capital Design Competition 1912 A765
Lithographic copies of designs submitted in Federal Capital Design Competition 1912 A766
Design of the layout of the Federal Capital City of Australia as projected by the Departmental Board 1912 A767
Lithographic copy of design of the layout of the Federal Capital City of Australia as projected by the Departmental Board 1913 A768
Reduced photographic copy of the map of contour survey of the site for the Federal Capital of Australia for the Federal Capital Design Competition 1912 CP895/3
Aperture cards for ACT architectural plans and drawings 1921–59 A9663
Canberra detail plans 1935–55 A2034
Canberra detail plans 1940–43 A2035

Accompanying/supporting documentation
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Correspondence files – Federal Capital series 1910–17 A110
Personal papers of Mr CS Daley referring to the development of Canberra 1910–45 CP487/6
Documents relating to design of the Federal Capital 1912–13 A762
Publications, articles and plans relating to the development of Canberra 1914–43 M1573
Instructions received by TCG Weston from Director of Design and Construction (Walter Burley Griffin) 1915–20 CP209/16
Correspondence files, single number series with 'C' (Commonwealth Departments) prefix 1930–49 A292
General files of the Senate Select Committee on the Development of Canberra* 1954–55 A7686
Papers of the 'Reference to inquire into and report upon the development of Canberra in relation to the original plan and subsequent modifications, and matters incidental there to'* 1955 AA1984/414
Minutes and agenda papers of meetings of the National Capital Planning Committee 1958–83 A8839
Minutes of National Capital Development Commission meetings 1958–88 A8840
National Capital Development Commission – correspondence files 1958–89 A1340

* Requests for access to records from A7686 & AA1984/414 are to be referred to the Clerk of the Senate. Please consult a reference officer for more details.

Photographic records
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Mildenhall collection of glass plate negatives of early Canberra 1921–35 A3560

For more information

For a comprehensive design history of the national capital, see Canberra following Griffin: A Design History of Australia’s National Capital (National Archives, 2002). In this heavily illustrated book, noted Griffin scholar and architect Paul Reid explores in-depth the fate of the Griffin design over the 20th century. It contains reproductions of many maps, plans and drawings from the National Archives’ collection.