Tourist Guide to Canberra

Dated small early version of Griffin’s plan of Canberra produced by the Property & Survey Department of the Interior Canberra, ACT.

In 1911, the Australian Government held an international competition to design Australia’s new capital city. The following year Griffin’s design was selected as the winner from among 137 entries. He said at the time ‘I have planned a city that is not like any other in the world. I have planned it not in a way that I expected any government authorities in the world would accept’. In 1913, he was invited to Australia to inspect the site and was appointed the Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction. This is Griffin’s plan of Canberra which was issued in 1918 with revisions. It shows proposed roads, parks, reserves, railways and military areas. In 1913 he was invited to Australia to inspect the site and was appointed the Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction. This is Griffin’s plan of Canberra which was issued in 1918 with revisions. It shows proposed roads, parks, reserves, railways and military areas.