An Ideal City?

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Choosing the location

From Dalgety to Canberra

Alexander Oliver surveyed possible sites for a federal capital in 1900.

In 1902 and 1903, members of the federal parliament toured a number of New South Wales sites – Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bombala, Dalgety, Delegate, Goulburn, Lake George, Lyndhurst, Orange, Queanbeyan, Tumut, Wagga Wagga and Yass.

Their first choice, Dalgety, was confirmed by parliament in 1904. But many believed the site was too far from Sydney. Over the next few years the choice was debated and rival sites put forward. In 1908, the Yass–Canberra area officially replaced Dalgety as the federal capital site.

Bracing, safe and grand

Beyond the politics of locating such a growth centre, the new capital had to be in a ‘bracing’ physical situation – legislators and public servants might fall asleep in the torpor of a tropical environment. The climate had to be cool rather than warm. And the city had to be on an elevated site.

There were also security concerns – the federal capital had to be safe. Attack from the air was not a serious concern, but attack from the sea was a real threat. Australia’s capital could not be on the coast, subject to enemy bombardment, but it still needed some sort of port access (hence the Commonwealth lands at Jervis Bay).

Finally, the site had to be worthy to be the capital of a great nation. It had to be uncontaminated by industry or previous major urban development. Ample water was essential, to supply the needs of residents and to create ‘ornamental waters’ for recreation and aesthetic effect. Ideally, it would have some surrounding mountains to provide a grand setting.

In short, the city required a design and a designer whose ideas matched the aspirations of the new nation and its democratic form of government. And it had to come as close as possible to an ‘ideal city’ in modern town planning terms.

 

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