Canberra 1954-1980

Abstract

Canberra 1954-1980 traces the main themes in Canberra's recent history. Its broad aim is to identify, describe and account for the physical and political changes which in little more than a quarter of a century turned a makeshift village of expedients into a recognisable national capital. The thesis begins with a picture of the township in 1954, the year in which the vitally important Senate Select Committee on the Development of Canberra was established and the crucial decision taken to make Canberra the true centre of government administration. It then deals with the influence of Menzies, the contribution of the eminent London planner, Lord Holford, setting up of the National Capital Development Commission, the transfer of departments from Melbourne, the emergence of the Y-Plan, and the wrangling over the site for a new and permanent Parliament House. Physical transformation of the city is covered in chapters describing the construction of Lake Burley Griffin, the new towns, and national buildings such as the Library, Gallery and High Court. Other chapters concentrate on issues and problems of growth such as the land tenure system and the abolition of land rent, the attempts to wrest more territory from New South Wales, the concept of Canberra as a social laboratory, community struggles with authority, moves towards self-government, and the restraint and recession of the late seventies. The thesis ends in 1980 when the government accepted a design and committed the first funds to build a new and permanent Parliament House, thereby providing the centrepiece for the Parliamentary Zone and conclusively confirming Canberra's status as the national capital.