Ideal visions of Canberra : an exploration of the aspirations and assumptions behind the planning of Canberra during its two greatest periods of growth

Abstract

This thesis seeks to contribute to the existing historiography of the Australian national capital city, Canberra. It explores the assumptions and aspirations that influenced the city's planning and construction during its two greatest periods of growth--the first period spanning from the tum of the century to the beginning of the great depression, the second from the 1955 Senate Select Committee Report on Canberra to the early 1970s. The emphasis is not on providing a narrative history of Canberra. It analyses how the city's design reflects attempts to create the ideal city.