The ballroom of Government, Melbourne, ready to display the competition drawings. O'Malley is in the light suit with Coane on his right and Smith on his left.
Three judges were to submit recommendations for prizes to the Minister for Home Affairs, the often pugnacious, sometimes truculent, and almost always controversial King O'Malley. Because O'Malley - a non-professional - reserved to himself the power to award the prizes, the competition did not meet the specifications for such events established by the Royal Institute of British Architects. For this reason the RIBA and the Australian state architectural societies cautioned their members not to take part, and many Commonwealth architects did not enter. Nevertheless, by the time O'Malley selected the judges and they were ready to begin work, entries from 15 countries had arrived in Melbourne and awaited the attention of the judges.
Waiting to uncrate and judge the entries in the 1911 design competition.
Entries in the design competition arrived in Melbourne in large wooden crates. O'Malley (who moved while this picture was being taken) supervises the registration of the submissions with two of his Federal Capital Designs Board - J.M. Coane (seated second from right) and J.Smith (between Coane and O'Malley).
In the great tradition of saving the best for last, it is now time to meet some of the entrants who did not win. Click here to view a few of theForgotten Plans and Neglected Designers
If only the best of the best interest you, feel free to jump ahead to the winner, Walter Burley Griffin..
The escape hatch for the person who never likes to stray too far from HOME.