Section 2: the Competition

The Commonwealth of Australia invites designs

In May 1911 the Australian government invited architects and town planners to submit 'designs for the laying out of its Capital City'. Information kits were sent from Melbourne to all Australian State capitals, and to London, Paris, Berlin, Washington, New York, Chicago, Wellington, Ottawa, Pretoria and Cape Town.

Each kit included a plaster site model. There were also boxes containing site information for entrants to take away to study. These gave competitors as much information as possible, to allow them to compete without actually visiting the site. This procedure was in marked contrast to much previous planning of Australian towns and cities. Many towns had been built to plans, drafted in London and shipped out to Australia, which bore no relationship to the landscape.

The closing date for the competition was 31 January 1912. This gave competitors about eight months to complete their designs.

The Minister for Home Affairs, King O'Malley, reserved the right to make the final decision. This displeased the Royal Institute of British Architects, to which most British and Australian architects belonged. The Institute advised its members not to enter, but many took no notice.

What a Capital City Needs National capitals are not like other cities. As well as the usual commercial, residential, industrial, recreational and transport structures, they need buildings for government and justice. Their buildings should also project an image of the nation.

Ideas for Cities

" The occasion for the Design of the Federal Capital City of the Commonwealth of Australia is unique in recent times, and it is expected that competitors will embody in their Designs all recent developments in the science of town planning."

Information, Conditions and Particulars for Guidance in the Preparation of Competitive Designs for the Federal Capital City of the Commonwealth of Australia, 30 April 1911 (Melbourne, 1911).

Cities for Ideas Capital cities around the world offered models for the design of the new federal capital of Australia. Washington, Rome, Paris, London, and the vast monumental residence of the former kings of France, Versailles, provided powerful images of cities and seats of government.

onwards to section 3: The entrants

Section 2: the Competition

The Commonwealth of Australia invites designs

Information, Conditions and Particulars for Guidance in the Preparation of Competitive Designs for the Federal Capital City of the Commonwealth of Australia, 30 April 1911 (Melbourne, 1911).

All materials at this site, both images and text are the property of the NLA and Australian Archives and cannot be reproduced.