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.

The land axis of Versailles, the model for many grand city designs.
A bird's eye view drawn by I Silvestre around 1690.
I Silvestre: Bird's eye view of the land axis, Versailles, circa 1690.
Drawing.
Louvre Museum, Paris

Designers thought of these cities when they began to design a new Australian capital. Paris, with its grand boulevards created by Baron Haussmann, London as designed by Christopher Wren, the Rome of Pope Sixtus V, Versailles, the symbol of absolute power, elegant Vienna, and L'Enfant's Washington were examples of imposing national capitals. It is not surprising that many of the competition entries resembled these cities, particularly as some of the competitors came from France, Britain and the United States.

A Vienna streetscape at the turn of the century.
Richard Moser Kohlmarkt 1900.
Watercolour.
Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien
(City of Vienna Historical Museum)

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