Canberra design competition submission by Walter Burley Griffin drawn on the Commonwealth contour map, c.1911. Courtesy National Archives of Australia
1911 Walter Burley Griffin’s design for Australia’s Capital

In 1911 Prime Minister Andrew Fischer launched a competition for a design of Australia’s capital city. One hundred and thirty seven entries came from all over the world. The prize was awarded to an American couple from Chicago, Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Griffin. The Griffins had not been to Australia but based their design on maps and topographic and weather information of the site. Continue reading