Drawings submitted in the Federal Capital Design Competition
On 30 April 1911, the Department of Home Affairs issued
"Information, Conditions and Particulars for Guidance in the Preparation
of Competitive Design for the Federal Capital City of the Commonwealth of
Australia". This was made available
to bona fide competitors through the Department of Home Affairs and the Public
Works Department of each state and representatives overseas. Premiums of Pds Stg 1,750, Pds Stg 750 and Pds Stg 500 were offered to those
who submitted the designs placed first, second and third.
The following conditions were included:
"2. Geometrical plans and sections should be prepared
to scales based on the British standards of measurement, and the general plan
of the City Design shall be drawn on Contour Map marked 'C'" - see paragraph
6(c) of "Invitation to Competitors".
This contour map was part of the information provided to competitors.
"8. The Designs and descriptive matter shall be
submitted without any distinguishing mark, motto, or name, but a sealed packet
containing the name and address of its author must be securely attached to each
Design, such packet to be held, and opened after adjudication, only by His
Excellency the Governor-General or his deputy".
"10. The Designs must be delivered to the Secretary,
Department of Home Affairs, Melbourne, on or before the 31st day of January,
1912". [1] Designs not premiatated were to be
returned.
The Federal Capital Designs Board was appointed by the
Governor-General in Council on 29th February, 1912. [2]
It consisted of -
Chairman: John
Montgomery Coane, Licensed Surveyor;
Members: James Alexander Smith, Engineer; John Kirkpatrick,
Architect;
Secretary: Conway Inglis
Clark.
The Board's report was presented to Parliament and ordered
to be printed on 19 July, 1912. [3]
The majority of the board selected First, Entrant No 29
Walter Burley Griffin;
Second, Entrant No 18 Eliel
Saarinen; Third, Entrant No 4 D. Alf Agache. The chairman
presented a minority report selecting: First, Entrant No 10 W. Scott Griffiths,
Robert Charles Gibbon Coulter, Chas. Henry Caswell; Second, Entrant No 41 Arthur C. Comey; Third,
Entrant No 81 Nils Cellerstedt. Also mentioned in the majority report were -
Entrant No 7 Harold Van Buren Magonigle, Entrant No
35 Schanfelberg, Rees and Cummer.
137 entries consisting of over 500 drawings were received.
Of these, 156 drawings appear to have been numbered before being exhibited in
Melbourne and Sydney. This control
system has not survived. [4] Of the original designs those of entrants No
4, 10, 18 and 29 are extant. Copies of some of the other designs may be found
in related series. The designs of No 29 Walter Burley Griffin, except the
contour plan, are on silk. Other designs are on paper. Some are coloured and
some monochrome. All designs are now
framed and covered in glass.
In 1989 the Reprography Sub-section of Australian Archives
(ACTRO) replaced the reference copies in the photograph album located in
consignment CRS A710/E1 with larger prints.
These are now housed in a red loose-leaf album. In addition, a copy of item 1 of CRS A767
may be found at the back of this album.
NOTES:
[1] Home Affairs Department, Correspondence files, FC
series, 1910-1917 (CRS A110) - item FC 12/1661.
[2] Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 15 of 12 March 1912
p.282.
[3] Commonwealth of Australia Parliamentary Papers 1912, vol.II pp.349-356.
[4] CRS A110, item FC 13/1380.