How was the site for Canberra chosen?
The site for Canberra was chosen after years of debate and survey trips. Parliament first picked Dalgety in 1904, then settled on the Yass-Canberra district in 1908, and surveyor Charles Scrivener selected the exact site in 1909.
Section 125 of the Constitution required the capital to be in New South Wales, at least 100 miles from Sydney, with Melbourne as the temporary seat of government. This compromise ended the rivalry between the two cities.
Many towns competed to become the capital, including Albury, Armidale, Bombala, Dalgety, Orange and Tumut. Politicians toured candidate sites, and in 1904 Parliament chose Dalgety, near the Snowy River, but New South Wales objected.
The final choice
In 1908 Parliament chose the Yass-Canberra region. In 1909, Scrivener surveyed the area and recommended the Limestone Plains along the Molonglo River, with surrounding hills forming a natural amphitheatre.
The Federal Capital Territory was created on 1 January 1911. An international competition for the city's design was won by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin in 1912.
On 12 March 1913, Lady Denman, wife of the Governor-General, announced the name Canberra at a ceremony on Capital Hill. Canberra Day is still celebrated on the second Monday in March.
Did You Know?
Scrivener Dam, which created Lake Burley Griffin, is named after surveyor Charles Scrivener.