The Washington herald., 1914-07-26
GREAT CAPITAL in
Heart OF BUSH
Australia to Build Most Per-
feet City of World in
Wilderness.
AMERICAN DREW PLANS
Chicasoan Architect of Canberra to
Beautify Which Commissioners
Are Touring United States.
by EARLE F. DORSEY.

by r. DOhSEI.
Forty miles from the nearest railroad
IN the heart Of the wilderness of New
South Wales, the Australian government
will build a federal capital that will be
the most nearly perfect city in the world.
The federal city will be formed in the
shape of a dumb-bell fifty miles long,
and when completed it will surpass Paris
or Washington in civic beauty. The Aus
tralian government is planning to spend
millions OF dollars in the enterprise and
Il has sent Maj. Ernest Stowe and George
A. Taylor to the United States to study
municipal administration and civic art
Now in Washington.
The two commissioners have been in
Washington for several weeks, visiting
at the home of their friend. F. W. Fitz-
patrick, 400 Avenue OF the Presidents.
They have already visited Vancouver,
B. c.; Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago,
Cleveland. Buffalo, Boston, New York,
and Washington, and before they return
to Australia they will visit Duluth, De-
troit, Denver. Salt Lake City, and Los
Angeles.
A var or so ago the Australian govern
ment sent out invitations to architects
in all parts OF the world, inviting them to
enter an international competition TO fur
nish a plan for an Australian federal
city. Walter B. Griffin, OF Chicago, won
the competition with d plan that is one
OF the most nearly perfect city plans
ever drawn, in the opinion of competent
architects. The prize wGs awarded to
Griffin about fifteen months ago.
Another invitation has recently been
extended TO architects OF the world to
submit plans for the Parliament house, |
the first building to be erected in the |
new federal. city This building alone |
Will cost sS.0oo,OOO. Canberra will be the |
name of the new federal city. It was
taken from the native name Of the |
locality. /
City to own Land.
The mistakes the city fathers Of Wash
ington made in allowing real estate specu-
lators to grab the land within the Dis
trict, which resulted in the ruination Of |
part OF L'Enfant's original plan. will be
avoided by the Australians in building
their new capital. The government will
own every foot of land within the limits
Of the city, and residents must lease
the sites on which TO erect houses. No
part of Canberra ever will be sold for
any purpose, according to the present
plan.
The story of the origin of this new
Australian capital is like a romance. Up
10 fifteen years ago Australia was COM
posed Of six provinces. sll under the
British flag. but absolutely distinct from
each other. Travellers entering one prov
ince from another were forced to pass
through all the formalities OF customs
service usually observed at the borders
OF different nations. Rivalry and jeal-
ousy between them was intense.
About fifteen years ago the six prov
inces decided to amalgamate They
downed their fractional jealousies long
enough to come together. effect a united
form of government. and. to a certain
extent. cooperate in the industries and
commerce Of the island.
Pick Wilderness Site.
1t was decided that Melbourne should
be the capital for the first ten years. and
after that New South Wales should To-
cate the government in some city within
fts borders. New South Wales was given
the capital q few years ago, but the
change aroused so much feeling that
Parliament decided to build for itself 1
a new federal city. to be located in New
South Wales. but not less than 100 miles
from the city of Sydney.
Weary onths passed. and commits
sions ro7mcG the entire country, looking !
for possiNl sites for the new federal ]
city. The net result Of the discussion and
balloting was the selection OF Canberra, {
at that time a dot OF wilderness in the
Australian bush" along the seacoast
In the southeastern part-of New South
Wales
The nearest town was a settlement i
called Queanbeyan, seven miles away '
Sydney was 14O miles away and Mel q
bourne 250. The nearest railroad was no
less than forty miles back in the bush a
This was the site selected for the new a
capital Then invitations were sent out \
10 the architects Of the world.
Plan PigeonhoIed. c
The main avenues will radiate from the t
Parliament house. At the end of each L
avenue Is to be a circle, and the streets o
between are drawn in circular FORM the v
ones in the foreground circling the Par a
lament house. those in the distance cir
,ling all the numerous points which con- v
'titute the termini of the various main T
avenues. c
Grifin's plan reached Australia. but
'or political reasons was pigeon-holed.
Those with political axes to grind formed b
/ composite of Griffin's and other plans n
Ind tried to have it adopted. Some one. a
however, had the knowledge and courage z
o bring Grifin's plan from the pigeon
ioIe. Il
Grimm himself was sent for, and when n
ne reached Australia from Chicago they tt
yave him an 5000 job on the spot and Il
'usted the political crowd that had tried
o bury his plans. Il
Land Bought ChenpIy. -
The land for the federal city was pur- a
hased by the government at prices rang p
ng from 81 to so per acre. The land in
vill be laid out in streets according to
iriffin's plan, the ground improved and HI
ented for long terms as sites for resi- al
ences. A peculiar feature of the carital II
S that 1t will be self-supporting The CT
australians learned that lesson from the HI
arly growth of Washington. The reve- NJ
ue derived from the renting Of city
property, It is planned. will be turned ia
nto the city treasury to build and main o'
ain the elaborate scheme OF public in
uildings which will some day make Can al
ezra a fner city than Paris. Z
All the lessons which Stowe and TAYLOR rs
Ian to draw from the municipal admin e'
STATIONS of American cities VIII be Law 10
shed on Canberra, the capital Of the m
outh Pacific. W