Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408:front:0:p415
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 1322523–1325315

Capital Development Commission (NCDC) Act of 1957 set in motion a significant phase in the development of Canberra with the support of Robert Menzies Liberal government. The report of British Town Planner Sir William Holford stressed the need for 'unified design' for Canberra. This view was supported by the Senate Select Committee which propagated Holford's concept of a 'park like landscape...in the heart of Canberra, in which monumental buildings functioned both as symbols of government and of Australian unity'. The visual design of this landscape, the views along the main axial lines and avenues as well as the grouping of monumental buildings were considered to be the elements upon which the success of Canberra as a city of world standing depended. Holford's recommendations included siting the future houses of parliament on the lakeside and developing two monumental buildings on the municipal axis north of a new road connection, which became Parkes Way. The NCDC's acceptance of the Holford vision set the design context for the completion of Anzac Parade and the construction of the Portal Buildings under the direction of NCDC architects and planners. The Portal Buildings have heritage significance.

After a number of schemes for Canberra's lake, detailed planning of the Lake edges was begun in 1954. Lake Burley Griffin was created in 1964 by the damming of the Molonglo River by Scrivener Dam. It reached its predicted level of 556 metres in the same year. The northern shore of the lake between Commonwealth and Kings Avenues was landscaped from about this time to create Commonwealth and Kings Parks. In 1970, two vertical features were opened in the central basin of the lake. The Carillon, located on Aspen Island in the eastern part of the central basin, was a gift from the British Government to mark the fiftieth Jubilee of the founding of Canberra in 1963. In the western part of the central basin is the Captain Cook Memorial water jet commissioned by the National Capital Development Commission as part of the Cook Bicentenary year. In 1968 a small restaurant was built on a corner of the western part of the National Rose Garden.

NCDC architect and landscape architect Gareth Roberts and architect and landscape architect Richard Clough collaborated on the design of Anzac Parade and its architectural elements at this time. The two Portal Buildings, Anzac Park East and Anzac Park West, were completed in 1965 and 1966 respectively. With the establishment of the Australian War Memorial in the 1940s, the surrounding landscape was imbued with an associated symbolic character. This included the creation of Anzac Park and Anzac Parade. Anzac Park became the setting for a series of memorials commemorating Australian involvement and sacrifice in war. Anzac