Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408:front:0:p411
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 1312323–1315217

urban planning form has been affected by the realities of Australian political and cultural life as well as by the circumstances and juxtapositions of historic events. Australian planners following Griffin have rearranged the icons to reflect the dominant realities and meanings of Australian life.

Griffin's various plans for the central National area of Canberra all included a basic planning framework, which has been constructed and survives to the present. This framework includes the land axis, joining Capital Hill and Mount Ainslie, the water axis, the radiating avenues from Capital Hill, Commonwealth and Kings Avenues, the arc of Parkes Way, the northern punctuation of the land axis by the Australian War Memorial, the roads encircling Capital Hill, State and Capital Circles and the southern punctuation of the land axis by the Parliament House of 1988. In addition to the alignment of axes and avenues which defined Griffin's city plan the triangle was a basic element on which the whole city was built. In his design Griffin had created three urban centres connected by main avenues. Capital Hill as the government centre, Mt Vernon as the municipal centre and Mt Pleasant as the market centre were integral to the plan. The northern avenue, Constitution Avenue, was the municipal axis.

Griffin prepared a preliminary plan in 1913 and a revised plan in 1918 following which the Official Plan was gazetted in 1925. Griffin left in 1920 leaving development under the control of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee (FCAC) chaired by the planner, John Sulman. The Committee had been appointed to complete sufficient permanent buildings to enable Parliament to move from Melbourne to Canberra.

Development
Tree planting began in the early years of Canberra's development, and by 1921 some 17,000 trees were planted (Hendry). Within the Vista area tree planting commenced around 1923 in Prospect Parkway, now known as Anzac Parade. Early images show tree planting in a scalloped arrangement along the length of the avenue

For 3 years from 1925, trees were planted in association with the construction of the Provisional Parliament House. The formal structural planting around the House including Cedars, Cypresses and Lombardy Poplars was completed for the opening (Hendry). The planting proposals were finalised by Charles Weston, Superintendent of Parks, Gardens and Afforestation, and from 1926, carried out by his successor Alexander Bruce. The planting design aimed to create through the use of a balanced mix of evergreen and deciduous trees, formally shaped grassed vistas and 'outdoor rooms' in scale with the Provisional Parliament House. The formally arranged groups of Lombardy Poplars to achieve 'sentinel' features at the entrances and the pedestrian reference points in the landscape, is attributed to the involvement of John Smith Murdoch, Chief Architect for the