Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408:front:0:p176
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 566369–569095

replaced the FCAC. The FCC was responsible for moving the public service to Canberra and otherwise establishing the city in time for the opening of Parliament House.
A number of other significant projects were undertaken at the same time as the construction of (Old) Parliament House, which was designed by John Smith Murdoch and completed in 1927. Either side of the Parliament House, private gardens were established for the use of Members of Parliament. On either side of Camp Hill, two government office buildings were constructed, known as East and West Blocks and these were also completed in 1927. East and West Blocks were also designed by Murdoch in a similar style to Old Parliament House.

In 1926 a delegation of the Empire Parliamentary Association visited the new Parliament House and planted an avenue of 12 commemorative trees, to mark the event of the first use of the House of Representatives. Ten Roman Cypresses (CUPRESSUS SEMPERVIRENS 'STRICTA') were planted at right angles to the House with each tree planted by a delegate and marked by a brass plaque. To commemorate the opening of Parliament House in 1927, the Duke of York planted a Bunya Pine (ARUACARIA BIDWILLI) near Kings Avenue. The Marquis of Salisbury and Mr Arthur Henderson planted the Lombardy poplars in the courtyards of the Provisional Parliament House (Pryor and Banks 1991, Gray 1995).

In 1927 the Canberra National Memorials Committee named the area in front of Parliament House - Parkes Place, to commemorate Sir Henry Parkes. King Edward, King George and Queen Victoria Terraces, and Langton and Walpole Crescents were named for links to the first 50 years of Federation (Gray 1995).

The Gardens designed and constructed as part of the Old Parliament House Complex was conceived by the Federal Capital Advisory Committee in the early1920s and constructed by the Federal Capital Commission from the mid 1920s in time for the opening of Parliament in May 1927. Formal enclosed gardens were the style of the time and James Orwin of the Sydney office of the Director of Works for NSW prepared sketch plans that were finalised by Murdoch. Most of the trees for the Parliamentary gardens were planted by late 1925. Around the same time road patterns for the Parliamentary area following Griffin's concepts were prepared.

Formal rose gardens in front of the House were first proposed by Weston in 1924. The idea was finally realised when the National Rose Gardens were established in 1933 by the Canberra Horticultural Society in association with the Department of the Interior. The design was developed by A. Bruce based on the plan of petals of an open bloom with colours arranged from deep red in the central area progressing through