Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408:front:0:p175
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 563702–566609

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 Commonwealth Government, in the design. Cedars were used at right angles to the Land Axis. Most of the trees planted in Parkes Place were exotics with the only eucalypts planted adjacent to the Senate and House of Representatives Gardens (Gray 1995).
The first major structure to be placed within the area was the Old Parliament House, then

called the Provisional Parliament House. In 1923 the Commonwealth Parliament agreed to the proposed building which was sited in front of Camp Hill, Griffin's intended location of the permanent Parliament House. At the time, Griffin protested recognising that if built, the provisional building would remove any possibility of a permanent Parliament House being built on Camp Hill. Nonetheless the Commonwealth proceeded. In 1925 the Federal Capital Commission (FCC) was established under Sir John Butters. The Commission 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