Early Canberra

In early 2012 a photograph found in the Canberra & District Historical Society collection showed in the background two trees that I recognised.  This led to the knowledge of the site of not only the cubicles, but the Mess and other buildings on the site.  The area is in Block 3 Section 128 Stirling Park, Yarralumla Canberra.  The sites of the 25 two and three bedroom cottages in the settlement have survived. They are on the hill above the Hostel Camp along either side of a ...

I have included in the CAMPS section a draft for the revised edition  Builders of Canberra 1909-1929 the chapter on Permanent Hotels and Houses (known as HOUSES).  My intention was to put in a copy of the 1927 Sanitation Report which lists the major settlements, camps, hotels, houses, dairies etc - but managed to move the wrong article (had three on screen) - however, the draft should be of interest to people researching the early hotels, houses etc of Canberra.

T...

In the GENERAL section is a new article on the ceremony to unveil the Speaker's Chair in the then unfinished Provisional Parliament House in Canberra.  The politician's who arrived by special train the day before he ceremonies were feted with tours around the city as built at that time.  They stayed at Hotel Canberra after arriving on a train that travelled through the night to reach Canberra.  I am not sure if the railway station built by Mason of Queanbeyan was ready at that ...

In the GENERAL SECTION City Progress articles January, March & May 1927 had been copied. The reader should be aware that a number of the suburbs and roads changed names later in 1927.

South Ainslie - Ainslie

Ainslie - Braddon

South Ainslie - Reid

Telopea - Barton

Blandfordia - Forrest

Sub divisions of Blandfordia - Griffith

Eastlake - Kingston

I have put the new names in brackets in sections of the artilcles but the reader should keep the a...

Series of articles in the CANBERRA 1930s onwards section.  In the articles are references to the people who lived in the upstairs section of the Manuka Arcade.  Rooms - double and single were let unfurnished - but they had power points and lino on the floor with access to bathrooms with chip heaters and conveniences.  Some of the articles list the shopkeepers and on well recalled one is Cusacks.

In the CANBERRA 1920s section an article from the Canberra Times 1926 is typed.  The names of people who bought the leases and costs are included with an overall description of the shopping centre and residences.  This shopping centre had an Arcade which is still in use.   The residences are no longer in use for that purpose.

I came to Canberra in 1941 and went to Telopea Park Infants and Primary School. Opposite the Manuka Shops was the old Capitol Thea...

A number of articles published in the Canberra Times between 1926-1929 are reproduced in the CANBERRA 1920s section of this web.  The Government Printers Department was transferred to Canberra in 1927.  In preparation for this move the Printers' Quarters were built at Eastlake (now Kingston) near the new shopping centre in late 1926.  The quarters consisted of a number of semi-detached white stucco cottages built by Mason of Queanbeyan arranged around a central free standing di...

A new article added in CANBERRA 1913 - section of an inquiry into the over run of costs of hostels in Canberra. Sir John Harrison, commissioner in charge of building was one of the men giving evidence to a parliamentary committee.  Included in this article is reference to the costs of construction that includes for example reference to wages that included payment for zone allowances.  One mentioned was for men working on Yarralumla House - because it was well out of the city area th...

In the CANBERRA 1920s section an new article from the Canberra Times in relation to costs of the Social Service Association and questions about number of blocks bought by men working for the Commission.  The Social Service Association was established in Canberra in 1925 under the auspices of the Federal Capital Commission.  It replaced the numerous Progress Associations and was responsible for the construction of the Causeway Hall under the 50 - 50 system. The men supplied the labou...

In the ODDS & ENDS SECTION a new article - return of sale of alchol to the FCT.

In 1910 the sale of liquor in what was to become the Federal Capital Territory was banned.  For the next 18 years the hotels at Queanbeyan benefited from this decision.  With the arrival of the public servants and others transferred to Canberra to enable the Federal Parliament to sit in the nation's capital, the move was made to reverse this ban.  The result was a vote given to the people ...