Australian Archives A6266/1 G27/677

FEDERAL CAPITAL COMMISSION

List of Senior officers and experts who have been closely associated with the Design of the Federal Capital and Administration of the Territory for the Seat of Government, arranged generally in the order in which they became associated with the project.

Brig-Gen David Miller CMG, ISO, VD

    1. Secretary, Department of Home Affairs (earliest consideration of the project): Selection of Territory; Administrator of Territory 1912-1915

CR Scrivener, LS, ISO

  1. Director General of Commonwealth Lands & Surveys: early investigations: selection of site: city survey: lands administration.

Col PT Owen, CBE

  1. Director General of Commonwealth Works: early invesitigations: selection of site: design of engineering services: construction of city: Chief Engineer and Consultant to Commission

    2. Col WL Vernon FRIBA

  2. Government Architect of NSW: selection of NSW: selection of Territory

    3. JS Murdoch, CMG

  3. Chief Architect: Director General Works. Second Commissioner. Early designs and construction: design Parliament House and Public Buildings: later administration

Thomas Hill

  1. Director General of Works. Design of main engineering services

    2. CS Daley, OBE

  2. Secretary, Federal Capital Advisory Committee. Secretary Federal Capital Commission. Early administration and construction: post War development and works administration: city establishment and general constructional and administrative development.

    3. WB Griffin

  3. Winner of Design Competition. Director of Design and Construction. Author of approved city plan.

    4. JTH Goodwin MBE

  4. Director of Lands & Surveys: city survey and lands adminsitration

    5. HM Rolland, OBE

  5. Works Director, Federal Capital: Architect of Commission. Earliest building construction: later architectural development

    6. TG Weston, MBE

  6. Superintendent of Parks and Gardens. Establishment of nurseries: control of city and forest plantations

Sir John Sulman, FRIBA

    1. Chairman, Federal Capital Advisory Committee 1921-1925. General review of past action and formulation of definite scheme covering whole transfer of Canberra.

EM deBurgh

    1. Chief Engineer for Water Supply & Sewerage. Deputy Chairman, Advisory Committee. Special schemes for water supply and sewerage.

Herbert E Ross

    1. Architect. Member of Advisory Committee. Advice on engineering and architectural schemes and general development

Sir John Butters, CMG, MBE, VD

    1. First Chief Commissioner. Establishment of Commission control: execution of transfer of Seat of Government: development of civic and territorial administration and services.

Sir John Harrison KBE

    1. Deputy Chairman of Commission. Special advice on construction schemes and general development.

CH Gorman

    1. Member of First Commission. Special advice on constructional schemes and general development. (Mr Gorman died in 1927)

Col TJ Thomas, OBE

    1. Third Commissioner. Finance and general administration

B Crosbie Goold

  1. Second Commissioner 1929. General administration, particularly municipal aspects.

Dr JFW Watson

  1. Elected Third Commissioner in February 1929.

Dr RM Alcorn

    1. Elected Third Commissioner 20th April 1929

AJ Christie

1929 Chief Commissioner from 3rd November, 1929.

OFFICIALS - STAFF 30th June, 1913

Director of Lands & Survey: Charles Robert Scrivener

Field Staff:

Surveyors & Articled Assistants:

PL Sheaffe, EJ Dowling, A Percival, RM Kelly, RJ Rain, EV Corless, G Marshall, CG Roberts, D Reid, FH Chaplin, LJ Kelly

Valuer Inspectors:

AW Moriarty, JC Brackenreg

Draftsmen:

JG Brown, CT Young, AA Andrew, CW Pardey, FL Hatfield, FL Lynch, CS Vautin, R Middlecoat, L Edwards

Clerical Staff:

M Hyde, C Seddon, HN Bradshaw, F Kaye

Officers Employed in Lands & Survey Branch, 30th June, 1913

JTH Goodwin, Offier in Charge, WM Warrick, BHR Ziggell, CL Clarke, ATM Potter, LH Haslam, V Williams

Clerical:

E Whiteford, WR Pennington, HE Finney, C Binks, AT Wasley, AD Laughlin, R Cherry, F Bradshaw, RE Harkness, W Burrows.

Australian Archives A1818/1 711/061 Federal Capital Commission - Third Annual Report of the Federal Capital Commission for the period ended 30th June, 1927. Appendix J Report of Royal Visit Section.

To the Secretary, As directed I submit a report upon the activities of the Royal Visit Section in respect of the official opening of Parliament House Canberra, by His Royal Highness the Duke of York, on 9th May, 1927.

ORGANIZATION

The Chief Commissioner [John Butters] set up a group of Committees to deal with the several sub-sections of the arrangements involved, the scope and personal (including officers of Parliament and Commonwealth Departments, with the concurrence of authorities concerned) of which were as follows:-

Parliament House Arrangements-

The Clerk of the Senate (Mr GH Monohan CMG) and Architect of the Commission (Mr HM Rolland, FVIA).

Official Cars

The Assistant Chief Engineer of the Commission (Mr WE Potts MC), and the Industrial Officer of the Commission (Mr J McDowell).

Accommodation -

The Secretary of the Commission (Mr CS Daley), and the Superintendent, Commissariat Department of the Commission (Mr W Farrow).

Reception and Official Luncheon -

The Chief Commissioner, the Secretary, Prime Minister's Department (Mr PE Deane CMG), the Secretary of the Commission (Mr CS Daley), and the Clerk of the Senate (Mr GH Monahan CMG).

Schools -

The Architect of the Commission (Mr HM Rolland FVIA), the Headmaster, Telopea Park School (Mr CL Henry), and Vice-President, Telopea Park P&C and CA (Mr AK Murray).

Stands and Decorations -

The Chief Engineer of the Commission (Colonel PT Owen CBE) and Architect of the Commission (Mr HM Rolland, RFVIA).

Military Arrangements -

Brig-Gen CH Brand, CB, CMG, DSO and the Assistant Chief Engineer of the Commission (Mr WE Potts MC).

Cinematography -

Lt-Col LJ Hurley, Director of Immigration and Mr E P Robinson, Publicity Officer, Department of Markets and Migration.

Parking, Camping, Traffic and Police Arrangements

The Commissioner of Police for New South Wales (Mr J Mitchell OBE), the Chief Engineer of the Commission (Col PT Owen CBE), Inspector J McKay, Police Department of New South Wales and the Industrial Officer of the Commission (Mr J McDowell).

Public Entertainment -

Mr J McR Dunn, Mr EA Swane, Mr PT McNamara, and the Social Service Officer of the Commission (Mr JH Honeysett MC).

Medical and Sanitary Arrangements -

Major-Gen GW Barber CB, CMG, DGMS, Department of Defence, the Superintendent of Canberra Hospital )Dr J James, MB, ChM, FRCS Eng), and the Assistant Chief Engineer of the Commission (Mr WE Potts, MC).

The Committee functioned in an advisory capacity, their recommendations being developed subject to co-ordination by the secretariat of the section. The successive directions of the Chief Commissioner, following his consideration of these recommendations and subject to policy direction from the Royal Visit Cabinet Committee which was sought as occasion required were executed by the Departments of the Commission, which utilized the machinery of the Commission's organization for the purpose, and in some instances, as will be detailed later, by other instrumentalities.

The work of preparation for the official opening of Parliament House (apart from the architectural and engineering constructional work, which formed part of the Commission's 1926-27 programme, which was accelerated to ensure the completion of Parliament House and accessory works in time to enable the official opening of the House on the date fixed by the Government, namely the 9th May, 1927), occupied many months, and entailed a pressure upon the committees and the Commission's Departments which became extremely heavy as the date of the opening approached. Much difficulty was experienced in determining the extent of provision which would be required for the public owing to the uncertainty which prevailed as to the extent to which the opportunity to visit Canberra would be utilized…

A list of moneys approved in December 1926 for the visit is detailed. The total 46,881 pounds and 9 shillings and 4 pence. This amount included 6,819 pounds 6 shillings and 10 pence for Stands, Special Fittings, Parliament House and Decorations. Another 487 pounds 18 shillings was spent on special lighting of parliament house for cinematography.

Detailed reports from each committee are also in this document. Not mentioned is the burial of the pies (too many baked and not enough visitors to buy and eat them. The burial site is somewhere near the Provisional Parliament House.) Not mentioned either is the death of the young pilot who crashed into the hill in front of the Provisional Parliament House on 9th May. His name is Francis Charles Ewen. He is buried at St John the Baptist Church Cemetery in Reid ACT. He was born in Kamo New Zealand, son of Francis & Lilian Ewen. (St John's Churchyard… Jean Salisbury). James McRae Dunn who was a committee man has two children buried at St John's. The first to die was James who was one day old when he died 1st October 1920. His parents (James Hector McRae Dunn and Mary Fulton Dunn) lived in one of the cottages near the Power House. I have been told that it was one of four galvanised iron cottages erected behind the Power House. The second child, a daughter, named Mary Helen died 10th March 1929 aged 10 months.