Canberra sites ~ sites in and around the
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Australian National University
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A History of the Australian National University (ANU), Acton Campus
Human occupation of the campus site can be divided into four phases –
- Aboriginal
- Pastoral
- Federal Capital Phase
- University Phase
Aboriginal occupation is evidenced in stone tools discovered in the area of, and on, the campus in particular along Sullivans Creek. The ANU site appears to have included the main Black Mountain camping place and corroboree ground.
Three “tribes” are thought to have inhabited Canberra and nearby NSW – the Ngarigo, Ngunawal and the Walgalu. The Ngarigo seem to have been most common in the ACT. (Urry, in Dexter, 1991).
During Canberra’s pastoral era, the Aboriginal people virtually vanished. In 1913 the Attorney – General W.M. Hughes reflected on the tragedy in a speech to commemorate the naming of the Federal capital. The aboriginal inhabitants, he said, had been “banished from the face of the earth”. (Dexter, 1991).
The proximity of the campus to Black Mountain, the likely archaeological significance of the original Sullivans Creek route, and the fact that significant Aboriginal research has been done by people based at the ANU, including Dr Josephine Flood and Dr J. Urry, suggest that archaeological sensitivity in new development, and interpretation of Aboriginal traditions are potentials in the future management of the land.
The pastoral phase of the ANU campus began soon after the early explorations of 1820. “Springback” and “Canberry”, or “Acton”, were the two original land grants from which the ANU campus was taken. “Canberry” was granted to John Joshua Moore in 1825 and included the eastern portion of the present campus. The western portion, “Springbank” was granted to John MacPherson who established his home nearby in about 1830, making him the first resident pastoralist landholder.
The legacy of changes to the landscape resulting from the pastoral phase include the reduction in tree density – although apparently to a lesser extent on Acton Ridge – and a change in the ground cover from a Kangaroo grass – dominated situation to one dominated by Wallaby Grass and Spear Grass.
Exotic trees were also planted during this time, including Willow and Poplar, and these species persist today.
The Lennox Crossing road running down from Acton ridge led in the pastoral phase to a crossing of the Molongolo River. In its alignment and character it is a valuable vestige of that time.
The Federal Capital phase began when the debate on federation led to the selection of Canberra as the city site, formally accepted by the Commonwealth in the 1910 Seat of Government Act.
The Commonwealth then proceeded, in 1911 with the international design competition which led to the adoption of the Walter Burley Griffin plan.
The ANU has been placed in accordance with Griffin’s plan. He purposely placed it at the foot of Black Mountain. The mountain, “contributes to the education purposes through botanical gardens, and forestry preserves, apparently also offering opportunity for mineralogical and mining studies” (Griffin, in Dexter, 1991). He also preferred the site since it afforded, he felt, the most varied and interesting view available in the city.
His concept of a grouping of educational and research establishments around the University has become reality, with this part of Canberra having a strong education/research image.
Griffin’s ideas for the generic layout of the University and for the architectural effect of the buildings across Sullivan Creek have had a far lesser realisation. His “Municipal Axis” is, however, a factor in the modern campus. Called in his 1918 plan Terrace Avenue, and now called University Avenue, it was in his plans the northern extent of the campus. Even though it is now more towards the centre, it is still a powerful ordering element and possibly the strongest formal connection between the campus and the city.
Several activities associated with the early years of the construction of the Federal capital are still evident on the campus and are constraints on planning.
The cottages around Balmain Crescent were built around 1911 and are the remains of the Acton Village, which was the first settlement to be identified as “Canberra”. They were the houses of a number of major figures in the establishment phase of Canberra, and related to the Old Canberra House, originally the home of the first administrator of the Territory (Colonel Miller). Old Canberra House is by Murdoch and it is an excellent example, as are the cottages, of the Federal Capital style.
Plantings from the Federal Capital period are a prominent aspect of the present-day campus. Thomas Weston, whose planting activities had such a profound effect on Canberra generally, contributed the Cedars and Prunus of Liversidge Street, Monterey Pines, Elms and Eucalypts on Acton Ridge and White poplar, Silver poplar, Elms, Cedars and giant Sequoia on University Avenue.
Sullivans Creek was beginning to be altered in this period. A plan of 1920 shows the proposal, later implemented, to remove a meander which ran around the present Fellows Oval.
The University phase of the campus’s development began after the formal establishment of the University in 1947. A succession of plans follows. The Brian Lewis plan of 1948 proposed a grand arrangement of buildings around Griffin’s water axis. “The legacy from Lewis’s plan is University House, the housing on Liversidge Street, the Central Store, the Research School of Physics, the John Curtin School of Medical Research, the Vice-Chancellor’s House, Garran Road and the straightening of Sullivans Creek south of University Avenue Bridge". (DPP, 1992).
Denis Winston, an influential figure in Town Planning in Australia, was site planner between 1954 and 1966. Assisted by Grenfell Ruddock until 1958, his plans nominated areas which could develop as self-sufficient precincts, “without conforming rigidly to a preconceived architectural scheme…… This was a radical departure from the Beaux Arts approach of Brian Lewis”. (DPP, 1992).
The present campus quality of pavilions in a park is a legacy of Winston’s approach. While some distinctive spaces were created, a loss of the sense of connection and orientation has resulted, and complex circulation patterns have caused problems in terms of landscape maintenance and servicing.
Roy Simpson followed Winston as site planner and his major influence was in pedestrianisation of the Faculty area and, “the severing of the road link with Civic along Ellery Crescent and University Avenue”. (DPP 1992).
His open space proposals were not followed, nor has his 1971 proposal to remove Garran Road, north-west of Fellows Road.
Given the “looseness” imparted during the Winston era, possibly the greatest subsequent visual impacts have resulted from the maturing plantings of Charles Weston, Lindsay Pryor and John Stevens, which have re-inforced the informal, park-like character.
The other historical development of the campus which presents a challenge to the landscape strategy is the question of land acquisition. The campus has acquired the Institute of the Arts and North Oval, and these are becoming part of overall ANU campus identity.
In October 1992 the university published its Development Policy Plan which called, in turn, for the Strategic Landscape Plan. This was prepared by Knox & Tanner Pty Ltd (now known as Knox & Partners Landscape Architects).
This plan proposed
- retention of and improvements to University Avenue – Griffin’s Municipal Axis.
- reinforcement of Sullivans Creek as a major pedestrian through-route as well as the focus for the campus generally, with water quality improvements and changes to pondages.
- a new axial space – the Acton Ridge Axis – to draw the remote southern parts of the campus into the centre of the university.
- creating a new, positive interface with the “City West” area, generally around Marcus Clarke Stre
The plan also discussed the development of various smaller spaces within this structure, and proposed a manual of policies, techniques and finishes to unify the broad campus.
Knox & Partners has continued to act as landscape master planner since acceptance of the original plan.
Paul Knox – Registered Landscape Architect
References:
Charlton, K. 1984 Federal Capital Architecture Canberra 1911 – 1939, National Trust of Australia (ACT)
Dexter, D. 1991. The ANU Campus. Australian National University, Canberra
Development Policy Plan 1992, Buildings and Grounds Committee. ANU, Canberra
