On Solid Foundations

On Solid Foundations The building and construction of the Nation’s Capital 1920 to 1950

A History of the pioneering efforts of those who built Canberra

DEDICATION This book is dedicated to those pioneers of the building and construction industry who played such a vital role in the early development of our national capital.

Many of these men and their families worked and lived in difficult, often atrocious conditions, but nevertheless they toiled long and hard and with great skill. The result was a remarkable achievement over three decades of fluctuating growth and fortunes for our national capital.

These workers laid a very solid foundation for those who were to follow and fulfill the goals, visions and dreams of those early pioneers.

On Solid Foundations The building and construction of the Nation’s Capital 1920 to 1950 A History of the pioneering efforts of those who built Canberra

ON SOLID FOUNDATIONS

THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE NATION’S CAPITAL 1920 to 1950

Published by the Canberra Tradesmen’s Union Club – August 2001 Printed by Paragon Printers Australasia Front Cover Photograph: Canberra High School Construction Workforce 1939.

ISBN 0 95779427 4

The publication of this book was made possible as a result of the generous support given by the Canberra Tradesmen’s Union Club and the office staff of the ACT Branch of the CFMEU. Solutech contributed by providing technology for photographic work.

Contents Chapter Authors’ Notes

1

Setting the Scene – Early Canberra .............................. 1

2

The Building Boom Of The Twenties Stage 1 – 1920 to Mid-1925 ....................................... 24 30

3

The Workers Camps Of The Twenties ......................... 42 53

4

61 The Building Boom Of The Twenties........................... 49 Stage 2 – Mid-1925 to 1927

5

Economic Downturn Curtails City Growth ................. 78 98 The Federal Capital Commission Is Abolished And The Depression Sets In – 1928 to 1934

6

Renewed Optimism But War Intervenes – ..................120 98 Mid-1930s to 1945

7

Post War Years In Canberra. New Growth ............... 109 131 Prospects, New Goals, Great Optimism – 1945 to 1951

8

Stories Of Some Early Builders ................................ 115 140 Jock Simmie ............................................................ 115 140 Charles Burrows and Clive Lowes ............................ 117 142 John Deans ............................................................. 118 143 Tom Bourke ............................................................. 119 144 146 Wesley George and David Elphinstone ..................... 121 Jack McNamara....................................................... 122 147 Appendices .............................................................. 125 150 Index of Names ............................................................ 166

Cottages Under Construction at Acton - National Archives.

Authors’ Notes There have been many books written about the early history of Canberra and about certain aspects, events and people involved in the city’s building and construction industry.

The authors of this book marvelled at what had already been done by so many skilful historians and other individuals. Nevertheless the group felt that in this Centenary of Federation year it would be both appropriate and just that an overview be assembled of the industry and the people who worked in and were affected by it. It was also felt that a focus on the pioneering years from 1920 to 1950 was especially relevant as it was in this period that the emerging national capital gyrated through turbulent times, historically, economically and socially. The men and their families who worked in the industry during these times were the lifeblood of the city, but for all that they were the victims of political squabbles and backbiting and at the mercy of economic cycles of immense volatility. In the twenties these workers often lived in primitive conditions that would defy our current day ability to contemplate, conditions that human beings would not and should not have had to endure. And all this in an environment that was hardly conducive to comfortable living, even in the best of circumstances.

Nevertheless these courageous and skilful people built our national capital and had it all ready for royalty to visit and pay their respects in May 1927. We feel that it is important to record the events, projects and achievements particularly in the period up to that point especially. Not long after most of these gallant workers were forced on to the dole as the economic depression of the late twenties and early thirties bit hard into the national economy. The building and construction workers in Canberra were vulnerable to its worst effects. Many left the city at this time.

However the industry bounced back in the mid to late thirties and despite the intervention of another world war and the hardships and shortages of the immediate post-war period, by 1950 the city was ready to surge forward again and become Australia’s true national capital and seat of government. By then our building and construction industry workers had been joined by thousands of their colleagues from overseas, who put up with many privations and inferior housing conditions, until their own endeavours had the city in good shape.

There are many fascinating and often heart rending stories about those who were the early builders of our city and this book focuses on some of these – the stories of people, their grit and determination, their comradeship and their trials and tribulations. These people deserve our accolades and the respect of us all and their stories are interspersed throughout the book, at the appropriate period of time. This book pays tribute, records, applauds and provides a permanent record of the work that was done, both by the workers and the builders.

The authors wish to thank all those, who in some form or other, have assisted with the preparation of this book. Ann Gugler and her many relevant publications, Val Emerton, Lyall Gillespie and Gordon Shannon provided special help, as did many other individuals who are mentioned throughout the text. Thanks also are extended to Judy Becker (ACT Heritage Library) and Helen Digan (Canberra and District Historical Society) for the access and help they provided for our research work. Sue Dyer’s meticulous work on the final drafting was invaluable. The National Archives, the National Library and the ANU’s Noel Butlin Library were key sources of information and their staff also gave us gave us invaluable invaluable service. service.

Significant use was made of major references such as Jim Gibbney’s History of Canberra, 1913-1953, (1988), C S Daley’s As I Recall (1994), the H L White edited A Nation’s Capital (1954), the annual reports of the Federal Capital Commission, the 191213 Annual Report of the Commonwealth Lands and Survey Branch and the 1955 report of the Senate Select Committee’s enquiry into the development of Canberra. There is a record of reference material throughout the book.

David Andrew David Andrew Phil Johnstone Alan Foskett

Phil Johnstone

The team at work. Left to Right: Alan Foskett,The PhilTeam Johnstone, At Work David Andrew.

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Alan Foskett

David Andrew

David Andrew

David Andrew served with the Snowy Mountain Authority as a field Industrial Officer from 1955 until he left to come to Canberra in January 1964. He was Executive Director of the Master Builders’ Association of the ACT for 16 years, then Executive Director of the Master Builders’ Federation of Australia for seven years until retirement in 1987. David Andrew feels privileged to have enjoyed periods of close working relationships with building and construction workers in their successful completion of the Snowy Scheme and the building of the national capital – the two most significant national projects of the 20th Century.

Phil Johnstone was born in Canberra and is the vice president of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union. Phil entered the construction industry in the later part of the 1970s as an apprentice painter and decorator. He became involved in the union movement while employed on the National Art Gallery project. Phil has worked in both private, public and federal sectors of the industry. As a result of working on this book he sees workers’ issues as the same now as they were 100 years ago.

Phil Johnstone

Alan Foskett

Alan Foskett

Phil Johnstone

Alan Foskett came to Canberra in 1950, from Sydney.

After a public sector career of 38 years involving national development, Canberra urban planning, education and health he established a management consultancy business in 1987. During the nineties Alan taught in the Faculty of Management at the University of Canberra. In recent years he has published widely on aspects of local and regional history. Alan’s special areas of local historical interest include urban planning, Canberra’s hostel culture, cricket, education, health and Canberra’s social history of the twenties, thirties and forties.

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Were They Ever Warm In Wintry Conditions?

Rarely were winters on the Limestone Plains free from those snaps when well-below freezing temperatures, frosts, ice and day long fogs ran for days on end. These were testing times for everyone but doubly so for those living under canvas in the early workmen’s camps.

Stories told by old hands provide a graphic picture of what a day under those conditions was like. After a night of fitful sleep when chilled bedding and bed clothes had done little to maintain body warmth, workmen found climbing into cold working clothes brought little comfort. They struggled to pull on and tie up stiffened leather boots and then tramp across frozen ground through semi-darkness to the primitive toilet and washing facilities. When it was a ‘batching camp’ they tossed together a scratchy breakfast. Then followed a walk or a trip in the back of an open lorry through the fog to the work site – a truly heartening start to a day’s work.

Conditions on work sites brought no joys, with no gloves or protective clothing in those days. Building materials, tools and equipment, even when stored under cover overnight, were painful to handle. Some foremen allowed open fires in work areas where practicable, but standing around these for any length of time was not encouraged. This meant that the only source of warmth would come from the fires lit to provide boiling water for billy tea at the lunch breaks.

The return trip to camp was only marginally warmer than in the morning and when the time came to hit the cot, the weary workers found that tossing on coats and other clobber on the bed did not necessarily mean greater warmth.

The point of this account is that while everyone living in Canberra shared the same wintry conditions, these building workers could not escape from their effects and had no ready access to means of getting and staying warm.

It is little wonder that in their later years, when asked how long they had worked in Canberra, these builders would express this in the number of winters they had experienced there.

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1 Setting The Scene – Early Canberra Introduction In broad terms there were five six significant periods of building and construction activity in Canberra and the ACT during the period from 1920 to 1950.

• • • • •

1920-1924 – the Federal Capital Advisory Committee – getting going 1924-1929 – the era of the Federal Capital Commission – strong growth 1930-1935 – the depression and a halt to building and construction activity 1936-1940 – a post-depression boom, led largely by the private sector 1940-1950 – following World War II, a building and construction led boom, fuelled by the urgent need for accommodation, the impact of overseas immigration, post war euphoria and the requirements of a true national capital for Australia.

The level of building activity over the three decades reflected the city’s changing rates of population growth. There was a strong correlation between building industry activity and city population growth, as shown in the table below.

ACT And Canberra Population Period 1911-1916 1916-1921 1921-1926 1926-1931 1931-1936 1936-1941 1941-1946 1946-1951

ACT Population Change +953 -147 +3967 +2093 +1665 +4714 +848 +9025

ACT Population At End Of Period 2730 2583 6550 8643 10 308 15 022 15 867 24 892

Canberra City Population At End Of Period 1150 4900 7050 8030 13 300 14 100 23 143

Note: ACT population at end of 1950: 24 300 (Canberra 22 500)

The Early Days If we are to understand fully the contribution and impact made by those involved in Canberra’s building and construction industry over the three decades from 1920, we must also be aware of the scene that had been set in Australia’s emerging national capital at the beginning of the period.

The Australian Constitution became a reality in July 1900 with the passing of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act by the House of Lords. The Act was assented to by Queen Victoria on 9 July 1900. The Commonwealth of Australia came into existence under the Constitution on 1 January 1901.

Federal Parliament first met on 10 May 1901 in Melbourne. At this time relevant professional groups met in the southern city to talk about the national capital that was to come and the need to design a model city of world standing.

The search for the site of the national capital was quickly underway. In 1904 Dalgety, in far southern New South Wales was nominated as the most appropriate site. Much argument ensued and it was not until 1908 that the Commonwealth Government determined that the seat of government of the Commonwealth should be in the district of Yass-Canberra, that its area be at least 900 square miles, and that it have access to the sea. The next step was to select the actual city site and at the end of 1908 District Surveyor C R Scrivener was directed to identify the most suitable territory within the Yass-Canberra district.

The Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Hugh Mahon, identified four primary requirements in determining the desired territory, namely that: • • • •

it include a site or sites possessing the necessary topographical characteristics for the federal capital it include the catchment area of the water supply for the capital – such water supply to be of sufficient magnitude to place the question of volume at all seasons and purity beyond doubt the site provide for a perfect system of sanitation the site be within easy access of Sydney and Melbourne and through them to the other capital cities, and with a suitable harbour on the coast.

Mr Mahon also directed that the Surveyor bear in mind that ‘the Federal Capital should be a beautiful city, occupying a commanding position, with extensive views and embracing distinctive features which will lend themselves to the evolution of a design worthy of the object, not only for the present but for all time’.

On 25 February 1909, Mr Scrivener made a report to the Minister for Home Affairs, recommending the site of Canberra. This description of the site appeared in his report: A city could be located at Canberra that would be visible on approach for many miles; streets with easy gradients would be readily designed, while prominent hills of moderate altitude present suitable sites for the principal public buildings. The Capital would probably lie in an amphitheatre of hills with an overlook towards north and north-east well sheltered from both

southerly and westerly winds, and in the immediate vicinity of the Capital there are large areas of gently undulating country‌.

I regard the Canberra site as the best that can be obtained in the YassCanberra district, being prominently situated and yet sheltered, while facilities are afforded for storing water for ornamental purposes at a reasonable cost.

Mr Scrivener’s recommendation was approved by a board appointed by the Minister to consider his report, and when agreement was reached between the Commonwealth and State Governments it was ratified by the Commonwealth Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 and by a corresponding NSW Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909.

With Canberra selected as the site for the national capital, detailed survey work by the Lands and Survey Branch of the Department of Home Affairs got under way. As recorded in the Branch’s report for the year ended 30 June 1913: On 2 March 1909, a camp was pitched on the southern side of the Molonglo River, south-westerly from the Canberra Church, within Klensendorlffe paddock on the Duntroon Estate, on the western side of a small watercourse some 20 chains from and almost due west of what is now known as Kurrajong Hill. On the following day the first tents of a camp arranged for the accommodation of visitors to the Federal Capital site of Yass-Canberra were pitched on the eastern side of the water-course and almost due west of the site selected later for Parliament House. This encampment was completed on 5 March 1909.

On 22 March work was commenced on the preliminary contour survey of an area of about 36 square miles, with the object of providing data for the determination of the most suitable site for the Federal Capital. The survey work, plans, and reports were completed on 22 May 1909.

No further survey work was undertaken within the Federal Territory until 18 January 1910, when a camp was again pitched near the 1909 site. In the interval the site for the city had been selected, and instructions were issued for the carrying out of a comprehensive contour survey of an area of about 12 square miles. (See following maps.) The field work of the City contour survey was completed during May 1910. The first sheet of the plan was ready for reproduction on 27 April 1910, the second sheet early in May. Drawing and clerical work were carried on in calico tents, 12 feet by 10 feet, until 2 May 1910, when a transfer was made to a small office building of wood and malthoid, but all officers employed continued to live in tents until December 1911. From that date, house accommodation has gradually been provided both for married and single officers, but the increase in the

Home Affairs Department, Canberra.

The Federal Capital, April, 1910.

First building used as Lands and Survey Office, and part of the Survey Camp.

The Canberra City Site Segment of the Map. “Topographical Map of Part of The Federal Territory- Showing the City Site and Surroundings Country� was included in the 1912-1913 Annual Report of the Lands and Survey Branch, Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs.

Surveyours Camp - Federal Territory - National Archives

staff, not only of the Lands and Survey, but of other branches of the Department of Home Affairs, has been so rapid that tents are still necessary.

With the proclamation of the Commonwealth Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 on 1 January 1911, the Canberra site officially was the new Commonwealth home, and the Federal Capital Territory of 911 square miles, as part of the Commonwealth, was in place.

The Griffin Plan In April 1911 the Commonwealth Government, led by Andrew Fisher, launched an international competition for the design of the new city. Entries closed on 31 January 1912. One of the conditions of the competition, however, received very strong criticism. It arose from the insistence of the responsible Minister of the day, the Honorable King O’Malley, that he be the adjudicator, a stipulation said to be ‘contrary to all precedent’. When the Minister refused to alter this condition, the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Institute of Civil Engineers and affiliated bodies throughout the British Empire boycotted the competition, with the result that the field of architects and town-planners available to compete was considerably reduced.

A technical body of three comprising an engineer, an architect and a surveyor was appointed to report on the 137 designs received. The members disagreed on their choices and the chairman recommended three designs entirely different to the three chosen by the other two members. In his capacity as adjudicator, King O’Malley, Minister for Home Affairs, adopted the recommendation of the majority and awarded first prize of £1750 to Walter Burley Griffin, of Chicago. Although the Walter Burley Griffin plan had won first prize in the international competition, it was not immediately implemented. Criticism of the design followed. It was said to be too extravagant, elaborate, and costly to carry out.

On 27 June 1912 Minister O’Malley referred it and the other designs to a departmental board of experts for report. The board consisted of John Montgomery Coane (a Victorian surveyor, as Chairman), John Kirkpatrick (a NSW architect) and James Smith (a Victorian engineer). On 25 November 1912, the board reported that it was unable to recommend any of the designs, and, instead, put forward for approval a design of its own, incorporating what it considered to be the better features of the designs referred to it, and embodying certain other suggestions.

After presenting the report to Parliament, O’Malley, on 10 January 1913, formally gave his approval to the board’s plan, and issued instructions for work to commence immediately. When the formal opening ceremony and the naming of Canberra took place on 12 March 1913, that was the plan (not Griffin’s) on which the city was going to be constructed.

However, when the new Sir Joseph Cook Liberal Government took office on 24 June 1913 it invited Griffin to Australia, to co-operate with the departmental board in the development of the city. When Griffin showed little inclination to modify his plan, and in his discussions with the departmental board would make few concessions, the new Minister, W H Kelly, disbanded the board, cancelled the approval given to its plan, and appointed Griffin as Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction.

One important consequence flowed from Griffin’s discussions with the board. The Minister had asked him for a report on the plan in the light of personal inspections of the site and of his conference with the departmental board. Griffin did this under cover of a letter dated 13 October 1913. Attached to his report, Griffin also submitted a revision of the original plan, which became known as the Preliminary Plan.

Although the approval given to the departmental board’s design had been cancelled and Griffin had been appointed Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction, final approval had not followed for the carrying out of Griffin’s plan. There were still some misgivings and doubts as to its possible cost. It would appear, however, that Griffin did not intend to lose any opportunities which his appointment as Federal Capital Director gave him, and he set about laying the essential outlines of his own scheme as far as he was able. He also obtained approval for and set in motion an international competition for the design of a Parliament House.

The outbreak of World War I, followed by a new Andrew Fisher Labor Government taking office on 17 September 1914, led to the replacement of Minister Kelly by Minister Archibald. This further delayed approval of the Griffin Plan, and also brought about cancellation of the international competition for the design of Parliament House.

In 1916 a Royal Commission was appointed to investigate the various aspects of the federal capital. After it had presented its report, which to a large extent substantiated criticisms by Griffin of departmental obstruction to his plan, King O’Malley (now back in office when William Morris Hughes became Prime Minister on 27 October 1915) approved the Griffin design and placed Griffin in charge of the work in connection with the national capital. Only three years earlier O’Malley had endorsed the departmental board’s plan.

Griffin remained in control of the work in Canberra, carrying out and revising his plan until 31 December 1920, when the Federal Capital Advisory Committee was established under the chairmanship of Sir John Sulman. Griffin was invited to sit on this committee as a member, but, in his usual uncompromising manner, refused to do so. He left Canberra with his plan well established on the ground and with the satisfaction of knowing that any later administration would find it difficult to set it aside. After working in Melbourne and Sydney for several years Griffin died in 1937, while living in India.

Canberra In 1912-1913 But let us return to the fledgling city and what was being done there. Although Canberra’s name had been declared on 12 March 1913 there was much to be done and many hearts to be won if Canberra, in the foreseeable future, was to become the popularly regarded national capital.

In his autobiography Over The Years (1971), resident Federal Capital Territory Government architect Henry Maitland Rolland, made the following comments about what he found in Canberra when he arrived there in September 1912, to assist the Administrator Colonel Miller: I found Canberra situated in very open country between a group of hills, the main hills being Mount Ainslie and Majura, Black Mountain, Red Hill and Mount Russell. The buildings that were in existence at that time were St John’s Church and adjoining school, the bakery and store (Murray’s) in the Glebe property and the smithy and original Post Office on Church Road. At the junction of Church Road and the Yass Road was a small building which eventually became the Post Office. Here and there were small stone farm houses….

On the western side of the future city was Acton House – the first permanent home in Canberra. It was built and occupied in 1820 by the first settler – Mr J J Moore. Another building that stood near the present Hotel Canberra was the two-storied stone residence built by convict labour, and occupied by the original owner Klensendorlffe. Alongside was a small cottage occupied

by Charles Kaye, which in later years was used as a temporary Club House for the golf course. At the foot of Mount Russell was Duntroon House, built

by Robert Campbell and which in 1910 was taken over by the Federal Government for a Military College. Work had been carried out in the erection of some of the staff quarters.* There was always the difficulty in obtaining labour and materials for a place so far from the city sources. The supply of timber was one of the main problems where intermittent supplies came from the forests in the southern areas of New South Wales. It was always a thrill to see the fourteen bullock teams with wagons of timber coming across the plain.

Yarralumla was taken over by the Commonwealth Government in 1914.

This property consisted of 39 000 acres which stretched down to the Murrumbidgee, and it was owned by Mr Frederick Campbell and occupied by him from 1881. Yarralumla House was a three-storey brick building, built in 1891, and had forty rooms.

It was on 12 March 1913, the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stones of the commencement column took place. I came out from * Work on the construction of the Royal Military College at Duntroon, for 120 cadets, commenced on 10 November 1910.

Queanbeyan on that day, with others, and was present at the time of laying of the three foundation stones. There was a long procession of sulkies and buggies, a few Ford cars and bicycles, that arrived at Capital Hill where a timber stand had been built for the Members of Parliament and others. We had also erected a gantry for the handling of the stones. The first stone was laid by Lord Denman, the Governor-General, the second by the Prime Minister, Mr Andrew Fisher, and the third by Mr O’Malley, the Minister for Home Affairs. After the laying of the three foundation stones a wooden platform was placed over the stones. Lady Denman then was escorted on to the platform and presented.

On 22 August 1912 the new Commonwealth Administrative Offices at Acton were completed and occupied. In November 1912 the Canberra post office was opened at Acton although a rudimentary postal service had existed in the district since 1863. In January 1913 the Commonwealth Bank opened a branch in the Administrative Offices at Acton. A road to the summit of Mount Stromlo was built for an observatory which commenced operation in 1911.

The Government’s Plan Of Action To Build Canberra At the time Canberra was formally named, and wrangling was continuing over its final design, Commonwealth officers reviewed progress being made with essential public works and addressed the need to press on with the provision of permanent water supply and sewage systems.

The Director-General of Works prepared a scheme for construction based on the following principles ie to: • • • •

•

effect during the years of construction proper hygiene for workmen employed, and others within the city area regulate as far as possible the labour effort, and so avoid a surplus of labour, at any time, which could not be absorbed by further demands provide supplies of such materials for construction that would be drawn upon within a short period in large quantities design for future requirements as far as such can be fore-seen, and at the same time admit for execution in the first instance of integral parts ie those works to be completed as time goes on; and execute works in their proper sequence, when, and not until, such other schemes or works as prepare the way shall have been executed.

Under the scheme, the work was divided into four stages, which would interlace, and, in most cases, overlap: First Stage –

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Transport; supply materials, and the generation and transmission of electric power

Second Stage – Hydraulic engineering works outside the city area: such as water supply, storm water drainage, sewerage works, and further supply of materials Third Stage – Engineering works within the city area preparatory to occupation; street and road works; completion of service reservoirs and other water supply works; locations of workmen on a city area Fourth Stage –

Building construction within the city, and completion of engineering works.

So far as his own department’s organisational arrangements were concerned the Director-General recorded that the executive control of construction works would come under four principal divisions, ie: Civil Engineering Architecture Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and Supply of Materials.

In particular the Architectural Section of construction would embrace a large number of public buildings, the most important of which would be the Houses of Parliament and a group of Administrative Offices for the central staffs of the several Commonwealth Departments.

At the time the plan of action was at the implementation stage, the Director-General’s review of works in progress provided a picture of the state of essential services and resources available in the Territory in early 1913: •

Water Supply

Water Supply works included: � delivery of 6000 tons of cast iron pipes � Cotter River Dam – preliminary clearing, stripping, boring operations, provision of air compressing, crushing and concrete mixing plant � approach bridge over the Murrumbidgee River � camp for workmen � service reservoir at Red Hill.

A temporary water supply for some hundreds of men working on roads, engineering works and building at the RMC Duntroon, and at Acton was being obtained from soakage wells close to the Molonglo River.

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•

Power

The decision to pump water supply from the Cotter River was a determining factor in setting the plant capacity for a power station to be built at Eastlake. It had also been decided there would be one central station from which electric current would be transmitted at a higher voltage for use at each centre of activity. Structural steel was being delivered and foundations being built at Eastlake. Cable and electrical gear for high-tension distribution of current were being purchased.

•

Materials

Geological investigations and testing showed quality bricks and tiles could be made from local mudstones. Brickmaking plant was being erected. Aim was to produce 15 million bricks per year.

Joinery timbers require long seasoning, and 1 055 000 feet of suitable kinds had been bought or contracted for supply.

Geological reconnaissance and investigations had been promising and indicated local sources for supply of building stones (granite, sandstone) and lime and cement.

•

Roads

Some 40 miles of the Territory’s roads had been re-formed and re-made – the bulk of the remaining 160 miles had been improved with draining and forming. A temporary yard for road-making plant had been set up near the Queanbeyan railway yards. Some seven miles of concrete pipes had already been made at this yard.

•

Transport

Road transport had been recognised as a serious difficulty. Road locomotives with special wagons were being used, supplemented by animal-drawn transport.

The Director-General also recorded his views on the design of public buildings and possible involvement of private enterprise in commercial and residential building, in the following terms: Competitive premiated designs will be called for the Houses of Parliament, the competition to be open to architects throughout the world, and to be conducted in two sections, ‘preliminary’ and ‘final’. In the ‘preliminary’ section, sketch designs to a small scale will be asked for, and from these a few of the best will be chosen, and their authors asked to compete in the final section. In the latter section, larger and more detailed drawings will be required, supplemented by a scheme showing the general grouping of the Administrative Buildings within the precincts of Parliament House.

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The Administrative Offices (at Acton) will provide accommodation for the central administration of all Departments of the Commonwealth. Steps will be taken in due course to erect residences for the Governor–General, the Prime Minister, and separate official buildings for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives. The scheme of building provides for the sequence of designs and erection of public buildings without intermission, including Courts of Justice, Police Buildings and Gaol, Military Depot and Offices, Schools, Observatory, Medical and Hospital Buildings, Railway Station, Post Office, Government Printing Office, Town Hall, and other necessary public buildings. Buildings for commercial and residential purposes may be constructed by private enterprise when the Engineering and City Works are far enough advanced.

See Appendix No 1 for more information about the plan of action to build Canberra.

The Plan In Action But World War I Intervenes The Government’s plan had barely got underway when World War I intervened.

Nevertheless some important infrastructure work went ahead during the terms of the Hughes Governments (the first of which came into office on 27 October 1915), to help set the scene for the city that was to come. As Jim Conner pointed out in his book A Guide to Canberra Buildings (1970): Services were needed in the first stage of construction, so the Cotter Dam and pumping station, the Canberra Railway Station (for freight services only) and the Kingston Power House were built while Griffin was planning the city between 1913 and 1916. Canberra was to be a garden city, lit and powered by electricity, so those services were necessary from the start. The Yarralumla Brickworks* with its Staffordshire kiln erected in 1915 provided the basic building materials – bricks, roof tiles and pipes. Although Griffin had arrived from America in 1913 and was promptly appointed Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction, he achieved little more than the adoption of his plan, rather than the plan of a departmental board. His plan was finalised in 1918 and when Griffin left Canberra in 1920, the roadworks he had directed were sufficient to ensure that they would be followed.

J S Murdoch, Chief Architect, Department of Works and Railways under his Director-General of Works, engineer P T Owen, designed the Power House in 1911. In the following year building commenced at Kingston, although when Griffin arrived in August 1913, he objected to the choice of its site and the permanence of its design. After completion in 1915, the double-gabled structure was a landmark of roughcast concrete walls, with vertical panels * The Brickworks at Westridge opened in 1913, using temporary kilns.

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of glazing roofed in red tiles. The buildings housing the pumps of the Cotter water supply system (located on the eastern side of the Murrumbidgee River, near its confluence with the Cotter River) were designed in a similar form by Murdoch. The walls are smoothly-rendered and the roofs hipped, with ventilators. The powerhouse ceased generating electricity in 1957.

Another building of the period was the first Canberra Hospital in Balmain Crescent, Acton. The planning of the hospital began in February 1913. Sketch plans and working drawings were prepared in Melbourne and copies sent to the principal assistant architect in Canberra within six weeks. The plans were approved with minor amendments on 22 May 1913; the estimated cost was ÂŁ3047 but the final cost was over ÂŁ7000. The hospital was opened on 27 May 1914. The original buildings consisted of three general wards containing 22 beds, an administration block with accommodation for the matron and two sisters, and an isolation block comprising two wards of three beds each. Additional isolation cases were accommodated in tents.

About two months after the opening of the hospital the war began (4 August 1914) and this signalled the end, for the time being, of significant new building construction in Canberra. The hospital closed and did not reopen until 1920. Only buildings and construction work which were in train and could not be stopped, went ahead during the war period. A road was built down the ridgeline leading to a ford across the Molonglo River, thus linking the north and south sides of Canberra. In 1913 a low-level bridge was built across the river. By 1916 the first Commonwealth Avenue bridge had been built across the Molonglo River. In 1918 a large camp was built at Molonglo, just to the east of the railway station.

From 1912 to the mid-1920s Acton was the centre of Canberra. It was the site of offices and accommodation for senior bureaucrats as well as professional and technical staff engaged in the construction of Canberra. Colonel Miller, the Administrator of the Federal Capital Territory, occupied a small cottage at Acton in 1912 and later moved into the large two-storied house known as the Residency, which was renamed Canberra House in 1925 (now the Staff Club of the Australian National University).

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Introduction To Canberra’s Early Industrial Relations By the time the first sod of the national capital was turned in early 1913 and building finally got under way, the pattern of industrial relations in the building and construction industry had been set Australia-wide. The parties involved and their roles were broadly recognised by both government and industry.

Craft unions, formed as either federal or national organisations, were active at both state and federal levels. These unions were a force in the labour movement generally and at federal and state political levels. Builders had their Master Builders’ Associations (MBAs) in all states, and their Master Builders’ Federation of Australia (MBFA) at the federal level. MBAs handled their own state industrial relations matters – the MBFA’s role was one of consolidating and unifying policies.

State and Commonwealth governments were involved in the industrial relations (IR) system. They had two roles. The first was their power to legislate specifically to prescribe conditions of employment to apply to all workers in the industry; and the second to establish tribunals and processes to deal with industrial disputes between recognised and registered organisations of workers and employers in the industry.

Governments, especially in states, also legislated on some matters which were not specifically dealt with as industrial relations items under the IR processes, but which could affect workers’ and builders’ interests and activities on building sites. These included such matters as scaffolding and lifts, workers’ compensation, apprenticeship, even public holidays. Unions and MBAs lobbied political parties regarding provisions in such legislation.

With this background there was no need to develop an IR system peculiar to the new Territory. Admittedly no parties were on the ground physically, but the IR machinery and the IR practices of the unions and MBAs would be drawn on to cover the Territory’s situation.

In this regard, when NSW ceded land to the Commonwealth to house the Federal Capital Territory and the national capital, it was formally agreed in 1910 that all NSW laws relating to that land and its people would continue to apply unless and until such law was varied by the Commonwealth Parliament. This meant the Federal Capital Territory’s IR parties could use the NSW IR laws and what flowed from them.

Most, and at times, all of the initial construction work was being carried out under the day labour system managed by Commonwealth departmental officers. It fell to departmental officers to deal with officials of Sydney-based unions on IR issues. The position gradually changed over the ensuing decade as most unions arranged periodic visits by officials and began setting up sub-branches with local members filling officebearers’ positions.

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Matters were not so well organised for early master builders, but they were not altogether left on their own. Many who came were members of state MBAs who had adopted reciprocal arrangements that allowed a member starting to work in another MBA’s area to receive service from that MBA. There is no record that the NSW MBA ever provided on-the-spot service to builders in Canberra, but at least appropriate information was supplied in some cases, and of course master builders in Canberra gained the benefit of award conditions achieved by the NSW MBA in NSW awards.

All in all it would be well into the 1920s before all the elements were in place to form a locally-founded, sustainable and truly representative IR framework that served Canberra’s building and construction industry.

The reference to no locally-based IR body being on the ground when building work began should be qualified lest dishonour be rendered to the memory of Thomas Kinlyside. Tom stands out as a colourful identity of the pre-and early Canberra days.

He lived in the area at different places. He and wife Elizabeth were living at Oaks Estate when Tom died on 14 October 1915, aged 59 years.

Tom had been a local union officer for some years before 1913. He served as the District Secretary for the federal area of the NSW Railway Workers and General Labourers’ Association, and is on the record as having ‘carried out his duties in a conscientious manner, and also representing his branch at several conferences of the Association.’

In an obituary published in the union’s journal (The Navvy 2 November 1915) he was described as: an ardent reformer and agitator – always fighting for justice for his fellowmen. His contributions to the press during many years were a valuable help to the labor movement, and his topical verses written under the name Jingler were greatly appreciated by a large circle of readers. His contributions were greatly appreciated no matter what side of the question he took up, as it was appreciated by his friends and opponents that he sought the truth, and thus helped to solve the great problems facing the labor movement.

In one of his poems published in the Queanbeyan Leader 19 February 1907, Tom argued vehemently in support of Canberra as the site of the federal capital. He also used the name Canberra well before the formal naming ceremony of 1913.

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Although space does not allow the full printing of the poem here, the opening and last two verses illustrate the enthusiastic and vigorous style he employed: “Some people, no doubt, have gone Federal mad, On the brain have got Capital site.

And if you, on the subject with them don’t agree, Why, they threaten to blow out your ‘light’.

Then rally round Canberra ye sons of New South, And show grasping ‘Vic’ that we know how to fight: To flatten the Chapman’s and all others, That Dalgety shall be the Capital Site.

For situation for clime and for water supply, In fact all a great city needs, old Canberra has right: Then spite of ‘Vic’s greed and Sir Baker’s mad blather, Old Canberra SHALL be the Capital Site.”

Thomas Kinlyside – a true Aussie character!

Sewerage Workers Driving Underground Tunnel – National Archives

Sewerage Workers Driving Underground Tunnel – National Archives

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First Industrial Dispute The Federal Capital Territory had its first industrial dispute involving strike action in 1913. The dispute was between the Department of Home Affairs FCT Works Branch and workers employed by it under the day labour system. The workers were represented by the NSW Railway Workers and General Labourers’ Association.

The union found itself in dispute with departmental officers over the way the department was classifying and paying workers under the (NSW) award. The union was arranging to have the matter looked into by the NSW Department of Labour and Industry when one of its job representatives was sacked. The reason given for dismissal was that the representative was absent from his job without permission. The workers counter-claimed that the union representative was carrying out legitimate union duties at the time, and went on strike to gain his re-employment.

Prime Minister Joseph Cook, who was in Canberra at the time, agreed to receive a deputation of the workers. The deputation claimed there had been four cases over the past year of workers being victimised for raising industrial issues. It also tabled a log of claims, the major issues being: • • • • •

free provision of firewood and water proper accommodation for married men establishing a school at the Cotter camp pay rates to be at the higher-level award classification an appeal board be set up to deal with industrial disputes.

Terms of settlement were eventually negotiated to the satisfaction of the workers and union. The departmental officers accepted in principle the log of claims. The union representative was re-instated but would be transferred to work in Melbourne. On this basis the men returned to work.

Good industrial relations in the area prevailed then and through the grim World War I period. The workers and the union would receive public acclaim for arranging collection-points every pay day and passing on considerable donations to patriotic appeals.

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Day Labour Versus Contract Systems As will be seen the over-whelming bulk of building and construction work in the new Territory up to the mid-1920s was done on the government day labour system. This resulted from the politics of the times, and was not helped by the intervention of World War I. The lack of dedicated political will meant that a long-term properly planned building and construction works program with reasonably assured funding could not be implemented.

The Commonwealth departments involved found it difficult enough to keep their day labour projects on track. With limited resources available to them, they could not take on the additional administrative measures and financial obligations implicit in the contract system. The issue of government day labour as against contract systems for the building of public works was being debated Australia-wide at those times and continued to be for decades.

Critics of day labour stressed the lack of motivation for the workers – the so-called government stroke syndrome. This may well have been the case on some necessary but none-the-less unimaginative state and local government works. There were, however, many challenging projects which brought out the very best characteristics of the Australian building and construction worker. Building the nation’s capital was one of these.

Even when employment was available elsewhere, workers were prepared to come to Canberra to work and live in often atrocious conditions, for wages no better than in other capitals. They certainly did not bring the government stroke syndrome with them.

Under day labour the nature of on-the-job supervision exercised by foremen and gangers was particularly significant. The response by workers to the quality of their supervision was a key factor in their productivity. The qualifications and abilities that the workers looked for in their supervisors included knowledge of, and demonstrated competence in the trade they were supervising; ability to ensure necessary materials, tools and equipment were readily available when needed; and a sense for natural justice, consistency and even-handedness in the allocation of work and in the application of disciplinary measures.

Workers often expressed their views about the work sites and their foremen and gangers when sitting around the fires and having billy tea in their lunch breaks: That Acton job under Bill Smith was a real happy job, but that one at Ainslie under Joe Blow was a real bastard!

That is how the reputations of foremen and gangers were spread around Canberra’s early building and construction industry!

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Sewer Tunnels In the Director-General of Works’ scheme for construction, provision of a sewerage system was to be a priority. In her book Westlake (1997) Ann Gugler describes early tunnelling work. She records that work began on the first service line in 1915.

This first tunnel ran from the area near the old Yarralumla Woolshed, through Yarralumla to Commonwealth Avenue, and ended in the area near the current Kings Avenue Bridge.

A wages sheet gives details of classification and daily wage rates for the tunnel gang, as at 22 July 1916: Classification and Number of Workers

Rate per day s/d

1 foreman 1 rough carpenter 2 horse and dray drivers 16 sewer miners 6 bracemen 2 asst powdermonkeys 1 engine driver 2 gangers 5 winch drivers 2 carpenters 6 truckers 1 electrician 1 toolsharpener 1 bullock driver 1 ganger 2 leading hands 7 builders labourers

17/6 12/15/4 13/6 11/11/12/4 15/11/14/11/4 14/6 12/10/6 16/6 14/13/6

Jerry Dillon was the foreman on this job. Lining of the tunnel with concrete had also been started. Work did not continue for much longer however, as the project was shut down by 11 September 1916, and work did not resume until 1921.

In the book Westlake Ann Gugler quotes from a report of 5 March 1923 by Chief Civil Engineer A G O’Connell, which contained information about the proposed Main Intercepting Sewer project: The length of this section is 10 500 feet. When the estimate for this work was originally made, the indications, obtained from the workings on the

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outfall sewer, were that the tunnel could be driven economically by hand drilling, excepting for a distance of about 1000 feet. The estimate given, owing to increased cost of working, had to be raised to ÂŁ96 000. The work on the outfall sewer has now demonstrated that, excepting in cases of broken ground or drift, drilling machines driven by compressed air have to be used, and the following estimate based upon this knowledge has been prepared.

Men required (not including men required for lining). a 36 miners 18 bracemen 2 blacksmiths 2 strikers 2 carpenters 12 labourers 2 concrete hands 3 electricians 3 fitters 2 horse and draymen 1 shift boss 1 foreman 1 clerical labourer

b 36 miners in face 36 miners in shafts 9 scrabblers 36 bracemen 18 truckmen 4 blacksmiths 18 winchmen 4 strikers 4 compressor drivers 2 carpenters 2 labourers 2 horse and draymen 1 powder monkey 1 electrician 1 fitter 2 shift bosses 1 foreman 1 clerical labourer

c 12 scrabblers 4 truckers 6 bracemen 4 winchmen 2 blacksmiths 2 strikers 2 carpenters 2 labourers 2 horse and draymen 2 shift bosses 1 electrician 1 fitter 1 foreman 1 clerical labourer

Total 85

Total 178

Total 42

Eighteen faces would be open, working alternately. would be necessary. One main camp.

Two compressors

The foregoing list of men does not include the men required for concreting.

The price for concreting is stated in the estimate at per lineal foot based on the actual cost in outfall sewer.

The number of faces mentioned is a minimum: whenever possible, without increasing the number of miners, additional faces, up to a maximum total of 26, will be worked.

The job will take 18 months to complete. The work will be divided into three portions-

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a b c

10 weeks a fixing 10 weeks plant,fixing sheds, plant, etc and sheds, sinking etc and shafts sinking shafts 10 weeks 10 weeks and tunnelling concreting and concreting b tunnelling c finishing 18 weeks 18 weeksofffinishing work and offcleaning work and upcleaning up Wages: Wages: £450 per week £450for per 10week weeks for 10 weeks £4500 £4500 £940 per week £940for per 50week weeks for 50 weeks£47000 £47000 £228 per week £228for per 18week weeks for 18 weeks £4104 £4104 The document The continues document with continues information with information about the costs about for the Linings costs for of Linings of Tunnel andTunnel Shafts,and Electrical Shafts, Current, ElectricalExplosives, Current, Explosives, Timber forTimber Shafts and for Shafts and Tunnel, Steel, Tunnel, Tools,Steel, Plant, Tools, Supervision, Plant, Supervision, Execution, Execution, Ladders, Water, Ladders, Camps Water, Camps (Mess Room, (Mess Firewood, Room, Firewood, General Timber Generaland Timber Maintenance), and Maintenance), General General Repair Materials Repair –Materials Blacksmith, – Blacksmith, Carpenter, Carpenter, Electric Mains, Electric Piping Mains, – Air, Piping – Air, Traction, Candles, Traction,Oil, Candles, Waste,Oil, Lamps, Waste, Boots Lamps, etc. Boots etc.

The costs did Thenot costs allow didfor notholiday allow for pay, holiday contingencies pay, contingencies and did notand include did not include supply for manhole supply for covers, manhole penstocks covers,and penstocks pipes but andallowed pipes but forallowed the fixing forofthe fixing of same. same.

It is said that It is thesaid ‘Legend that the of‘Legend the Twoof Irish theTunnellers’ Two Irish Tunnellers’ story beganstory withbegan the early withsewer the early sewer tunnels in Canberra. tunnels in The Canberra. story goes The along story goes thesealong lines:these lines: Paddy andPaddy Mick and askedMick the asked Site Engineer the Site about Engineer theirabout chances theirofchances being of being awarded a awarded contract atocontract drive a particular to drive a tunnel. particular They tunnel. said they Theycould said they get could get other fine Irish otherlads finetogether, Irish ladsform together, two teams, form two and teams, by working and by onworking two faces on two faces from each end fromthey eachwould end they be able would to be giveable the to authorities give the authorities a good jobafor good a job for a reasonablereasonable sum. sum.

Knowing the Knowing Irish tunnellers’ the Irish tunnellers’ capabilities,capabilities, the Engineer thewas Engineer impressed was but impressed but sought assurances sought assurances that the tunnellers that the would tunnellers be able would to implement be able to implement adequate adequate survey and survey other controls and other socontrols that at the so break-through that at the break-through point their point alignment their alignment levels would levels be within wouldrequired be withinlimits. required In other limits.words, In other thatwords, the twothat tunnels the two tunnels would meetwould properly. meet properly.

Paddy, adopting Paddy, the adopting air that the comes air that so comes naturally so to naturally the Irish to when the Irish when addressing addressing those they regard those they as intellectual regard as intellectual inferiors, exclaimed inferiors, For exclaimed sure, For sure, for sure, now forthat’s sure, now a ‘ting that’s you’ll a ‘ting not be you’ll wanting not be to wanting worry your to worry head about. your head about.

We’ll start We’ll tunnelling start tunnelling and if we don’t and ifmeet we don’t in themeet middle in the we’ll middle just keep we’ll just keep going and begorra going and you’ve begorra got two you’ve tunnels got two for tunnels the priceforofthe one! price of one!

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Sewer Workers­ – Out of the Pit for a Photo and a Smoke – National Archives

A Canberra Football Team – Jerry Dillon Second From Right with Bowler Hat, Stewart Bastow (sitting second from left) helped Jerry by assessing potential employees for their Aussie rules skills. – National Archives

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Jerry Dillon – A True Character When tunnelling for sewers was well under way in the mid-1920s rumours began to spread that if you wanted to get and hold a job on this work you had to be an outstanding Aussie Rules football player. Allegations of favouritism spread quickly and widely. It was claimed that footballers in this code could find sewer work at any time and that married men had even been sacked to make room for them. Other claims were that men could be sacked for taking sickies for a couple of days, but these footballers could be off for over a week or more without being in any trouble.

A workers’ publication of the day alleged that Aussie Rules players could knock off early to go to training sessions while rugby league players had to work right up to knock-off time! The story even spread interstate with the Labor Daily publishing a complaint that unionists should avoid Canberra on these grounds of favouritism. The well-known foreman of the sewer works, Jerry Dillon was at the centre of these allegations. He had come to Canberra in 1915. He always took a keen interest in all sport, was a member of many football and other sporting bodies, and he was elected the first President of the Canberra Australian Rules League.

When Jerry died in 1929 the Catholic monthly Angelus printed a moving obituary. Part of it ran: Through some misfortune, he had little if any schooling; but what he lacked in acquired learning he accounted for in the exercise of intellectual capabilities and an innate shrewdness which combined with a most scrupulous honesty to win the confidence and respect and admiration of many a man who could claim the educational advantages denied to him. To those who knew him well and were associated with him in any of his activities, his life was an open book; he was absolutely incapable of consciously doing a mean or underhand act. He was intolerant of intrigue, even apparent intrigue, and those who sought to achieve their ends, however praiseworthy, by means which he suspected found in him an uncompromising foe, not slow to express his opinions of them.

But it was duplicity or sham which alone aroused his ire. Blunt as he could be when the occasion demanded, he was for the most part a kindly gentleman with a gift of humour and ready wit that left no wound.

Factual evidence in support of the favouritism allegations levelled against him, and identification of their source have not been found. In any case, Jerry Dillon stands out as a true character within the early building and construction industry and the community.

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Power House at Eastlake – Three crates make a scaffold. – National Archives

Commonwealth Avenue Bridge 1916 – the dog watch – National Archives

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Molonglo Camp 1918 Temporary camps were common in Canberra, but the building of one of them was a notable event in Canberra’s history. This was the camp built at Molonglo (now Fyshwick) in 1918. Wartime censorship created an aura of mystery amongst the local community about the purpose of the camp. The following story, however, concentrates on the manner of its building which the Queanbeyan Age described ‘as a performance without parallel in Australia’s building history’.

The task set was that some 250 acres of vacant unserviced land was to be converted into a virtual township to accommodate some 560 families and single persons, along with military personnel. In addition to the weatherboard units and huts to house its occupants the camp needed to have a wide range of facilities to meet the needs of its community. The buildings included baggage stores, baker and butcher shops, assembly hall, hospital, fire station and even a house for the school teacher. Military structures would also be provided. Water, sewerage and electricity services were needed, as were a railway line and platform.

The Department of Home Affairs Works Branch was put on notice that the entire project was to be completed and fully functional within three months. In the event this target was met. The project was planned, organised and carried out in nine-and-a-half weeks. This was achieved by a truly outstanding team effort. Those responsible were the senior officers and staff of the Commonwealth Works and Railways Department, the designer (and famed architect) J S Murdoch; the four contractors, Ellis Bros, Saxon and Binns, Geo Hudson Pty Ltd and the State Timber Yards; and the workforce employed by the Department and the contractors.

In order to gain an appreciation of the scale of the operation relevant work statistics are at Appendix 2. From this listing, and bearing in mind the plant, equipment, materials, tools, and the site conditions existing at that time, it was indeed an outstanding building achievement.

An ACT Cultural Heritage Management project in 1991 recorded that some occupants, while recognising the overall building achievement, stated ‘the buildings were poorly finished, and the wind whistled through the slabs and the barracks kept out neither rain nor wind.’

In 1927 the Federal Capital Commission converted some of the camp buildings to detached cottages. Two years later other camp buildings were relocated at Civic Centre to accommodate the Department of Works and Railways.

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Queanbeyan – Its Links With The Building Of Canberra The story of the early building of Canberra would not be complete without recognising the contribution made by the City of Queanbeyan and its people. For many years those arriving in the new Territory were gratified to find that Queanbeyan met their various physical and social needs. Queanbeyan’s retail establishments provided the necessities of life while its places of entertainment attended to social needs. Furthermore, Canberra’s building workers, faced with King O’Malley’s prohibition measures, found consolation in Queanbeyan’s fine hotels. And as it turned out, even when facilities in Canberra improved many territorians still turned to Queanbeyan for their requirements.

Firms involved in the building industry, which were attracted to the area, found they could more readily establish in Queanbeyan rather than under the Territory’s leasing and building control measures. Some Queanbeyan firms which became involved with Canberra’s building surge from around 1925 onwards included Capital Supply Stores (building materials), Southernmost Plaster Works and the many enterprises founded by W H Mason. Local building contractors from Queanbeyan included S J Taylor, W A Christmas, C Smith, J Plimmer, W A Rickler, W G Gildea and W H Mason.

Queanbeyan also became a dormitory area for building workers and their families while they were waiting for accommodation to become available in Canberra. Queanbeyan’s human resources merit special recognition. Its local builders, trade contractors, tradesmen, skilled labourers and union office-bearers played prominent roles in building Canberra. Characters and identities emerged from their ranks and were worthy representatives of them all. Those who worked hard for Canberra while keeping their roots down in Queanbeyan included the Mason family, Jack McNamara, and bricklayers’ union stalwarts, Arthur Lambert, Fred McCauley and Tom O’Connor.

The Queanbeyan Age and John Gale are singled out for particular mention. The paper he founded and edited over many years was an essential and reliable source of news and information not only for the residents of Queanbeyan and its district but also for those of the emerging Canberra. John Gale was hailed as the ‘Father of Canberra’, and while this has attracted inevitable debate, he richly deserved honour and tributes for all his good works in the interests of his city and district and the nation’s capital.

It is stating the obvious that the unique juxtaposition of national capital and adjoining city meant that in due course Queanbeyan would be over-shadowed. In these vital early days however, their communities developed a healthy respect for each other and laid a firm foundation for the special sister-city bond that still exists today.

A photograph of the Mason brothers, who were part of the respected Queanbeyan building family, follows.

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Bob Plasterer

Joe Bricklayer

Stan Carpenter

Fred Plumber

Wally H Master Builder

Jim Cabinet Maker

The Mason Brothers of Queanbeyan

Denman Farrier

Canberra In 1920 Canberra in 1920 consisted of a few permanent homes, very few shops, no footpaths or street lights and buses were few and far between. In addition to Acton, there were three settlements of small weatherboard cottages reserved for tradesmen and their families at the Causeway (near the Canberra Railway Station), Molonglo (Fyshwick) and Westlake (near Yarralumla). There were two small areas of brick houses in Franklin Street, Forrest and in Reid near the tennis courts. Much basic work had been done on the water supply, roads, the supply of bricks and tiles, sewerage and the provision of a freight depot at the railway station. The Cotter Dam was in place as was the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.

There were about 1000 people living in the city and another 2500 in the rural areas of the Territory.

The permanent structures in place by 1920 were Canberra House at Acton (1913), the Power House at Eastlake (1915), the Oddie Telescope at Mt Stromlo (1911), RMC Duntroon (from 1911), the Brickworks at Westridge (1913) and the Pumping Station at the Cotter. There were a few substantial wooden buildings at Acton (Administrative Offices and Bachelors Quarters), the Power House Mess, the Nursery at Eastlake and the camp at Molonglo. The hospital at Acton had been re-opened and the Canberra Railway Station was providing freight services. There were several rural dwellings and small schools dotted in and around the city area.

By 1920 a number of influential men were agitating for the resumption of work on the capital and these included Sir Austin Chapman, the Member for Eden-Monaro, and local Queanbeyan businessman, J B Young who later bought the first store site at Eastlake (Kingston) in the initial land auction of 12 December 1924.

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2 The Building Boom Of The Twenties Stage 1 – 1920 To Mid-1925 The Federal Capital Advisory Committee The establishment of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee in 1921 was a consequence of the pressures referred to at the end of the first chapter and of the desire of Sir Littleton Groom, the then Minister for Home Affairs in the Hughes Nationalist Government, to have the capital formally established.

On 1 January 1921 the Hughes Nationalist Government appointed the Federal Capital Advisory Committee (FCAC) of technical experts chosen by Sir John Sulman. The FCAC’S task was to inquire into and advise upon the existing plans and works and to prepare a scheme for the transfer of Parliament and the administrative departments to Canberra.

Membership of the Committee was: John Sulman, Consulting Architect E M DeBurgh, Chief Engineer for Water Supply and Sewerage, Department of Public Works, New South Wales Herbert E Ross, Architect Colonel P T Owen, Director-General of Works, Department of Commonwealth Works and Railways J T H Goodwin, Commonwealth Surveyor-General.

The resulting FCAC scheme to establish Canberra as the national capital and seat of government provided for the transfer from Melbourne within three years. Although the scheme was approved by the Federal Government, the money voted was insufficient for the carrying out of the works in their entirety and to meet such short-term objectives.

Nevertheless, during the four years of the committee’s existence, the Brickworks were reopened; valuable work was done on the water supply and sewerage services; main and subsidiary roads were formed; residential areas were subdivided and houses built; sites allocated and designs chosen for hotels and guest-houses; the Hotel Canberra placed under construction (with John Howie and Sons as contractor); and the provisional Parliament House and departmental offices were started. Other important developments were the opening of the Canberra-Queanbeyan railway for passenger traffic on 15 October 1923 and the opening of Canberra’s first new school, Telopea Park Public School in 1923.

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In accordance with the government’s general policy, competitions were held for the design of houses, permanent administrative buildings, and the Australian War Memorial. The committee dealt with problems of zoning and the layout of commercial and industrial centres, and suggested practical and aesthetic standards and designs. At the government’s request it gave advice on many matters of policy and administration, and left valuable information and suggestions for future guidance. However, there had been some major differences between the government of the day and the committee, mostly over amendments to the Griffin Plan. On 9 February 1923 the conservative Stanley Melbourne Bruce government came into office.

The Federal Capital Advisory Committee continued to operate until 30 June 1925, almost six months after the Federal Capital Commission was established.

The traditional ceremony to mark the turning of the first sod on the provisional Parliament House was held on 28 August 1923. There are two tales about this event. One shows how an industrial claim raised by workers was swiftly decided.

Austin Chapman, the Member for Eden-Monaro, had been rewarded for his persistence in pushing the case to proceed with building the Parliament House, by being given a role in the ceremony. He was approached by a group of workmen who asked him to have the day declared as a public holiday. His spirited rejection of this claim shows the manner and concerns of the local member: For heaven’s sake men be quiet. If you only knew how I have to invent all kinds of schemes to get money to keep the work going on, you wouldn’t ask it. How can I ask for money for a holiday, and at the same time ask for money to find employment for men!

The star performers of the second tale were Minister for Works and Railways, Percy Stewart, who operated the steam shovel, assisted by local identity and engine driver Joe Lea. It is still believed to be the only time a steam shovel had been used to turn a first sod.

The official sod turning ceremony has been described as the most-photographed event in Canberra’s history. Most, if not all the photographers missed the third member of the team, Harold Strachan. Harold’s daughter Jean Dowling and historian Val Emerton tell the complete story in Val’s Past Images, Present Voices (1996). As Harold pointed out his role was to drive the steam traction engine which hauled the steam shovel!

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The Federal Capital Commission – A New And Strong Force The Federal Capital Commission (FCC), which assumed control of Canberra’s development on 18 January 1925, was, by the Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1924, invested with wide powers in regard to constructional and developmental work in the national capital. The government made it clear, however, that the development must be along the lines of the Griffin Plan. The Federal Capital Commission comprised J H (later Sir John) Butters as Chief Commissioner and Sir John Harrison and C H Gorman as Commissioners. C S Daley was the Commission’s Secretary. By early 1925 the population of Canberra had grown to about 3500 and that of the Federal Capital Territory to 5000.

After the Commission’s appointment, with its wide statutory powers and more adequate funds, the development of the city and its services accelerated. The government decided that the next elected Parliament should meet at Canberra in 1926, and a large amount of constructional and public and social service work would need to be completed within a short time.

The first sale of leases to the public on 12 December 1924 resulted in the emergence of private enterprise, with the associated development of shopping and residential areas. A major difficulty in meeting targets was that post-war building booms in the chief centres of the country were absorbing artisans and materials.

One of the Commission’s challenges was to house the many workmen who were employed or had arrived to seek employment. Large camps were established for the men and the Molonglo Camp was used to house families. Workmen’s dwellings were erected at the Causeway and Westlake. Many workmen lived in Queanbeyan.

Another challenge arose when the government decided to depart from the plan for coordinated development recommended by the Federal Capital Advisory Committee which envisaged the erection of a provisional Parliament House and office buildings to serve until it was possible to build the permanent monumental structures contemplated in the approved plan of the city. An integral part of the plan was that when Parliament was transferred to Canberra all the public departments would also be moved. However, the government wanted to proceed with the provisional Parliament House, but, in deference to the representations made by public architectural bodies, also wanted to hold a competition for designs of the permanent administrative buildings. This approach would have disrupted the entire scheme for development, since the building of Parliament House could be completed within a comparatively short period, whereas the erection of the administrative offices would be delayed for several years.

As a way out of this difficulty the government was inclined to accept a ‘Secretariat Scheme,’ whereby only skeleton staffs from each department would be moved to Canberra when Parliament was transferred, the main staffs remaining in Melbourne until the permanent buildings were completed. It was envisaged that the number of officers transferring to Canberra under this scheme would be barely two hundred.

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As a critical step towards having a satisfactory agreed plan of action, the Commission commenced a review of the progress of construction work in Canberra. The findings of this review were set out in the Commission’s 1924-25 Annual Report, as follows: It was found that the scheme in course of execution was that providing for the construction of Parliament House, a building to accommodate a Secretariat of each Department, and sufficient housing for Members and the Parliamentary and other staffs whose transfer would occur concurrently with the establishment of the Seat of Government.

The information regarding the requirements of Departments and the housing necessary for officers was of the scantiest description, and to enable a definite basis to be established the various Departments of Parliament and the Public Service were invited to supply more detailed particulars in regard to the number of officers likely to be transferred, the size of their families, and the type of housing desired. These inquiries resulted in information being placed before the Commission which indicated that the various Departments considered very much larger staffs would be necessary than those contemplated in the Secretariat scheme, which provided for transferring about 160 officers. The figures submitted

by Departments, although incomplete, indicated that 1117 persons would have to be accommodated.

In a special report on this matter the Commission pointed out the impossibility of completing the office and housing accommodation for this large number of public servants under a period of at least three years from the receipt of full authority to proceed with the necessary works.

In view of the indefiniteness of the position the Minister was requested to have the whole question examined, in order that the Commission might be furnished as early as possible with more precise details to permit of definite schemes being formulated. In reply to the request the Commission was advised by the Minister that the matter had been placed before the Government, which had made the following decision: The Commission should prepare for submission to Parliament for reference to the Parliamentary Public Works Committee plans for the further accommodation required to allow the administration to be carried on permanently at Canberra by about June 1927.

In forwarding this decision to the Commission, the Minister stated that his interpretation of the decision was that the Commission should proceed to press on with the construction of the necessary buildings to provide for the secretariat scheme, but with a view to expediting the setting up of the permanent administration at Canberra, estimates should be prepared for the further requirements, with the object of completing the necessary buildings and services by about June 1927.

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When the Commission took office on 1 January 1925, the position was that about threequarters of the brickwork of the provisional Parliament House had been constructed; the central portion and one-half of the pavilions of the Hotel Canberra were completed, the other portion was still under construction; Gorman House had been started; the first portion of the Bachelors’ Quarters at Acton was occupied; the Power Station with the original machinery was in existence; the main water supply system was constructed; the main sewers were well under way, and a few arterial roads had been formed.

Accommodation was available for a certain number of the Commission’s employees in cottages at Eastlake, Blandfordia, Braddon and Acton, but nothing had been done towards the reticulation of services or the provision of homes or hotel accommodation for the public service.

The Commission, realising the urgency of the situation, swung into action. It sped up construction of Parliament House, the Secretariat Building (West Block Offices) the Automatic Telephone Exchange and Post and Telegraph Office (East Block Offices), and the Government Printing Office. It also expedited residential accommodation including additions to the Hotel Canberra, the completion of Gorman House, the construction of the Hotel Kurrajong, and the services which were involved in carrying out the secretariat scheme, including the grading and formation of roads, the extension of water supply, sewerage and electric supply to the residential areas, and the construction of the main city sewerage scheme. The number of workmen employed on the more important works was increased, and this resulted in more rapid progress being effected.

The Commission fast tracked activities in connection with factories that provided supplies for constructional work, such as brickworks, joiner’s shop, and quarries, and it arranged for an expansion in each case to cope more effectively with the requirements.

On 27 May 1925, there was a major interruption to the work due to heavy floods on the Molonglo River, with communication between the north and south sides of the city interrupted for periods varying from 36 hours to several days. private enterprise the local building At this time time the theFCC FCCwas wasalso alsoaddressing addressingthe therole roleofof enterprise in theinlocal building and construction industry. from the theinitial initialsale sale of leasehold and construction industry.With Withdevelopment development arising arising from of leasehold blocks on 12 December 1924 underway the Federal Capital Commission had the following to say about the role of private enterprise:

With the sale of leaseholds in the city area, subject to the stipulation that buildings of an approved character must be commenced within two years from date of sale, a new branch of activity has manifested itself in the Territory and private enterprise has become established. The erection of shops at Eastlake and Manuka Circle has commenced, and plans and specifications have been approved and constructional authority given for a number of dwellings on subdivisions at Eastlake.

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These buildings are all subject to the regulations under the Building and Services Ordinance 1924, which prescribes that work carried on by private enterprise may only be performed by registered contractors, in accordance with plans which are signed by registered architects and approved by the Commission.

Very little difficulty has been experienced in obtaining compliance with the building conditions, and lessees apparently appreciate the spirit in which the regulations have been drafted, realizing that the sole aim of the administration is to establish and maintain a proper standard for construction and design in conformity with the Garden City treatment which is being universally adopted.

The introduction of private enterprise has raised a number of new questions and difficult problems which the Commission has under consideration.

Many of these involve amendments to the existing law and the development of new laws, in order that the usual facilities of a modern community might be available at Canberra, and that settlers shall not be under a comparative disability in commercial matters with respect to conditions obtaining in the various States.

On the question of industrial and welfare matters the Commission made the following comments in its 1924-25 Annual Report: In January 1925, the number of workmen in Commonwealth employ at Canberra was 1347, comprising 15 foremen, 468 building tradesmen, builders’ labourers and brickmakers, 134 members of the iron trades, 67 sewer miners, and 663 labourers on sewer workings, roads, water supply, stores organization, and miscellaneous works. The acceleration of the construction programme entailed a progressive increase not only in the number of men employed, but in the proportion of skilled tradesmen, as will be observed from a comparison of the above figures with the composition of the pay roll at the 30 June 1925, covering 2222 workers – made up of 23 foremen, 896 building tradesmen, builders’ labourers and brickmakers, 203 members of the iron trades, 127 sewer miners, and 973 labourers on sewer workings, roads, water supply, stores organization, and miscellaneous works.

The Industrial Board Award applied smoothly during the half-year.

Several meetings of the tribunal were held, and the variations of the Award which were issued included provision for the rates and conditions of members of the Amalgamated Engineering Unions, the Australasian Society of Engineers, the Electrical Trades Union of Australia, and the Federated Engine-Drivers’ and Firemen’s Association, all of which organizations consented to exception from Awards of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration with a view to their inclusion in the Federal 36

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Territory Award. Other variations were made which brought employees in the Stores, Quarries, and Motor Transport section under the scope of the Award.

Consideration was given to the desirability of expanding the personnel of the Industrial Board to provide for sectional representation of the various groups of tradesmen, and an Ordinance designed to give effect to this proposal has been passed. On the whole the considerable force of men employed has worked well, and minor sectional disputes have been adjusted satisfactorily to all concerned.

With the increase in the number of tradesmen the housing of workmen has become a matter of considerable difficulty. As the provision within a reasonable time of houses for workmen on permanent locations was almost impracticable, the Department of Works and Railways – realizing that to attract and retain a good class of tradesman married accommodation was essential – adopted a partial solution of the problem by erecting a number of portable cottages of a more comfortable character in areas conveniently situated with respect to the works, and allotted these to tradesmen and their families. Accommodation for married workmen was provided in the old internment building camp at Molonglo, and in other centres to which sections of the internment camp buildings had been removed; and other workmen were accommodated in less substantially constructed messes and in camps under canvas.

The Commission further extended the policy of providing portable houses for the increased numbers of tradesmen which it employed as a result of the speeding up of construction activities. Last year 51 portable cottages were provided at Westlake. The Commission constructed another settlement, comprising 120 of these cottages, at the Causeway, near Eastlake. It also arranged for the construction of a single-men’s camp near Capitol Hill, to accommodate 100 tradesmen, and three labourers’ camps, each to accommodate 300, one of which was the White City camp near Civic Centre.

The Commission is anxious, however, to provide for a permanent workmen’s suburb, and a site is being set apart in which will be erected a large number of wooden cottages of a more permanent character in which proper homes can be established. It is intended to provide facilities for disposing of these to employees on a system of extended payments.

The Commission commented on the need to foster co-operation and civic spirit in the challenging setting of the bush capital, as follows: The peculiar conditions of Canberra and the disabilities which are necessarily attendant upon an undeveloped city, place a responsibility upon 3931

the Commission not only to deal satisfactorily with housing and other matters coming more directly under the heading of employment for workmen, but also to assist in providing facilities for the development of social life and to stimulate co-operative effort in those many spheres of activity which are essential if the welfare of the people is to be conserved, and their efficiency as citizens of the Commonwealth promoted. Therefore an amount was allocated for the development of sport, recreational and other facilities. It was considered essential that the co-operation of the citizens themselves should be enlisted in this movement, and sectional Welfare Committees – representative of all centres of population – were formed to consider schemes of various kinds, and make proposals for the approval of the Commission.

An inaugural general meeting of representatives of the whole population was held in May 1925, and Committees were elected to deal with matters connected with indoor and outdoor recreation, education, libraries, and women’s and children’s welfare.

Block Construction at Acton – the barrow man – an image of despair – National Archives

Block Construction at Acton with Kilns – the barrowman – an image of despair National Archives

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Workmen’s Cottages Hazard On Christmas Eve in 1920 tragedy hit a family living in a workman’s cottage in the bush capital. It showed that even at this stage of development Canberra’s residents faced some hazards not unlike those encountered by bush settlers in Australia’s outback areas. An official report of the event related the circumstances: Only a little fellow of five and the only son of Mr R, a foreman, of the Lands and Survey Branch gang, was, on 24 December, bitten by a snake, while in bed and died. Two doctors summoned from Queanbeyan were too late to save him. The house had been a condemned one. The mother of the boy was still distraught months later and still required medical treatment.

Government has approved an ex-gratia payment to cover the funeral expenses and medical bills.

Pilfering Of Building Materials Around these times building workers were always seeking to improve the amenity of their accommodation. They kept a watch out for discarded and/or seemingly unwanted surplus building materials, especially on government works. A wit of the day referred to this practice as ‘the principle of temporary transfer of ownership and usage’ of materials.

Administrators however took took sterner a sterner view. On one occasion they hauled a group of Administrators however a view. men before a local court. The bench was not persuaded by their pleading that they had only been following a local custom and imposed hefty fines to deter others having thoughts of pilfering.

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Union Donations To Worthy Causes Building unions’ records constantly showed the unions’ willingness to provide financial aid to members and other parties in need. In the days before workers’ compensation was introduced, most unions operated accident pay schemes, and unions’ minutes record details of payments under these schemes. Countless instances are recorded where union funds were used, or where subscription lists were arranged, to aid people affected by offthe-job happenings. Frequent examples referred to family loss of a father or mother as a result of accident or illness. Financial help took the form of supplying food, meeting some or all of medical and/or funeral costs, even the sending of wreaths to express support and sympathy.

Opening of subscription lists for such purposes became so frequent that unions agreed subscription lists placed on jobs had to carry the union’s official stamp so that donors would know the collections would be properly applied. From time to time, unions were called on Australia-wide to donate funds to union or workers’ bodies pursuing worthy causes. For example, in the 1920s and within a couple of months of each other, the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (ASC&J) donated £2 to the British Seamen’s Distress Fund, followed by £5 to the British Miners’ Appeal Fund. Reasons for the difference in amounts are not recorded.

Gorman House Under Construction – National Archives

Gorman House Under Construction – National Archives

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The 1922 General Strike In his Canberra – 1913-1953 Jim Gibbney records how the newly-appointed Minister for Works and Railways Richard Foster decided to review the industrial relations affairs in the Territory and thereby precipitated its first significant general strike. He writes: In September 1918 Cabinet had decided to adopt New South Wales awards only when no federal award was appropriate. Most building tradesmen remained under New South Wales awards, but the far more numerous labourers, under federal awards, were jealous, Foster said, of the reduction

by New South Wales of hours in the building industry from 44 to 40.

Concerned at the cost effect of ‘the outrageous industrial decisions which have been arrived at….in New South Wales’, Foster planned to create an independent industrial authority capable of setting wages for the Territory, and, early in April 1922, reduced building wages to offset the reduction in hours. Protesting unions were offered arbitration by an industrial board on which one member was nominated by the government, one by the minister and one by the men, whose nominee had to be approved by the director of works. Understandably the offer was refused and the men stopped work on 19 April.

Foster was seen locally as an avowed enemy of the city suborned by the despised Melbourne press purposely to hamper its resurgence, and Queanbeyan enthusiasts enlisted the support of the Federal Capital League and the Parliamentary Vigilance Committee. Meeting at the Commonwealth offices in Sydney, they sought intervention by Sir George Fuller, Premier of New South Wales. A big public meeting in Queanbeyan on 28 April, attended by C W C Marr, Austin Chapman, William Brooks and George Fitzpatrick agreed that Foster had made a bad mistake with the best of motives; even the conservative Chapman was convinced that the sewer miners at least deserved shorter hours. When Foster, under pressure from the Prime Minister, agreed to drop his demand that the union’s representative be officially approved, the men returned to work under their original conditions until the industrial board heard the case.

Subsequently the Territory’s Industrial Board came up with a mutually acceptable ruling.

When the Federal Capital Commission took over in 1925 it was aware of the circumstances that brought about the general strike of 1922 and, as noted earlier in the chapter, took steps to improve the difficult industrial environment that it had to manage in the emerging national capital. Appendix 3 provides a brief history of the Industrial Board.

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Preference In Employment – Unionists And Returned Servicemen The Territory’s Industrial Board included provisions in its early awards that preference in employment was to be given to union members. In due course the provisions were amended to the extent that such unions had to be registered under the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Finally, and in keeping with awards of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, the Territory’s building workers award prescribed: Preference in employment shall be given – other things being equal – firstly to returned soldiers and sailors with satisfactory records of service, and secondly to members of unions registered under the provisions of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act. While war service and union membership were key elements in the preference provisions, the phrase ‘other things being equal’ embraced such matters as a worker’s history in regard to proficiency and productivity in his trade or calling, and conduct and attendance.

In any particular instance it was open to an employer to apply such grounds in a decision to take on or lay off a worker. In practice however, the preference provision placed the onus of proof more heavily on the employer.

Union records provide details of individual cases where intervention by office bearers of the local sub branch of the Returned Soldiers League (RSL), or union officials was required to secure members’ entitlements from recalcitrant employers.

On the wider front however, as employment opportunities decreased in Canberra in the lead up to and during the depression, unions were voicing concerns. They cited cases where married men with families, who had been living in Canberra for some years, were being passed over in favour of single returned servicemen who were recent arrivals in the city. Unions also claimed the preference provisions impeded the entry of young men into building careers. Many employers and departmental officers recognised merit in these claims but could offer no relief from the preference measures.

In 1922 an exercise in total preference for returned servicemen did not produce its desired outcome, as Jim Gibbney recalls in Canberra – 1913-1953: In April 1922 the Victorian Sub-branch of the RSL induced Prime Minister Billy Hughes to promise immediate employment in Canberra for 200 men selected by the League from all States. Although each of the four inhabitants of a tent paid 9d rent from his weekly wage of £4 2s 6d, most had to be provided first with boots and blankets. Housed in a new camp on Mount Ainslie, some of the newcomers complained about the messing

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arrangements, then, as the notorious Canberra winter crept in, they began to break down. The Melbourne gang was reported by department supervisors not to be up to standard and their job was costing about 30 per cent more than it should. Only a small proportion of the Sydney gang was doing a fair day’s work and costs had doubled. In August, Territory Chief Architect H M Rolland, reported that the majority of the men seemed to be invalid pensioners who were quite inefficient and not really worth full wages. Forty of the 200 sent had already been dismissed or had resigned and many of the blankets issued had been either lost or stolen. The scheme was soon abandoned.

Archival records show how a building contractor was involved in an employment preference issue. The contractor specialised in the use of reinforced concrete. In mid1928 a senior architect in the FCC contacted him concerning allegations received about his employment practices. In response to the architect’s request the contractor provided a detailed statement, the chief relevant points of which are summarised below.

The contractor was a returned soldier, served with the British Imperial Army’s 79th Highlanders’ Unit, fought his first fight at the Atbara in 1898, there earning four medals and eight clasps. He was not accepted for World War I service due to effects of ‘a broken jaw, fractured skull and minor details’ he had received in his earlier war service.

At no time in contracting with the FCC had a returned soldier applied to him for work, so he had never refused work to a returned man. All his employees received award conditions and were Australian Workers Union (AWU) members. They were engaged on specialised concrete placement and only appropriately qualified workers could be employed to fill any future vacancy. These men were of neutral nationality, approved immigrants but had not yet been in Australia long enough to qualify for naturalisation.

He was conferring with the local RSL president who promised to inform him of necessitous cases needing employment, for whom he would try to find an opening.

When he was ready to employ extra carpenters he would be pleased to engage returned men in preference to any others.

Both the FCC and RSL were apparently satisfied with this straight forward statement as archival records show no sign of any continuing problems.

Eastlake Power House And Industrial Centre The government decided in 1912 to locate a power house alongside the Molonglo River at Eastlake. There were two unexpected results: • •

what was intended to be a temporary power house turned out to become the city’s first permanent building railway facilities to handle material for the erection and operation of the Power House spawned an industrial centre in the adjacent area rather than the pleasant development Burley Griffin had planned for it.

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The services and materials provided by the industrial centre which rapidly developed in this Eastlake area, played a significant role in the development of Canberra’s early building activity. The industrial centre began with the erection of what became known as the Eastlake ‘tin sheds’ – weather-board and/or galvanised iron structures which accommodated a wide range of industrial activities. These covered pipe-making, machinery, carpentry, timber-seasoning, saw-milling, joinery and general stores. The 1927 map that follows indicates the location of the sheds and other services and also illustrates how the railway facilities were a dominating factor in the development of the area. The first goods train arrived in the area on 25 May 1914, pre-dating the first passenger service by some nine years.

In 1925 the Federal Capital Commission arranged for blocks at the Dawes Street end of Wentworth Avenue to be rented by contractors so that they could receive and store materials brought in by rail. Some temporary store sheds were erected there, as well as a fire station, an oil store and numerous garages. A Government Bus Depot, buildings for the Canberra Technical College, the Government Stores and Printing Office and facilities for manufacturing concrete products and fibrous plaster soon followed. Most of the early facilities serviced departmental day labour construction work forces. Later they, and privately operated facilities, catered for the wider building and construction industry.

In 1955 a Senate Select Committee inquiring into the development of Canberra reported on ‘the chaotic situation of the Kingston Industrial Area’. It recommended: • •

no additional governmental industries or buildings be planned for or constructed in the Kingston Industrial Area, and that the present industries there be progressively removed to the Molonglo (Fyshwick) industrial area consideration be given to the clearing of the whole of the Kingston-Causeway industrial area.

As this book goes to print in 2001 an ambitious Kingston Foreshores project aims to bring this area more into line with what Canberra’s designer, Walter Burley Griffin had planned for it. And so, almost half a century later, some of that Senate Committee’s recommendations are being implemented.

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Carpenters’ Shop Eastlake – National Archives

Timber Yard – Eastlake Industrial Area – A Key Part of Canberra’s Home Building Industry National Archives

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Core Drilling – before laying the explosives, Black Mountain Reservoir – National Archives

Tharwa Bridge under construction – Bullock teams bringing supplies to the village – National Library

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Canberra’s Own Railways In the early days, both children and adults delighted in the sights and sounds of steam locomotives hauling their lines of heavily-laden trucks to the Canberra Goods Yards and along the sidings near the Power House. Later, magnificent steam engines would also haul passenger carriages to the humble Canberra Railway Station.

Steam locomotives would also do great work on the slightly narrower 3’6” gauge line which was Canberra’s very own special railway between 1923 and 1927. This railway ran from the Power House area, where the locomotives had their own small engine shed, to the Brickworks at Westridge. The railway trucks carried bricks to the work sites at Parliament House, other nearby offices and the Hotel Canberra. Records indicate that a line also ran across the Molonglo River to the Civic Centre area, to bring bricks to where the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings were under construction.

What is not so well-known is that a number of narrow-gauge railways also operated to serve other construction activities. These miniature railways or tramways operated at the Brickworks and Mugga and Mount Ainslie quarries, using petrol driven locomotives which hauled side-tipping trucks. Miniature railways were also used for construction works at the Cotter Dam and Sewerage Works.

Train lovers who wish to know more about Canberra’s own railways should refer to the book Canberra’s Engineering Heritage (1983), published by the ACT Division of the Institution of Engineers, and in particular, to the chapter contributed by Walter Shellshear of the Australian Railways Historical Society, which includes many interesting photographs.

First at Goods Train to–Arrive at Canberra – 25 May 1914 – National Archives First Goods Train to Arrive Canberra 25 May 1914 – National Archives

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Johnson Family Links With Old Parliament House The records of the Building Workers Industrial Union reveal unique links between the Johnson family and the provisional Parliament House. Three generations worked on building it and/or within the building itself.

The story begins with the union’s account of Henry Johnson’s activities in Canberra: Another link in the chain of those associated with the building of Canberra in the early twenties was broken recently with the death at Penrith in NSW of Mr Henry Johnson.

Mr Johnson came to Canberra early in 1923 as foreman on the construction work of Westlake Cottages and lived with other workers in tents in what was known as ‘The Tradesmen’s Mess’ close to where the Canadian Embassy is now located. For some years previously he had taken up building in the Irrigation Area of Leeton and Griffith on his own account.

He made the journey from Griffith to Canberra some 200 miles, by pony and sulky, averaging 28 miles a day, the last overnight stop being at Murrumbateman.

On completion of Westlake he was appointed a senior foreman on the construction of Parliament House. On his termination of service with the Department of Works and Railways, Mr Johnson again entered private contracting and among work carried out by him was the erection of the first terminal building at the Airport, and the residence for the Guard Serjeant at Government House. He was also responsible for moving the hall from Russell Hill to the Forrest Bowling Club. Outside Canberra Mr Johnson undertook the building of many of the houses and workshops at the mining township of Captain’s Flat.

Whilst engaged as a foreman it is obvious from Union records that Mr Johnson, known as ‘Harry’, was a most popular boss. In 1924 he was elected as President of the Carpenters’ Union District Committee and was a staunch advocate for local autonomy for his own Committee (then part of the NSW Union), which was later given the status of a Sub-Branch and then a full Branch. Many jobs in the growing township were voluntary efforts and records show Harry as one of the guiding lights in arranging teams to work on the Friendly Societies Hall at Kingston.

Fred Johnson, Harry’s son, wrote to the union with further details. Fred also worked on building the provisional Parliament House, and later Fred’s son worked on extensions to the building. Three generations of a family working on the one building must be a unique achievement in Australia’s building industry.

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A further link occurred when one of Fred’s brothers became Manager of the Parliamentary Refreshment Rooms.

In his letter to the union Fred added a footnote about himself: Fred’s association with Canberra went back to 1923 when he joined father Harry in the building trade. Like his father he first lived under canvas at the Tradesmen’s Mess. After completion of his building work on the Old Parliament House, Fred joined the Joint House Department, then transferred to the Department of the House of Representatives, working through the ranks to retire in December 1967 as Deputy Principal Attendant.

Provisional Parliament House Under Construction – National Archives

Provisional Parliament House Under Construction – National Archives

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3 The Workers’ Camps Of The Twenties Living conditions were far from satisfactory for many workers who came to Canberra to help build the national capital. Those who lived in the camps, in particular, experienced quite extreme and poor quality arrangements, which were almost unbearable in Canberra’s winter and early spring. However, in 1922, John Howie, building contractor for the Hotel Canberra, built a small settlement of timber cottages and huts for his workmen on a nearby site. The so-called hostel was of a standard far above that provided for Commonwealth employees, and served as a model for future government settlements. Howie’s Hostel engendered great community spirit among his workers, who entered teams in local sporting competitions, especially cricket.

Nevertheless, the existence of the basic tent and hut-type construction camps alongside the well appointed hotels and guest houses resulted in allegations of class distinction.

As the Canberra Illustrated noted in December 1925: The Social Scale Will Canberra some day be known as the city of snobs? At the present time the signs are here. First we have the guests at the Hotel Canberra, then the denizens of Acton and so on through Blandfordia, Eastlake, Westlake, the Hotel Ainslie (Gorman), down to the Causeway and Molonglo Camps and the tradesmen’s messes until finally we reach the labourers’ camps at Eastlake and Civic Centre, the home of the lost and outcast….It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for an artisan to be accommodated at the Hotel Ainslie (later Gorman House).

Within and across the construction camps there were distinctions arising from the poorer standard of those camps reserved for labourers and those accommodating technical personnel, such as tradesmen, engineers and surveyors. Some of the construction camps such as Causeway, Capitol Hill and Russell Hill lingered on into the thirties and forties while the White City Camp (on the site which became the Canberra High School cricket ground and later the nearby Canberra School of Music) was at its peak in the mid to late twenties, when the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings and associated facilities were under construction at Civic Centre.

At 30 June 1926, 2696 FCC workmen were living in tent camps and a further 527 in cubicles. Some twelve months later the Commission reported that 783 workmen were accommodated in cubicles with dining and recreation rooms, and 804 were living in tents. It commented that the proportion of workmen living under canvas to the number employed was 35 per cent, as against 88 per cent twelve months earlier. At that time 5342

The No 1 Mess (Camp) Stirling Park. Westlake 1924. Not far from Lotus Bay and where the Canberra Yacht Club is now located. Photo: National Library of Australia.

The White City Camp, about 1926. Close to where the Canberra School of Music is now located.

Photo: National Library of Australia.

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the Commission was hopeful that by the end of 1927-28 only 10 per cent of its workmen would be under canvas. In 1927 the Commission converted the Molonglo Camp into self-contained detached cottages.

Canberra historian Ann Gugler has published detailed material on these camps. Some of the camps established in the 1920s are listed below: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ainslie Avenue Camp – Blandfordia 1922-24 Black Mountain Capitol Hill Causeway Civic Centre tenements Contractors Camps – Oakley and Parkes (Blandfordia); Bruce, Eden and Griffiths; Colonel Walker; John Howie; Hutcherson Bros; W H Mason (Queanbeyan); Red Hill Monolyte Company Power House tenements Engineers Mess or Eastlake Quarters Eastlake Camp Molonglo Camp (Fyshwick) Mugga Quarry Camp Mount Ainslie No 1 Mess Camp (Stirling Park) Northbourne Camps Red Hill Riverbourne Russell Hill Tradesmen’s Mess Westlake John Howie – Hostel Camp (behind Hotel Canberra) White City

Most of these camps had been closed by the time the major phase of construction activity had been completed in the late twenties, although a few remained during the 1930s depression and into the forties and early fifties.

Union Achieves Improvement In Camp Conditions, But Seeks More In April 1924 the Australian Workers Union raised a number of issues about camp conditions with the Director-General of Works. The union received a prompt response from the Director-General, in these terms:

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Following upon your communication to the Works Director and interview with me today, I am prepared to make improvements in the Camps for labourers as follows: a b c d e

Erect Tent framing for Tents.

Supply the flooring and a skirting round and nailed to the floor 6� high.

Supply either 6 x 8 or 8 x 10 Tents to men desiring to purchase them.

Arrange for a man to assist in the pitching of Tents.

Supply light battens to men who desire to use them for securing the tent walls to the floor skirting. f Provide one (1) Petrol Case and Tins for each man.

I am sorry at not being able to meet your request that the Military pattern tent should be provided. All except a few of these tents are used up and none are available for issue.

I am also not prepared to agree to the erection of Dormitories for the men at the Avenue Camp, and in fact, consider that they are not such a good proposition for the men as the Tents outlined above. If the men desire a heavier quality calico or duck tent the Controller of Stores will state a price at which they can be purchased. This however, would mean obtaining quotations.

I may point out that the site which has been selected for the Avenue Camp for Labourers is an excellent one so far as protection from weather is concerned and is central to the prospective works on which the men will be employed. One matter mentioned in conversation to you is that this camp can only be made available for men who will take their board in the Mess.

Men who desire to batch will be directed to use other camps, for instance, the one at Red Hill.

The union subsequently stated that this response was accepted. It gave notice, however, that the whole matter of workers’ camp accommodation would be raised at the next meeting of the Industrial Board.

Tents/Cubicles/Riverbourne Units An improvement in accommodating some workers occurred in 1927 when a few wooden cubicles made out of second class Baltic Pine pine appeared. These measured 10 feet by 12 feet and could house two men. Occupants were able to pay extra rental for a heating stove and connection to the camp electricity supply.

In an act of almost desperation, in order to provide some measure of relief to destitute workers and their families, the FCC gave permission to them to build their own housing

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at the Riverbourne Camp in 1926. This camp was located about three miles from Queanbeyan, near the present day Fyshwick industrial area.

The housing structures could be built out of materials such as hessian (old cement bags were favoured, however, because when wet they formed a windproof type of wall), kerosene tins, timber and galvanised iron. They must have provided reasonable accommodation because when the Riverbourne Camp closed, the majority of its occupants moved to a camp at Russell Hill where they and other occupants were allowed to build similar units.

Having A Jollo Later in this chapter there is an account of an affray following a drinking bout in a workers’ camp. A labourer, who had nothing to do with the affray itself, gave evidence in court proceedings about events leading up to the incident.

Part of his evidence was recorded in these terms: …shortly after 10 o’clock that night he was in his tent and a few men were drinking in a nearby tent. They were having what is called a ‘JOLLO’ – drinking, reciting and dancing….

The term jollo seemed to be well understood by those living in Canberra’s workers’ camps of the times, but it does not get a mention in any of the better known books of Australian slang.

Was it used only by our early Canberra builders?

Camp Standards During the years when camps were the only means of accommodating building and construction workers, various authorities were responsible for setting up the camps and/or controlling the use of the camps, and they laid down prescriptive rules and regulations for camp occupants.

The stage for all of this had been set by the Director-General of Works who, in 1913, stated that the first principle he had established for his scheme for construction was ‘to effect during the years of construction, proper hygiene for workmen employed, and others, within the City area.’ (See Appendix 4 for the twelve regulations on Camp Sites and Sanitation.)

Having set the standard for provision of a healthy camp, the next step was to state rules of conduct for occupants to follow for the common good. These developed over the years, the most comprehensive being those decided upon by the Federal Capital 5745

Commission around 1926 and displayed in all its camps. A copy of these camp rules in the Federal Territory is shown at Appendix 5. They included the strict condition ‘if a man cannot live in a camp without being a nuisance to his fellow campers, he is not wanted in the Territory.’

According to a correspondent in the Canberra Community News in the 1920s, workers’ camps took on their own characteristics: After making a round of the camps to gather impressions as to what most interests the people, I came to the opinion that two-up holds pride of place at the Tradesmen’s Mess and No 1: football at Riverbourne, Sewer, Molonglo and Northbourne; racing at Red Hill, Mugga Quarry, Ainslie: and politics at Capitol Hill…. I have been…sampling the cooking and I plonk wholeheartily for Red Hill as the mess that has the best cook in the Territory.

Next comes Eastlake, Sewer, Molonglo, Capitol Hill – whose cook should learn to cook eggs without breaking the yolk – Tradesmen’s Mess – that goes in for quantity – White City – that relies too much on condiments.

Tragedy For Two Recently Re-united Brothers A fire in a workers’ camp delivered a fateful blow to recently re-united brothers. An item in The Canberra Times, 28 October 1927 tells the story: William Ogilvy had left home in Victoria around 1917. After many wanderings he found employment in Canberra as a labourer in 1926. His brother James, not having seen or heard from him since he had left home had also got a job, as a tiler, in Canberra. In mid 1927 the brothers met by chance.

Their re-union after some ten years was to be short lived. Early in the morning on 17 October men in the No 1 Labourers Camp near Capitol Hill were awakened by the crackling and glare of fire. They found the tent occupied by William ablaze. Two men pushed into the blazing tent and carried him out. Taken to hospital he lingered for a week before succumbing to his injuries.

A coronial inquest formally found that William’s fatal injuries resulted from the fire caused by a lit candle in the tent being knocked over.

A naked flame in a less than roomy tent was always risky but tent occupants had few practical alternatives.

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Battle Of Donnybrook Fair The Molonglo Correspondent of the Queanbeyan Age in January 1923 reported on a lively Saturday night incident at the Molonglo Camp which involved residents and visitors. It concluded around 3.00 am with several gun shots. He referred to it as ‘a real Donnybrook’.

He also wrote: Domestic squabbles, outdoor fistic exhibitions, faintings, yells, shrieks and barks with sundry sulphurous expletives forming a vivid pyrotechnical display, have all combined to add to the gaiety, if not the social reputation of the camp over the past week or two.

Drinking Bout – Stabbing Affray In January 1927 The Canberra Times gave prominence to a detailed report on an inquest into the death of a labourer involved in a stabbing affray at one of the workers’ camps. The case is cited here as it provides an insight into the heavy drinking which occurred in some of the camps. It also highlights the farce of the Territory’s ‘no licence’ liquor control ordinance at that time.

The account presented here concentrates on the evidence about events leading up to the stabbing. Surnames were omitted, as the principal witness, aged 32, had expressed his deepest regret for the distress he had caused to his wife and five children living in Sydney.

Principal witness Charles began his evidence by stating he was employed as a labourer by a local contractor and resided at No 1 workers’ camp. He continued: At about 8.00 pm on 20 December I went to the tent occupied by Jackie.

When I arrived there Jackie and a man named Ted were present. Jackie asked me to have a drink of whisky, which I had. I went to my own tent, wrote a letter and half an hour later I returned to Jackie’s tent, two men were then there. In order to return the shout for the whisky, I asked Nimitybelle who was going into town by car, to bring back four or five bottles of beer. I gave him 10/-. When Nimitybelle came back he said he had forgotten the beer and handed me a bottle of wine instead. Ted, Nimity and myself drank the bottle.

A chap called Julian came into the tent with two bottles of wine and four or five bottles of beer. Two other men came in, and one them, Tom brought in a bag holding more beer bottles.

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We all got very jolly and drunk. I was entertaining the mob step-dancing and singing. Jackie was getting quarrelsome, arguing with different men in the tent. I tried to pacify him – he pulled his shirt off and wanted to fight me. I forgot to say that in the meantime Jack M who lived in Jackie’s tent came in and began to try to pacify Jackie.

I walked out of the tent, Jackie followed and insisted on fighting me. He came at me three or four times, I kept telling him I didn’t want to fight him.

He kept hitting and kicking at me. I then got annoyed and struck him – we were separated and he went back into his tent. I went to go back into this tent to get my coat and just as I entered I received a very severe blow across my forehead with a bottle. I was dazed and blood rushed down into my good eye – I’m partially blind in the other eye.

My recollection is hazy about what happened then – I must have gone to my tent, apparently picking up a knife and went back to the outside of Jackie’s tent. As I went to go in, Jack M grabbed me. Blood from my head was blinding me, I could not see who was holding me – thinking I would be attacked again with the bottle, I think I struck out again with the knife. The next I remember was sitting on the ground, the doctor was there, Jackie M was lying on the ground, someone was holding his head. We were both taken to the hospital by ambulance. I was on good term with Jackie M. He said it was not my fault and he had nothing against me as he knew I was defending myself, and when he grabbed me it was to stop any further trouble and not to assault me.

Another witness, James, corroborated this evidence, adding that when Charles and Jack M collided at the entry of the tent Jack M put his arms around Charles, who was then pouring blood from his head – the blow from the bottle was a violent one. Jack M died from the stab wounds. Charles was charged with feloniously slaying him, bail was set at four pounds.

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4 The Building Boom Of The Twenties Stage 2 – Mid-1925 To 1927 The Commission Gets Into Full Swing – 1925-26 In November 1925 the Commonwealth Government decided that the secretariat scheme was impracticable and requested the transfer of the entire staff of most of the departments by June 1927. The number of public servants due for removal thus rose to just over one thousand and the majority were married men with families. The development program was revised and large areas of Canberra were subdivided for residential purposes. Additional hotels and boarding houses were designed, and office accommodation was increased by duplication of the original secretariat building, by the allocation of portion of the Hotel Kurrajong for administrative purposes, and by the transfer of a large wooden building from Melbourne (the Jolimont Buildings) to house the Commonwealth Department of Works and Railways.

At the same time it was necessary to complete the provisional Parliament House, double the accommodation at the Hotel Canberra, erect a Government Printing Office, provide residences for the Governor-General and the Prime Minister, proceed with various institutions such as the Australian School of Forestry, the Institute of Anatomy and the Solar Observatory, and erect schools, halls, and other buildings.

Much engineering work also had to be done, including the completion of the main sewerage scheme and treatment works and, in all developed areas, the building of roads, water-supply, sewerage, lighting, and storm water services, kerbing, guttering, footpaths, parks, and recreational facilities. Since the plan required that settlement should occur on both sides of the Molonglo River, these developed areas occupied about 12 square miles. Contracts were let for the erection of large numbers of dwellings in residential suburbs, and since the Commission’s resources were fully employed in providing houses for public servants, the task of building houses for those engaged in business was left to private enterprise.

Canberra’s population was growing rapidly and by mid-1925 the construction program was in full swing. In its 1925-26 annual report the Commission had this to say: The construction programme for official and residential accommodation, and the related engineering development, was adjusted to meet the requirements of the amended scheme approved by the Government.

Parliament House was brought to its final stages, and the mechanical and other engineering services in the building were well advanced, contracts being let for the extensive equipment required. Contracts are also being 6149

arranged for furnishing the entire building. The work of grounds preparation surrounding Parliament House has been accelerated, and the cessation of heavier building operations has permitted the planting of trees and the formation of roads and paths.

With the exception of some internal finishing, the work of the Secretariat building was practically completed. A contract was let for the construction of a second building of a similar character to accommodate a certain number of official Departments and the National Library, and the brickwork is now rapidly progressing.

It was decided to provide accommodation for His Excellency the GovernorGeneral, by remodelling the residence known as Yarralumla. Authority was received for the erection of an official residence for the Prime Minister at the corner of Adelaide Avenue and National Circuit. Owing to pressure in its own drawing office the Commission entrusted the designing and supervision of this work to architects Messrs Oakley and Parkes. The Government Printing Office was completed, and the installation of machinery and equipment well advanced.

During the year the residential accommodation at Canberra was increased by the completion of the Hotel Canberra. The erection of Hotel Kurrajong, on the southern side of the City, was brought to an advanced stage.

Authority was obtained for the erection of a fourth hotel, the Hotel Acton, and good progress was made during the period with structural work.

Contracts were let and are proceeding for about 300 private houses, and the Commission is erecting a number with its own organization on both sides of the City.

General engineering work was continued during the year, and comprised roads, water supply, sewerage, lighting, and bridge construction. The subdivision of residential areas demanded an extension of water supply, sewerage and power reticulation, and this proceeded hand in hand with land development. The largest engineering work was in connexion with Main Sewerage System, and good progress was made with the Main Outfall Sewer and the Northern Main Sewer, although industrial difficulties caused some delay in this work. The sewage treatment works at Western Creek were commenced and satisfactory progress made.

The Commission’s industrial undertakings were overhauled to adjust their capacity to the increased demand for building construction. This applied to brickworks, quarries, joinery works, mechanical and electrical shops, and similar activities.

The Commission continued the first section of a programme of works involved in the establishment of the Solar Observatory on Mount Stromlo.

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Quarters for married staff and for single officers and administrative offices were completed, together with allied engineering services. Further quarters are under construction, and preparations are being made in readiness to proceed shortly with a further section of the building programme, including a Director’s residence, structures to house special telescopes and equipment, and accessory building and services.

In relation to private enterprise the Commission commented: A marked increase occurred in the amount of construction undertaken by private enterprise during the year, as lessees commenced building both on commercial and residential leases. So far as commercial premises were concerned, most of this activity occurred in regard to the suburban shopping centres at Eastlake and Manuka and the minor industrial centre of Ainslie, where a steam laundry, two bakeries, and a printing office were established. Fourteen shops were completed in the Eastlake Centre and others are in course of construction, as well as several residences. At Manuka Centre two shops were erected and opened, and in the adjacent Red Hill district several residences are under construction.

Immediate developments consist in the provision of seven additional shops at Eastlake, six at Manuka, two garages and a cordial factory at Ainslie, thirteen residences at Eastlake, three at Ainslie, and a picture theatre at Manuka. Many other plans are now being submitted for approval by lessees who are required to commence building before the end of 1926. The development of the main commercial area at Civic Centre was delayed owing to a review made by the Commission of the building design which was the basis of the granting of the original leases.

On industrial matters the Commission recorded that: The Industrial Section was established on 1 January 1926, and the following sub-sections of the Engineer’s Department were amalgamated in the Section: Labour Bureau: Timekeeping Section: Workmen’s Compensation: Camps:

to register workmen and supply labour to various Departments. to collect time dockets, check rates of pay, and prepare wages sheets for Departments. to supervise and investigate claims for compensation to workmen, and to prepare sick and accident paysheets. to supervise the maintenance of camps and messes, preserve discipline, control arrival and departure of workmen into and from accommodation in various camps.

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Tenements: Records:

to supervise tenancies of workmen’s cottages, and to ensure that cottages are properly maintained. to keep records of the Section, to file time dockets and correspondence in connexion with employment, and to keep card system up-to-date.

The responsibilities of the Industrial Officer also included the settlement, as far as possible, of disputes with the various unions, and the preparation of cases for, and the defence of claims against, the Commission before the Industrial Board.

During the six months of its establishment at the beginning of 1926, 3382 workmen were registered at the Labour Bureau, and approximately 1600 written applications were received for employment. At the end of June 1926 there were 3026 workmen employed by the Commission. Of these 1067 were skilled employees.

No difficulty has been experienced during the year in securing any class of labour required, and the migration of workmen from the Territory during the year shows a considerable decrease when compared with previous years. This may be accounted for by the fact that the messing and lodging accommodation throughout the Territory has been brought to a high standard in comparison with other large construction works in Australia.

At 30 June 1926 the population of the Federal Capital Territory had grown to 6550 (and that of Canberra to 4900), an increase of nearly 4000 over the previous five years.

The progress made by the FCC and private enterprise on individual building projects during each of the financial years 1925-26 to 1928-29 inclusive is shown at Appendix 6.

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Helping The Commission To Achieve Targets At times the Federal Capital Commission sought co-operation from unions to ensure timely completion of projects, particularly those vital to the public service transfer programme and the opening of the provisional Parliament House.

On one occasion the FCC asked the Operative Plasterers Federation for its views on a new contract arrangement for plasterers working on cottages, in which cottages would be built in groups. The union agreed that plasterers could work under this arrangement. Because of the nature of this group work, it secured pay rates as for Parliament House, and free transport to and from work sites for those members living on the south side of the city.

And later in response to a request from the FCC, the Carpenters Union resolved: That permission be given to the FCC to work overtime on Award Rates at the various Hostels.

Regional Bricks Although the Canberra Brickworks was in full production in the mid-1920s, its output was not sufficient to meet all the demands created by the building boom leading up to the opening of the provisional Parliament House. As a result bricks were imported from several regional sources, particularly from Bowral. Approximately one million Bowral bricks were used in the Parliament House project.

A brickworks was established at Captain’s Flat in 1926. It was one of the enterprises undertaken by Queanbeyan’s leading builder W H Mason. Its output was limited, most going to Queanbeyan works, the Queanbeyan Hotel being a notable project on which these bricks were used.

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Records Kept By Unions As most construction activity from 1913 to 1925 had centred on civil engineering works, the building unions considered that the establishment of local union branches was not warranted. The surge of building work from 1925 soon changed that. Records held at the ANU’s Noel Butlin Archives provide evidence of this. Most of the relevant information is in the form of minutes of union meetings, with the minute books of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (ASC&J) being the main source of valuable information.

The ASC&J included bricklayers in its membership until 1941 when the bricklayers formed their own union. In 1946 the carpenters in the ASC&J joined with the bricklayers and formed the ACT Branch of the Building Workers Industrial Union of Australia (BWIU). The Federal Capital Territory Trades and Labour Council (TLC) was formed in 1931. The minute books of all these bodies have provided source material for most of the union items in this book.

The Builders’ Labourers Federation (BLF) did not maintain constant representation in Canberra in these times. The few references to BLF activities in the Territory came from reports given at the BLF Federal and NSW Branch conferences by officials who visited Canberra from time to time. Even these were limited in their scope and coverage, as examples from a 1925 report show: •

The Union had to work under what was known as an Industrial Board, which was constituted under the Federal Ordinance; the Federation had opposed going under same, Representation on the Board was quite unfair, Carpenters had secured representation.

•

The BLF’s application for 2/- per day for wet places and deep ground was successful. The union had lost bridges, the Australian Workers Union was doing the work – the Board had ruled against our union. The Federal City had been partitioned off into zones, but this had not affected Builders Labourers so far.

•

Southern Europeans Many of the jobs at Canberra were being carried out by Contractors. Southern Europeans were employed. In some cases the Government had provided an Inspector, who had the right to search books etc. Union Secretaries and Organisers also had that right.

•

The union in Canberra was doing fairly well, still it was in a bad state, most of the work was finished. The award for the area did not apply to contractors as they claimed no award applied to them being Federal Territory. Carpenters had taken a case and lost same and the (Federal Capital) Commission had offered to pay any Contractor’s costs in a test case. He (the union organiser) had been advised by

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solicitors that no award applies. He had submitted a claim to the (Industrial) Board and as a result his members received a general increase of 6/- per week. He had been instructed by the Canberra members to ask the Sydney conference to make provision to work the week of 44 hours in 5 days, as this was practically universal in Sydney – no work in the building industry on Saturday mornings.

In commenting on the records held at the Noel Butlin Archives, historian Colleen Pritchard told an ACT Heritage Week Seminar in 1989: Information about union activities and formation in Canberra is rather scattered and diverse….despite their brevity, reading the minute books from cover to cover one gets a sense of what early Canberra was like, and of the broad concerns of the men working on construction sites.

The items selected for use in this book aim to help identify these concerns.

Industrial Relations From 1925 When the building of Canberra was well and truly underway by the end of 1925 the pattern set for industrial relations flowed from these developments: • • • • • • •

relevant unions had established their local sub-branches, or State Branches in Sydney covered the needs of their Canberra members a Territory Master Builders’ Association had been formed the ACT Industrial Board had been set up in 1922 this Board had handed down a comprehensive Award prescribing wages and conditions for most building and construction classifications of labour this Award had been varied slightly by 1925, to cover allied classifications of labour the Commonwealth Department of Works and Railways and nine unions had been represented at Board proceedings the Federal Capital Commission was recognised initially by the Industrial Board as a party to Award matters; and later had been empowered to appoint a representative as a member of the Industrial Board.

Certainly disputes between individual, and groups of, workers and their employers arose from time to time. The nature of exchanges between parties in the building and construction industry were and are traditionally robust even under the best of circumstances. Given the conditions under which the workers at the times worked and lived, it is to their credit that overall, relatively stable levels of industrial relations were maintained through all the crucial periods of Canberra’s early development. The record stands for itself. Whatever industrial disputation occurred, it was never a factor handicapping the industry’s ability to meet the demands of the works programs set for it.

No one party can be singled out for this outcome. It was yet another example of the rewarding ethos of a great industry.

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Brickies In Dispute On Secretariat Building Job Bricklayers were in dispute with the Federal Capital Commission on the secretariat building (West Block Offices) job in June 1925. A special summons meeting of bricklayers was held on 5 June 1925 to deal with trouble that had arisen on this project.

The Clerk of Works had asked Shop Steward S Tinman to tell the bricklayers that he was not satisfied with the quantity of bricks laid in the past two weeks. The average up until then was 519 per day per man, but had dropped to 360 per day per man.

The union’s minute book recorded that: The men considered this statement unfair, and an insult, so decided to finish work. The men stated that they would not resume work under Mr Jowett, Clerk of Works. The Secretary interviewed Mr Rolland (Chief Architect, FCC) on the matter but no settlement was arrived at. Also the men were not paid for the wet day of the flood when it was impossible for the men living at Molonglo to get to work. Mr Rolland said that if it is paid, these men would receive it through the Union.

The minute book indicates that the union meeting resolved: …that No 1 Sydney Branch be notified of the trouble and (that it be) requested to notify all Branches and other States, not to send men up to the job until the trouble is rectified and also to notify bricklayers through the medium of the Press, and in the event of the authorities wanting to send men from Parliament House and other jobs to the Secretariat Building, they are to refuse to go, and in the event of their being dismissed for not going, all bricklayers to cease to work. Any man failing to observe this resolution shall be blacklisted throughout the union and building trades.

This resolution is to remain in force and the job will not be clear until the Clerk of Works is removed from the job.

A special meeting on 9 June 1925 reported on the Union Secretary’s meeting with FCC Chief Commissioner John Butters. The minute book records ‘the Secretary reported that Mr Butters would not entertain the men’s resolution to remove the Clerk of Works from the secretariat building.’ Following debate, a motion was put to rescind the resolution passed at the 5 June meeting, but this was defeated 2 for, 33 against. A further special meeting was held on 19 June, when a motion was carried (19 for, 7 against) to rescind the resolution passed at the 5 June meeting. The minute book records that the motion passed by the majority meant the secretariat job was now open to bricklayers.

At the union’s next general meeting on 29 June the secretary was directed to write to FCC Chief Commissioner Butters to seek a full day’s pay instead of the half day 56

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When employers started to build Canberra the last thing on their minds was amenities for employees.

National Archives

In come steam, out goes horse – National Archives

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granted. It appears this claim was not successful and subsequent minutes make no further references to the whole dispute.

Forming The MBA In 1925 Ten builders met at the Hotel Canberra on 18 August 1925. They were Messrs Mason, Deans, Walker, Paynter and Paynter Jnr, Eggleston, Chapman, Gildea, McCarthy and McDonald.

John Deans chaired the meeting and explained its purpose. The meeting quickly decided on positive action. On the motion of Mr McCarthy, seconded by Mr Mason, it was resolved ‘that an Association of Master Builders be formed in the Federal Capital Territory’, there after known as the Master Builders’ Association of the Federal Capital Territory (MBAFCT).

Office-bearers elected were: President Vice-President Secretary/Treasurer Executive Committee

John Deans Colonel John Walker W Gildea the three office-bearers plus Messrs McCarthy, W H Mason and Paynter

Messrs Chapman and McCarthy agreed to act as auditors. The Commonwealth Bank was chosen to be the Association’s bankers.

Most of those builders were members of Master Builders Associations in NSW, Victoria or Tasmania, and would have been aware of the benefits for MBAs and their members in having close links with the Master Builders’ national body – the Federated Master Builders Association of Australasia, as it was then named. Throughout this book the body is referred to as the Master Builders Federation of Australia (MBFA).

The newly-founded MBAFCT lost no time in contacting the national body. It was arranged that Mr F J McCarthy would attend the MBFA’s 19th Convention to be held later in 1925 in Melbourne. Mr McCarthy’s attendance was welcomed at this Convention. The NSW delegation sought clarification on whether the MBAFCT should become an affiliate member of the NSWMBA or be an independent member in its own right. This issue was promptly and amicably resolved, and on 28 October 1925 the MBAFCT was admitted to the MBFA with full powers and privileges.

At these conventions the practice was for each delegation to report on affairs in their area. Mr McCarthy’s report of FCT affairs, as copied from the convention’s minute book, follows:

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MBA – Federal Capital Territory Report by Mr F J McCarthy As a representative from Master Builders of Canberra, I beg to state that we are a newly formed Master Builders’ Association, numbering 14 members up to date, and growing rapidly.

Our Progress

We have already applied to the Federal Capital Commission for a building site for the purpose of erecting a master builders’ hall and rooms. This land, I understand, will be given free.

Conditions

The usual conditions exist as in all newly laid out towns and cities. The contractor has to provide accommodation for his own men. Unlike other cities, Canberra is commenced from the outskirts of the suburbs, so you will see some miles are to be covered before reaching the railway and public buildings. Registration of motor-cars and trucks are at the small cost of £1 each.

Materials

The Commission has its own brick and tiles kilns. Bricks at the cost of £4/16/-. Sand and gravel can be had within two miles of various building centres. Lime kilns within 12 miles, hardwood timber mills within 20 miles; privately owned.

Labour

Troubles exist at Canberra, the same as any other place. The Commission provides transport for the office staff, on account of the long distance from their place of residence. School children are catered for in the same way.

A building contractor before commencing his contract is called upon by the Federal Capital Commission to be a registered contractor, and must first supply the names and references from two or three architects, also a letter from his banker.

I wish to apologise for the absence of two other members of my Association, but hope for them to come along later. In closing, I wish to extend, on behalf of our body, an invitation to visit the Territory, either individually or as a body.

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Formation And Organisation Of The Master Builders’ Federation Of Australia From 1925 the Territory’s MBA worked closely with the master builders’ national body.

Formed in 1890, the MBFA enjoys the distinction of being Australia’s oldest national employers’ organisation. The following account shows the special link that the MBFA has with the Centenary of Federation.

Original minutes record that ‘on 19 November 1890 at 10 am the delegates from the various Associations of Builders in the colonies met at the Builders’ Exchange, Sydney, with a view to forming a Federated Association of Builders.’

Chairman Mr Peter Dow (Sydney) tabled this resolution: That the Conference deems it advisable to form an Inter-colonial Federation of Builders and Contractors for their mutual benefit and protection.

He noted that builders of the colonies were all agreed on this, as they had not had justice in the past, and they did not intend to show hostility to anyone. He stressed the need for greater mutuality of interest in Conditions of Contract and for industrial disputes to be settled by Boards of Conciliation. With other speakers strongly echoing these sentiments the resolution was unanimously carried and the Federated Builders and Contractors Association of Australasia (FBCAA) was formally established. Prior to the conference there had been lively debate between the colonial associations which enabled the delegates to adopt a constitution and set of rules based on federalist principles.

Under these federalist principles the colonial associations undertook to share responsibilities, rights, powers and funding with the newly-formed inter-colonial body.

These federalist principles were adopted eleven years later with the creation of the States and the Commonwealth of Australia under Federation, as from 1 January 1901.

Given these developments, it is not surprising that when a call was made for the MBFA to declare its position on the Federation issue at the 4th Conference in 1894, a speaker was moved to state: Federation, as you are all well aware, is the leading topic of the day; it is one in which we as a body have long led the way by example…so that I do not expect any opposition to the general principle of the present necessity for the immediate federation of these colonies.

The speaker’s expectation was well-founded. The conference declared its support for Federation, adding that the act of federating should proceed without delay. History shows that from the early colonial days to present times the building and construction

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industry has been a major force in the nation’s economic, employment and community interests. The master builders’ movement led the way in this.

Where Brickies Get 32/- A Day On 14 November 1925 Smith’s Weekly published an article under the above heading which included this claim: There are almost 4000 people living at Canberra at present, most of them being workmen engaged in the building industry. The new parliament house has to be ready for occupation by next June and the work is proceeding with feverish activity. In order to attract men to the job rates far in excess of metropolitan awards are being paid. And when award rates are followed the Sydney or Melbourne award is paid according to which is the higher. Bricklayers getting 23/ a day in Melbourne are paid 32/- in the territory.

In the event the Smith’s Weekly report was factually incorrect. Sydney and Melbourne award rates were never followed in Canberra. The true position was that the FCT award rate for a bricklayer was 24/8 per day. The rate the paper falsely claimed was being paid in Canberra was 30 per cent higher than the award rate. The article was discussed at a meeting of the Canberra Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners held in November 1925. Union members knew that the paper’s claim was incorrect and that they could produce evidence to present the facts. As a result the meeting resolved: That the Secretary get in touch with the NSW State Secretary and request that he write to the Editor of Smith’s Weekly and deny the statement published in the issue of 14 November reference the rate of 32/- per day supposed to have been paid here, and to also ask the Editor to publish the true state of affairs reference wages and conditions.

Author George Blakie in his classic Remember Smith’s Weekly (1966) described the paper as an ‘uninhibited national Australian newspaper which printed matters in the national interest’ with what its critics considered the zest and tactics of a larrikin. In its six years of publishing it had gained the reputation of being merciless in treating those who sought to correct its statements, and in always having the last say on any matter. It is not known how much the union’s NSW secretary knew of this reputation, but he declined to raise the issue with Smith’s Weekly. Nothing more was heard of the matter.

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Canberra Brickworks – Kilns UnderBrickworks construction – National Archives– National Archives Canberra – Kilns Under Construction

Service From MBAs And Unions As Master Builders’ Associations and craft unions continued to form and develop in the last two decades of the nineteenth century and into the period covered in this book, they received criticism about their widening roles and heightened status.

Many critics quoted the following immortal words, penned by Adam Smith around 1770, in his work Wealth of Nations, to support their attacks: People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or some contrivance to raise prices.

Such criticism provoked an unnamed correspondent to send the following article to The Canberra Times in mid-1926. The paper published it without disclosing its source. The writer let his sentiments run free but at least he supported the value of ‘combination’ practised by the respective bodies in their various activities.

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Compliance With Awards Building unions had an on-going task of chasing recalcitrant employers who were not providing their employees with the full extent of entitlements due under awards, legislation and prevailing industry practices. Unions generally had to act against individual employers. Sometimes, however, they could act on a wider basis as the following case shows.

In March 1927 the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (ASC&J) resolved: Deputation see the FCC to devise means of enforcing the Award and to ensure Commission contractors complied with the Award in the Seat of Government. The Commission be notified that unless satisfactory assurances were received within seven days a general stop-work meeting of all ASC&J members in the area would be called on a date to be arranged.

The union’s records do not report the outcome of this deputation, but in the absence of evidence of stop-work action it can be assumed the union obtained satisfactory assurances from the FCC. In fact there was only one practicable response the FCC could give, as the following explanatory notes illustrate.

Contract documents used by the Commonwealth agencies on Commonwealth works contained provisions aimed at ensuring that all contractors extended to their workers all the entitlements due to them under awards, legislation, and prevailing industry practices.

The contracts also allowed punitive measures to be taken against defaulting contractors, who could be fined. The government agency also could compensate affected workers and recover costs of doing so from monies held and otherwise due to the contractors.

Responsible contractors operated under these conditions. Less than diligent contractors were at risk, especially if the agency officers administering the contract had any reason to suspect contractors were not meeting their obligations. The FCC was in the position to advise the union that the means of enforcing compliance with awards were in place, and that it would pay particular attention to implementing them consistently.

By way of a post-script to this account, it seems the union’s officers took advantage of this course of action available to them. Three months later they resolved to notify a contractor that unless he paid award rates it would inform the FCC, by letter, seeking redress.

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1926-27 – A Period Of Great Progress The frenetic pace of building and construction activity continued into 1926-27, as the Federal Capital Commission reported: Constructional activities continued during the financial year at high pressure, and effective progress was made in the sections of work involved in the programme for the provision of the official accommodation for Parliament and the Administrative Departments, and residential facilities for Members and Civil Servants. This scheme also included the extension of engineering services, viz: roads, water supply, sewerage, stormwater drainage, electrical supply, plantations to serve the official buildings and residential subdivisions, and also those demanded by development being carried out by private enterprise on blocks privately leased to the public.

Parliament House was completed, equipped, and occupied, the whole of its mechanical and electrical services, which includes heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, vacuum cleaning, lifts, steam kitchen plant, etc, were tested and left in working order. The building was opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of York on the 9 May 1927, and handed over to the Parliamentary Authorities.

The work of remodelling and furnishing Yarralumla House for use as a residence by the Governor-General was completed and the building was occupied during the Royal Visit. The Prime Minister’s Lodge was also completed and furnished, and was used during the Royal Visit, although the layout of the grounds was not finished. The Commonwealth Offices (East Block) were completed, and those portions allotted to the PostmasterGeneral’s Department for use as a Post and Telegraph Office and Automatic Telephone Exchange were occupied and opened for public business on 19 March 1927.

The construction of a second building of a similar design – Commonwealth Offices (West Block) – to the south-west of Parliament House, was well advanced and is now approaching completion with the exception of the finishing trades. It will be used for the accommodation of certain official departments, and a considerable portion is being devoted to the purposes of the National Library. The installation of machinery and equipment of the Government Printing Office was completed, and the building was handed over for occupation by the Government Printing staff on the 22 May 1927.

The pneumatic tube carrier system between Parliament House, East Block and the Government Printing Office, was completed.

Public residential accommodation was augmented during the year by the completion of the Hotel Kurrajong on the southern side of the City, and by 63

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the Hotel Acton on the northern side. In addition, the construction of four other establishments are now practically complete. They comprise: Hotel Ainslie and Beauchamp House on the northern side of the City and the Hotel Wellington and Brassey House on the southern side. The development of the Commission’s scheme for building private residences was pushed forward as rapidly as possible, both by contract and under the Commission’s own building organization, the number of residences under construction being 279, of which 134 were completed during the period under review.

Other important building works undertaken during the year included the Forestry School, Westridge; the Solar Observatory, Stromlo; the Public School, Ainslie; additions to the school at Telopea Park; additions to the bachelors’ quarters, Acton; Assembly Hall (later Albert Hall), Commonwealth Avenue; new railway station, Eastlake; main garage, Eastlake; and the permanent stores building at Eastlake.

The most important engineering work carried out during the year was the completion of the sewerage scheme, which comprises the main city sewers, the outfall sewer, and the treatment works at Western Creek. This large undertaking was commenced in 1915; construction was subsequently abandoned during the war period but was resumed in 1921, and it has since necessitated the continued activity of a large body of workmen especially selected for the purpose, and the application of special plant and facilities.

The system comprises eight miles of deep sewers constructed in concrete, and includes a specially-constructed syphon under the Molonglo River. The main sewers have been designed to serve a population of 100 000, but the present treatment works are sufficient only to deal with the sewage of a population of 25 000 people.

The demand for bricks became so heavy that the Commission was compelled to import considerable quantities from Sydney. After a special review of the existing and prospective requirements, it was decided to erect additional kilns and plant at the Westridge brickworks. This work was completed and the minimum capacity of the yards is now 12 000 000 bricks per annum, which, it is considered, will meet all likely demands. In addition, provision has been made for an output of tiles at the rate of 625 000 per annum.

The Australian School of Forestry, located at (Westbourne Woods) Westridge, was opened on 11 April 1927. Rectangular in shape, the building contained a museum, library, two lecture rooms, laboratory, drafting room, Principal’s room and lecturers’ room. The timbers used in its construction were Australian hardwoods and softwoods.

The School would train expert foresters to superintend forestry operations on scientific lines, through the various state organisations.

The Commission continued the construction work involved in establishing the Solar Observatory on Mount Stromlo.

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administrative offices and bachelors’ quarters were completed. Contracts were also entered into for the construction of the Sun Telescope Building, a temporary house for the Farnham Telescope, a workshop, and also the excavation for the Sun Telescope Building basement. A contract was also let for the Director’s residence.

Additions to the Acton Hospital, including an obstetric ward and a new 20 bed ward, were completed and heating and hot water services installed. Work on a second 20 bed ward and the administrative building progressed further as well as work on staff quarters and the extension of the operating theatre.

In relation to private enterprise activity in 1926-27 the Commission reported as follows: Private enterprise was responsible for a still larger volume of constructional activity than in the preceding period. During the year 371 plans for the erection of privately-owned buildings, comprising residences, shops, offices, banks, and schools, were approved and of these 97 were completed, and many are at an advanced stage.

Buildings were finished on most of the shopping sites at Eastlake, which is now a busy commercial centre; and the special business block at Manuka is now assuming definite shape, a number of shops, both with residences and of the lock-up type were occupied, and others are under construction.

At Manuka a large picture theatre is approaching completion. Interest in commercial development however, has displayed itself chiefly at the Civic Centre, which has now been established as Canberra’s main commercial zone by the erection of many of the units of shops and offices comprised in the pre-designed scheme for two large blocks at the junction of Northbourne Avenue and City Circuit. The principal banks, several insurance and other public companies, and many of the leading commercial and professional interests have either established themselves there or are awaiting the completion of buildings to do so.

Two churches were erected at Ainslie, and a convent and school are under construction at Manuka, as well as a Girls’ Grammar School at Blandfordia.

At the minor industrial centre at Ainslie, a large garage, a motor service station, an aerated water factory, and an additional bakery were established.

The residential areas are presenting a developed appearance, and, in addition to the houses erected by the Commission, many were built or commenced by private individuals, the building permits including 48 at Ainslie, 11 at Blandfordia, 32 at Eastlake, and 19 at Red Hill.

On industrial matters the Commission reported that:

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At the minor industrial centre at Ainslie, a large garage, a motor service station, an aerated water factory, and an additional bakery were established.

The residential areas are presenting a developed appearance, and, in addition to the houses erected by the Commission, many were built or commenced by private individuals, the building permits including 48 at Ainslie, 11 at Blandfordia, 32 at Eastlake, and 19 at Red Hill.

On industrial matters the Commission reported that: The relation between the Commission and the various workmen’s organizations has been very good throughout the year; very little industrial difficulty has occurred – the wages of the Industrial Board applying smoothly throughout the period.

The Commission’s Labour Bureau – established in January 1926 – has been maintained, and during the year registered 6686 workmen, in addition to receiving 2300 written applications for employment, 4427 men were placed in employment and on the 30 June 1927, only 96 workmen were awaiting engagement. At that date the number of men employed was 2245, of whom 453 were skilled and 1792 unskilled.

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The Commission provided improved accommodation for workmen, largely abolishing the tent camps, and has brought the living conditions of its casual employees to a high standard in comparison with other large constructional works. There was little difficulty in obtaining the labour required, except in some trades where special experience was desired.

The Industrial Board sat several times during the year and all classes of wages came under review. In January 1927, a modified award was issued abolishing the previous zone allowances and providing for travelling allowances for the building and engineering trades and the introduction of camping-out allowances for all classes of workmen.

Some difficulty occurred owing to the fact that the wages of the Industrial Board do not apply to private contractors. The result is that there have been two standards of wages and conditions. The Government has now under consideration a review of the law in this respect, with the object of evolving, if possible, an equitable arrangement by which the outside employers will be represented on the Industrial Board, and its awards will become general throughout the Territory.

And on social service matters the Commission had this to say: A considerable degree of success has attended the work of the Canberra Social Service Association during the past year. The Provisional Council of this Association has been replaced by a Permanent Council which represents the various districts into which the City Area has been divided. Also it has established district branches, and these have shown energy and enthusiasm in their work. The work of the Association is carried on principally through special committees dealing with indoor and outdoor recreation, education, libraries, children’s welfare, and women’s and infants’ welfare.

An important development during the year was the establishment of the first Infant Health Centre, under the Canberra Mothercraft Society, which is one of the activities under the Association’s Committee for Women’s and Infants’ 80 66

Welfare. This Society was instrumental in raising a considerable amount of money to enable premises to be equipped, under the charge of an expert Sister. The Commission has given its aid to this movement, but is is hoped that it will gradually become able to support itself.

Another new section of activity has been established by the Lady Hopetoun Club, which is a residential and social institution for women. The constitution of this Club provides for membership by employers and employees, and, in addition to being concerned with the employment of women, its object is also to develop all forms of healthy recreation for women.

At 30 June 1927 houses were distributed throughout the following Canberra localities:

Locality Blandfordia Telopea Park South Ainslie Ainslie Subdivision Canberra Avenue (Ainslie) Westridge Other Total

Houses Authorized 141 59 116 73 95 36 25 545

Houses Under Construction 87 45 112 23 9 3 279

Houses Completed 54 14 4 73 72 5 17 239

Queensland National Bank – Civic Centre 1927 – National Archives Queensland National Bank - Civic Centre 1927 – National Archives

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Death of Commissioner C H Gorman On 24 January 1927 the Federal Capital Commission reported that it had suffered a great loss in the sudden death of Mr C H Gorman, one of its Commissioners. He was replaced by Colonel T J Thomas.

Chief Commissioner J H Butters Knighted In its 1926-27 annual report the FCC announced, “it was deeply sensible of the honour conferred upon it and its whole organisation by His Majesty the King in creating the Chief Commissioner a ‘Knight Bachelor’.”

SirJohn John H Sir HButters Butters

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The Arrival of Reinforced Concrete – Beauchamp House A notable development in building technology took place in Canberra in 1926 when reinforced concrete was used for the first time on an FCC building project. The building, Beauchamp House, in Edinburgh Avenue, Acton, was one of four boarding houses being erected to solve Canberra’s growing accommodation problem. Located across the road from the Hotel Acton, the two-storey boarding house was designed to accommodate about 50 guests plus staff. Melbourne architects Anketel and Kingsley Henderson designed and supervised the work, and local builder Colonel John Walker was the contractor.

The Canberra Times reported that the reinforced concrete walls throughout the building provided greater strength than conventional brick walls. Floors were of hollow block construction over-laid with steel and concrete. External walls finished in roughcast concrete, and red tiles were used for roofing. Some 870 cubic yards of concrete were used, along with 417 tons of steel.

The project had attracted interest in the industry as the use of concrete as a major component of buildings had not been utilised in Canberra, although, as The Canberra Times was quick to point out, ‘good quality raw material in the form of river gravel was readily available locally.’

The Canberra Times reported that good progress was being made on the project as at September 1926, and that it was being hailed for its potential to influence future building policy in the city area.

The successful use of reinforced concrete on this building established the event as one of the most significant for the building and construction process in Canberra’s history. It marked the beginning of a building process that would affect building trades and callings, union coverage, and supply of building materials. These issues would become critical in Canberra some fifty years later.

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MBAFCT’s First Annual Meeting – 18 August 1926 The MBAFCT held its first annual meeting on 18 August 1926, on the anniversary of its formation in 1925.

The meeting noted that there had been a considerable increase in building activities, and members present felt that the Association was moving well towards being an important player in the development of the national capital through private enterprise. It was recognised in the community as the major commercial body in the city.

The foundation President John Deans, and the Vice President Colonel John Walker stood down. Mr F J McCarthy was elected President, with John Deans as Vice President, Mr W Gildea was re-elected as Secretary, and Messrs C Paynter, R Hutcherson and T Walker were elected as members of the Executive Committee.

MBA’s First Annual Dinner – 1926

The Canberra Times gave prominence to its report on the MBA’s first annual dinner held in September 1926 at the Hotel Canberra. It recorded that speeches ‘rang fine sentiments regarding Canberra, for the consummation of which every member of the association is working at full capacity.’ The Federal Capital Commission’s Chief Commissioner John Butters and Secretary Charles Daley headed the guest list.

In introducing the toast ‘To Canberra and the Federal Capital Commission’ the Association’s Vice President John Deans explained that the MBA had realised one of the objects for which it had been formed, namely to enable members to keep in touch with each other and to assist one another in their task of building Canberra. The Canberra Times report is set out in more detail in the following two pages.

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Christmas 1926 As Christmas approached, the FCC expressed confidence in what had been achieved in Canberra and what was to come. These sentiments were expressed in its Social Service Department’s Community News.

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Racism Or Patriotism In 1927 In May 1927 the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners in Canberra resolved: That no man be admitted into this Society who cannot speak English to the satisfaction of the Branch, and no Alien be permitted to speak for a fellow countryman.

No detail of the background for this resolution is recorded. There is no evidence that hundreds of ‘aliens’ were in the area and threatening members’ jobs. Perhaps carpenters who had come from Sydney had experienced the violence and racism of the late nineteenth century, and wanted to ensure this would not be repeated in Canberra.

Whatever the reason however, this 1927 resolution reflected widespread community feelings still prevailing at that time. After all, a form of racism had been formally sanctioned in Australia, with entry test provisions for non-British immigrants being enshrined in the Commonwealth Immigration Restriction Act 1901. This Act embodied what was loosely known as the White Australia Policy, a policy which remained essentially unaltered until the 1960s.

As an example, the constitution of the Australian Workers Union, which had been approved under the provisions of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904, contained this specific condition covering eligibility for membership: No Chinese, Japanese, Kanakas, or Afghans, or coloured aliens other than Maoris, American Negroes, and issue of mixed parentage born in Australasia shall be admitted to membership Coincidentally, NSW carpenter and unionist Angus Cameron was a ring-leader in stirring up strong feelings against, even hatred of, the Sydney Chinese community in the late nineteenth century. Cameron was already in the history books. The NSW Trades and Labour Council had been trying to get a worker’s representative into the NSW Parliament. Angus Cameron achieved this, being elected as member for West Sydney in 1874.

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Membership Of The Master Builders Association The surge in building activity, which peaked in early 1927, brought increased membership to the Master Builders’ Association of the Federal Capital Territory. In early 1928 there were 26 members along with 10 builders, who were members of other MBAs, and were entitled to call upon it for services.

The MBAFCT membership list was as follows: J Ashe Chapman and Eggleston Hutcherson Bros A M Sweetman E Spendelove Toy and Erickson J Perry J Shakespeare J Peverill Stuart Bros W J Gildea F E Bloye A E Warner V W Barker J Maher H L Dawson F Mawson D R Tait

P L Bond J Deans J W Kesble Simmie and Co C W Turton George and Elphinstone W Wallace and Sons R T Gillies A Stephens and Sons Paynter and Dixon W McDonald S J Taylor C A Green R E Midson R M Housden E R Potter B T Male C J Waddell

Between them, these builders accounted for the greater part of the work put out to contract by the FCC at that time.

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MBA Meets The Federal Capital Commission Archival records reveal that it took some time for the MBA and FCC to first meet formally. The circumstances of this are not without humour. They are worth relating, however, as they provide a useful case study of difficulties which newly-formed local industry organisations experienced in their initial dealings with governmental bureaucracies of the times.

Typical of the early industry organisations, the MBA relied on honorary secretaries.

Although knowledgeable, motivated and industrious, these honorary secretaries were, however, handicapped by not being provided with office facilities and administrative support. As a result they could not effectively build up and maintain close contacts with departmental officers. The MBA’s members were certainly proficient in the business of building, most of them also being articulate and forceful in pursuing their interests.

When it came to making representations to governmental bodies the MBA and its members favoured the deputation process which allowed for frank face-to-face discussion. What they did not readily appreciate however, was the predilection of the other side for setting down a formal agenda to allow for orderly discussion, and for this to be in the hands of the parties prior to the meeting.

With this background, the circumstances leading up to the first joint meeting took their inevitable course. On 12 September 1927 the MBA Honorary Secretary wrote to the FCC Secretary seeking a meeting to discuss ‘matters of mutual benefit.’ The FCC Secretary replied on 17 September 1927, indicating that the Chief Commissioner was favourably inclined, and requested the MBA to put in writing the matters it wished to place before him, for the purpose of ‘enabling a more effective discussion.’

The FCC letter apparently went astray as some six weeks later on 1 November 1927, the MBA wrote regretting it had had no reply to its letter of 12 September 1927, restating its content, and with a touch of acrimony, ending ‘that if no reply, the MBA would understand that the FCC does not intend to meet a deputation’.

The FCC responded on 14 November 1927, restating the content of the 17 September 1927 letter. It also referred to an informal talk between the FCC and MBA Secretaries when the MBA Honorary Secretary said he ‘would have great difficulty in setting out the numerous points the MBA desired to discuss with the Chief Commissioner.’ The FCC responded ‘it would be even more desirable that the ground to be covered should be set out previously for the Chief Commissioner’s information.’

Three weeks later on 6 December 1927 the MBA replied, regretting delay due to its President David Elphinstone being away at the MBFA’s Conference in Adelaide. It also forwarded a list of ten items it wished to discuss. And so, ultimately, some five months after the original approach, the two parties sat down together on the morning of Saturday, 11 February 1928.

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In the event there was considerable substance in the matters listed. In summary, they covered: • • • • • • •

inspection, testing, and supply of plumbing and sanitary items drainage inspections cartage of bricks conditions of contract – some specific items and the procedures the FCC applied to them arrangements for interviews by Chief Architect with builders all builders to conform with FCC regulations applying to Registration of Builders ‘that the FCC refrains from sending useless threatening letters to Builders.’

These matters were discussed and recorded in detail and it seems that as the builders felt that each item had been aired and fairly considered the episode ended, with a heightened mutual respect between the parties.

Interesting Compo Claim Succeeds A claim for compensation handled by the Federated Engine Drivers and Firemens Association in 1928 is of interest, as in those times compensation was not automatically payable for work related illness.

The union wrote to the FCC stating that: An engine-driver was compelled to continue working in wet clothing in the execution of his duties, and subsequently contracted pneumonia and pleurisy. In addition to the loss of wages he had to pay £10/0/2 other expenses. He should have his case favourably considered and be paid for the loss of time, etc brought about attending to his work for the machine and the benefit of his employer.

A subsequent brief notation indicated that a satisfactory settlement of this claim was achieved.

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MBFA - 23rd National Convention Canberra - 1929 - The five FCT delegates were: Messrs Eggleston, Chapman, Turton, Elpinstone and Spendelove Photo: MBFA

Building And Construction Workers Vote The Industrial Board Ordinance of the early 1920s allowed for building and construction workers to elect representatives to serve as members of the Board. Arrangements had to be made for these elections with adequate polling places provided.

For the election carried out in 1925, twenty polling places were set up in the following locations:

Reflecting the surge of building and construction activity which occurred in 1926 the number of polling places required for elections in that year rose to sixty-five. Their locations illustrate the wider spread and identity of projects and work sites:

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Workers Paid For Travel Costs In 1927 the territory’s industrial award provided for payment of an allowance to cover travelling expenses or time incurred by building and construction workers going to and from work. In order to set workers’ eligibility for the allowance, the award divided the Territory into four areas.

The map, which follows, and which was included in the award defined the two areas from which most claims for the allowance would arise. A central area contained within the unbroken boundary line was defined as the ‘city area’ in which no allowance was payable. Workers within the surrounding area bordered by the broken boundary line were paid the allowance at the rate of one shilling per day.

There was a third area (not shown on the map) which was defined in an official government ‘plan of city and environs’ in which workers travelling to and from work received an allowance of two shillings per day. Workers in the rest of the Territory received an allowance on a different basis. The award recognised that workers in these outlying areas would be reasonably expected to sleep away from their usual place of residence. Accordingly the employer was required to provide camping equipment and workers were paid an allowance of three shillings for each night spent in the camp.

Apart from its relevance to the award provisions, the map itself is interesting as it shows the extent of detailed and approved design work which had been carried out by the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs’ Lands and Survey Branch as at May 1927.

Workers Collecting Pay – National Archives

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5 Economic Downturn Curtails City Growth The Federal Capital Commission Is Abolished And The Depression Sets In – 1928 To 1934 A Slow Down Of Growth And Prospects In the aftermath of the opening of Parliament House on 9 May 1927, the Commission was faced with a drying up of funds and a major scale down of its building and construction activity. The world-wide economic depression was beginning to bite deeply into both the national and Canberran economies.

In its report for the year ended 30 June 1928 the Commission referred to a number of key developments: It had been foreshadowed that, after the period of intensive activity which preceded the Opening of Parliament House in May 1927, the constructional activities of the Commission would gradually decrease until a rate of progress was attained that might be regarded as normal. The Commission commenced, therefore, early in the financial year to make dispositions accordingly, so far as was consistent with the completion of the office and residential accommodation required for the departments and branches which duly commenced to arrive at the Seat of Government.

It was proposed to continue the gradual reduction in the numbers of workmen employed evenly throughout the year. In the second half of the year the FCC had to make substantial savings on the amounts of its approved estimates, and this led inevitably to the postponement of a number of larger works, and to a sudden increase in the numbers of men discharged. Amongst the important works, the commencement of which was delayed, were the Australian War Memorial, the Australian Institute of Anatomy (Museum of Zoology), the Zoological Park, permanent City roads, and municipal services such as Abattoirs, City Halls, and a Fire Station.

An Assembly Hall was erected on Commonwealth Avenue. This building will serve as the main city Hall for meetings, concerts, social gatherings, etc, until such time as it is expedient to erect a Town Hall. It was opened officially in March 1928, by the Right Honorable the Prime Minister, and named the Albert Hall. It has seating accommodation for over 700 persons and has proved to be of the greatest convenience and utility.

Commonwealth Offices, West Block, were completed in September 1927, and the building was used for the accommodation of a number of 98

departments. Considerable work was also undertaken in fitting up the offices rented in the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings in Civic Centre for Departments. The works included in the approved programmes for the Solar Observatory, Stromlo, and the Forestry School, were finished.

Residential accommodation was increased by the completion of the Hotels Ainslie and Wellington, Brassey House and Beauchamp House, and additions to Gorman House, and blocks of garages were added to the principal hotels.

Additional residences were provided for civil servants and others, and about 700 houses have been completed by the Commission’s building organization. Other more important buildings erected for the Commission’s purposes include: Stores at Kingston; additions to Public School, Telopea Park; new school, Ainslie; new Commission main garage; additions to Hospital; additions to Commission Offices.

Considerable progress was made during the year towards the completion of the Canberra Hospital. A second twenty-bed ward and the new Obstetric Ward were finished, equipped, and put into use. The new administrative building containing a Dispensary, Offices, X-Ray department, and an Outpatient’s Department was completed with greatly improved working conditions. A kitchen and dining room block for the nursing and domestic staffs was also erected and was a much appreciated improvement. Further extensions now being carried out include additions to the Operating Theatre, and the provision of a new Nurses’ Quarters and a new Isolation Block. The standard of accommodation and equipment now provided is the equal of that found in metropolitan hospitals.

Final negotiations were in progress regarding the supply of electricity to the Commission from the Burrinjuck Hydro-Electric Works, and it is anticipated that supply will be available in 1929.

With the curtailment of building operations in the territory the demand on the brickworks was greatly reduced. The plant in operation includes one Hoffman, one Staffordshire and two down-draught kilns, and is capable of producing 12 000 000 bricks and 500 000 tiles per annum, both of very good quality. Extra crushing plant and equipment were installed at the quarries and large supplies of material suitable for road construction and for use in building works were obtained.

Two architects, E L Sodersteen and John Crust, were invited by the government to collaborate in the preparation of a fresh design for the Australian War Memorial. The Commission considered their new design to be satisfactory and referred it to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works. This body reported in favour of the design and Parliament then passed the prescribed resolution authorising the work to proceed.

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The Commission obtained approval during the year for the construction of permanent residential quarters for forestry students attending the Australian School of Forestry, but the project was postponed on account of the Commission’s financial position. As an alternative the School used cottages and cubicles in Solander Place, Yarralumla as temporary accommodation for students.

In this 1927-28 Report the Commission also commented on the decline in private enterprise building activity, as follows: The expansion in the activities of private enterprise in Canberra was not maintained during 1927-28, being affected by the temporary depression prevailing over the whole Commonwealth. Most of the work carried on related to the completion of those structures already commenced. All the buildings in the shopping blocks at the City, Kingston and Griffith centres were completed and many of the shops and offices were tenanted.

During the year 52 plans for the construction of privately owned buildings were passed by the Commission. The plans include shops and offices, additions to buildings already erected, churches, schools, garages and service stations. The completion of the Capitol Theatre, a large up-to-date Picture Theatre, which is situated on the south side of the City, occurred early in the period under review. A Methodist Church was erected at Reid* and a Maternity Hospital at Ainslie. There were five residences constructed at Braddon, six at Ainslie, six at Forrest, five at Kingston and four at Mugga. *The Methodist team of architect J C R Mills and builder R E Midson, both of Sydney, were responsible for this project – The Red Bricks of Reid – R T Winch (1977.)

Owing to declining support by private enterprise, the Commission was compelled to assume full responsibility for providing residential accommodation, not only for the transferred public servants, but also for its own workmen and staff. The provision of suitable housing for workmen was still a priority, and the Commission continued to extend and improve the settlements provided for workers. Some workmen continued to be housed in tenements, which, although provided with all services, were not regarded as permanent, and were gradually demolished as additional residences were provided in the city areas. The Commission aimed to have all workmen, who were required to carry on the normal program of maintenance and development, housed in suitable residences in permanent locations according to the city design. A large number of these residences had already been provided at Ainslie and Yarralumla. Up to the 30 June 1928, the number of residences erected was 723, including those provided prior to the period of control by the Commission.

The reduced private enterprise building activity proceeded satisfactorily with the exception of a contract for the erection of cottages at Braddon carried out by contractor

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Green for Chas W and Fanny Priest, of Adelaide. This work had ceased, caused by the financial difficulties of the builders. The picture theatre at Manuka was completed on 8 February 1928 and put into use. The school and convent complex for the Roman Catholic Church authorities at Manuka was completed on 30 June 1928.

At 30 June 1928 houses had been completed by the Commission at the following localities: Locality Forrest, (Blandfordia), Mugga, Griffith Barton and Kingston (Eastlake) Acton Braddon Reid Ainslie Yarralumla and Deakin Stromlo and other areas outside the City Total

Houses Completed 156 93 9 74 115 129 33 15 624

Contracts for 200 cottages with Messrs Bruce, Eden and Griffiths and W H Mason were completed during March 1928. The Commission took over the W H Mason contract in order to get the work completed. At Kingston (Eastlake), 18 cottages intended for occupation by employees of the Government Printer were completed during the final quarter of the year. The contract with the Monolyte Construction Co for the erection of 25 concrete houses at Forrest (Blandfordia) was completed in March 1928.

The Demise of the Federal Capital Commission During 1928-29 building and construction work in Canberra and nearby was seriously affected by the urgent necessity to curtail Commission expenditure because of the depression. The building of the permanent administrative offices at Parkes and of the Australian War Memorial was postponed, as were extensions to the main intercepting sewers, the continuation of the railway to the city centre and to Yass, the implementation of the initial lake scheme, and the construction of some municipal services such as the milk-handling depot, a new abattoirs and a fire station.

By the end of 1928-29 the Commission knew that its term of office was about to end, as funding for 1929-30 had been further curtailed. However, the Commission had achieved a great deal during its life, as the following table of Commonwealth Government expenditure on building and construction in Canberra illustrates:

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Period 1924 (1 July-31 December) 1925 (1 January-30 June) 1925-26 1926-27 1927-28 1928-29

Authority Departmental System Federal Capital Commission Federal Capital Commission Federal Capital Commission Federal Capital Commission Federal Capital Commission

£ Expenditure 350 099 500 269 1 745 162 2 437 607 1 953 467 1 104 373

In his report for the year ending 30 June 1929 Commissioner Butters took the opportunity to reflect on the Commission’s achievements over the previous five years. The projects completed during the period were listed as follows: Engineering – construction northern intercepting sewer; completion of southern intercepting sewer; construction of syphon tunnel under River Molonglo; sewerage treatment works at Weston Creek; 31 miles of subdivisional sewerage reticulation; 21 miles concrete pipes stormwater drainage; 4.3 miles open trench drainage; 2 miles stormwater channel, Red Hill; 1 mile stormwater channel, Mount Ainslie; Brisbane Avenue stormwater drain extended and ballasted; 1000 street sumps – 300 manholes; 51 miles of water mains throughout the city, including 12-inch bypass near Red Hill; a 6-inch main to Queanbeyan; a service to the aerodrome; 9-inch feeder mains in city area; 36 miles of service pipes from 4 inches to ½ inch; 70 miles of gravel roads; 4½ miles of sealed macadam roads; 2 miles of retreaded surface; 5½ miles bituminous macadam (penetration) roads; 1 mile of bituminous macadam (pre-mix) roads; ¾ mile concrete road; 60 miles gravel footpaths; 12½ miles concrete footpaths; 1¼ miles asphalt footpaths; 2 miles of brick footpath drains; 60 miles of kerbing and guttering of roads; 2¼ miles around street plantations, and 16½ miles of concrete path edging; maintenance and improvement of 80 miles of city roads, and 200 miles of country roads.

Alterations to and an additional span on Commonwealth Avenue Bridge; two additional spans to the Acton low-level bridge; a reinforced concrete bridge with two 25-ft spans over the Ginninderra Creek on the Yass Road; heavy concrete culvert work to carry the Telopea Park stormwater drain; timber bridges over the River Molonglo at Scott’s Crossing, two over Sullivan’s Creek, the Royalla Road, over the Black Creek, and on the Yass Road near Queanbeyan; two crossings were established at the Murrumbidge River at Point Hut and Angle Bend. The main additions to the country roads included those at Kambah subdivision, Jerrabomberra Valley Avenue, and a deviation of the cross road at Ginninderra Creek. Substantial progress was also made on the territorial portion of the new Canberra-Sydney highway.

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In May 1925, a phenomenal flood occurred on the Molonglo River, the water level rising from practically normal to a maximum (which reached the underside of the decking of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge) in a little over twelve hours. The total flood discharge was closely observed and recorded and proved to be more than double the forecasts made when the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge was designed. Considerable damage was done to the bridge and embankment and the new criteria made it necessary to place an additional span in the bridge and to alter the design of the embankment.

Manuka Sports Ground graded, fenced and a turf wicket provided; 25 tennis courts; three bowling greens; one croquet lawn; a number of cricket pitches provided in various parts of the city; an 18-hole golf links established at Acton; the Power Station capacity increased by the installation of a 1500 kw turbo-alternator; a contract arranged for a supply of hydro-electric energy from the New South Wales State works at Burrinjuck; high-tension transmission lines constructed to all subdivisions, and sub-stations reconstructed to meet the increasing load; 1100 street lights installed; complete electrical installation of an extensive character in Parliament House and public buildings as well as an installation in all hotels, schools, factories, etc; mains and distributors totalling 15 miles overhead hightension line; 4 miles underground high-tension line; 35 miles of overhead low-tension line; 8 miles of underground low-tension line; seventeen new sub-stations; additions and alterations to eleven sub-stations; 2500 service connexions; 3100 meter installations; surveys for all design and construction work carried out by the Commission; production of progress and feature maps; production of locality guide to city; production of street nomenclature plan; production of detail survey plans; commencement of hydrographic and hydrometric survey of the Territory; establishment of stream gauging and hydrographic records, on Rivers Molonglo, Queanbeyan, Cotter and Murrumbidgee; preliminary survey of hydro-electric scheme on Upper Murrumbidgee River; continuation of geological survey of Territory.

Buildings – complete construction of Parliament House except for threequarters of the brick work already completed in December 1924; Commonwealth Offices, East Block; Commonwealth Offices, West Block; Works Department building, City; Post Office Building; Automatic Telephone Exchange; Government Printing Offices; Government House; Prime Minister’s Lodge; twelve hotel and boarding-house establishments; 728 permanent cottages; approximately 400 temporary cottages and tenements for workmen; large extensions, Commission’s Offices; remodelling and large extensions, Canberra Hospital; Commission’s Garage Building; Permanent Store Building; Telopea Park School; Ainslie School; Police Station; The Albert Hall; first wing of building for Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; Institute of Anatomy (under construction); Solar Observatory, Mount Stromlo; residences for 103

Observatory staff; Australian School of Forestry; Health Laboratiory at Acton; completion Hotel Canberra; completion Gorman House; extension Bachelors’ Quarters; complete construction Hotels Kurrajong, Acton, Wellington, Ainslie, Brassey House, Beauchamp House, Printers’ Quarters; complete furnishing and equipping Parliament House and all hotels.

This comprehensive listing of the projects completed under the Commission’s direction during the period 1 January 1925 to 30 June 1929 stands as a tribute to the ‘blood, tears, toil and sweat’ of the building and construction workers employed on them.

The Commission’s considerably reduced achievements in 1928-29 were summarised as follows: A commencement was made with the construction of a group of buildings for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and a contract was let for the erection of the Australian Institute of Anatomy.

The Government’s decision to transfer immediately the staff of the Commonwealth Works Department necessitated the urgent provision of further office accommodation, and, in the interests of economy, certain Commonwealth Buildings in Melbourne (known as the Jolimont Buildings) were despatched in sections to Canberra and, together with other buildings transferred from Molonglo, were re-erected near the main shopping centre of the city.

The subdivision and fitting of certain offices leased in the main shopping block were also undertaken to house other Commonwealth Departments. At Commonwealth Offices, West Block, a portion of the area intended for the National Library was converted into offices for the Commonwealth Statistician. Important additions were made to the Canberra Hospital, comprising a new isolation ward, a separate block for night nurses’ quarters, and a fumigation section. A Health Laboratory and accessory buildings were also erected in the Hospital grounds, and further houses were constructed in various areas to meet the needs of public servants.

Other buildings erected during the year for the Commission’s purposes included additions to Gorman House, omnibus shelter sheds, alterations and additions to Commission Offices and the conversion of offices at Hotel Kurrajong to bedrooms.

New work in connexion with water supply included the laying of several miles of mains to serve new institutions, such as the Institute of Anatomy and the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research. Improvements were made on the 18-inch rising main from the Power House to the

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Murrumbidgee River, and closed fencing installed around the service reservoirs at Mount Stromlo, Red Hill and Mount Russell.

The Commission also completed negotiations about the supply of electricity from the Burrinjuck Hydro-Electric Works and the construction of a 66 000-volt transmission line, together with sub-station and accessory services, was carried out by the Public Works Department of New South Wales. Brickworks manufacturing was greatly affected by the curtailment of building operations in the Territory. Only 3.2 million bricks and 50 000 tiles were manufactured in 1928-29 compared with 8.5 million bricks and 244 000 tiles in the previous year. The plant was capable of producing 12 million bricks and 500 000 tiles each year.

As a result of the government’s decision not to proceed with the permanent Administrative Building in Parkes, designed by G Sydney Jones (although the foundations for it were in place), the Commission made arrangements for the plans to be transferred to it. This action was designed to facilitate resumption of work at a future date.

When the Parliament gave approval to proceed with the erection of the Australian War Memorial, in accordance with designs submitted by Messrs E L Sodersteen and John Crust, further steps were taken to advance the project to another stage, including preliminary work in laying out roads and providing engineering services to the site. The architects progressed the working drawings to enable the early calling of tenders. On Anzac Day, 25 April 1929, a commemorative stone was unveiled by the GovernorGeneral, Lord Stonehaven. In addition to providing a suitable record of the names of those whose lives were lost as a result of the World War I, the building would accommodate the future Australian War Museum, and its design included special provision for displaying the collections.

The Commission reviewed the scheme submitted for the Institute of Anatomy in Canberra, owing to an enlargement of the scope of the institution. As a result, amended plans were referred to the Public Works Committee. This was done in consultation with Sir Colin MacKenzie, the Director of the Institute. Parliament resolved that the work should be carried out, and the Commission was able to call tenders for the construction of the building towards the end of the financial year. Not long after a tender was accepted, construction began and good progress was made. The building was faced with stone, and was located in Acton. It now occupies an island site, surrounded by roads, close to the university area in Acton.

The Commission noted that the economic depression in Australia had caused the building activities of private enterprise to slacken off appreciably during the year. One of the more important buildings undertaken was the first section of the Church of England Grammar School for Boys at Red Hill, which was formally opened and occupied during 1928-29. Further sections of this project, including a separate residence for the Headmaster, were still under construction. Designs for a Presbyterian Church near Parliament House were approved by the Commission. The manse and other buildings had been completed. An additional wing was erected to St Gabriel’s Church of England 105

Loading Drays for Road Making, Eastlake – National Archives

Power of Steam with Rocks – National Archives

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Grammar School for Girls, and a Baptist Church at Kingston was completed. At Ainslie, a large hall, the nucleus of the Salvation Army headquarters, was constructed.

Owing to the Commission’s policy of carrying out work wherever possible by contract, it was decided to abolish the Building Construction Branch of its Architects Department.

This Branch had executed day labour works and had rendered useful service during times when it was difficult to arrange contracts for all classes of work that the Commission was required to carry out under extreme pressure.

On the question of organisational matters the Commission reflected that: General organization, routine procedure, and staff arrangements were reviewed periodically throughout the year by the Staff Committee, consisting of the Heads of the various Departments under the chairmanship of a Commissioner. The committee’s work was directed particularly to the introduction of labour-saving methods, eliminating duplication and improving and simplifying procedure in the interest of general efficiency.

The periodical meeting of the committee had considerable educative influence on its members and resulted in more effective co-ordination throughout what is now a very large organization.

The Commission established a Contracts Board during the year to consider all tenders which are received by the Tender Board. The functions of the Tender Board are to see that the tenders are properly received, deposits accounted for and the tenders duly scheduled and put in order for consideration by the Contracts Board, after recommendation has been made by the Head of the Department concerned.

The scheme of additions and improvements, which the Commission considered necessary to meet present and future hospital requirements, was completed during the year. An isolation ward and nurses’ quarters were constructed, and the operating theatre modernized. The hospital was provided with modern equipment and the institution was seen as providing adequate facilities for meeting the general needs of Canberra, although the question of additional accommodation for private patients was still to be resolved.

On industrial matters the Commission noted that: The labour conditions in the Territory throughout the year were satisfactory, no disputes of any importance occurring. The Labour Bureau, which was established in 1926, continued to engage all classes of labour required by the Commission’s organization.

The reduction in the Commission’s constructional activities made it necessary to dispense with large numbers of workmen, but, where possible, transfers between the various Departments of the Commission were undertaken. There were 1396 employees at 30 June 1929, and of these 65% were married men, 27% single men and 8% females.

The Industrial Board sat as required during the period and maintained its 107

general review of working conditions, hearing and determining the applications made.

No difficulty was experienced throughout the year in securing labour of all classes. The number of men employed at the commencement and termination of the year was practically the same, ie, 1348 and 1396 respectively. This number was however, considerably reduced for six months, SeptemberMarch, and the lowest number employed was reached in December 1928, when only 1014 were employed.

Camps and Tenements – during the year two camps were closed down, reducing the accommodation available to 966 persons. The workmen’s cottages and tenements, were fully occupied and from 1 February 1929 were administered by the Lands Department.

At 30 June 1929 houses had been completed by the Commission in the following locations.

Locality Mugga, Forrest (Blandfordia) and Griffith Barton and Kingston (Eastlake) Acton Braddon Reid Ainslie Deakin/Yarralumla Other Total

Houses Completed 173 95 12 73 115 131 33 20 652

Trade Training Gets Under Way Following the major growth in building and construction during the mid 1920s, the Canberra Trades School was established at Telopea Park School during May 1928.

Classes commenced in fitting and machinery, plumbing and sheet metal work, engineering drawing and carpentry and joinery. The timing may not have been perfect, as the onset of economic depression was already taking its toll.

About this time The Canberra Times ran this item:

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Trades School Prizes Offered By Master Builders In order to encourage proficiency among the building trade apprentices the Master Builders’ Association has offered prizes to the student making the most progress during the year in the plumbing and carpentry trade classes at the trades School, Telopea Park.

Minutes of the MBFA October 1929 Conference recorded that: Mr Cheetham (Queensland) asked MBAFCT President E Spendelove what steps the Canberra Association was taking in regard to apprentices. Mr Spendelove said the matter was under consideration. The Federal Capital Commission has drafted an ordinance which has been submitted to the Association and approved with one exception, viz that the employer was required to provide a Bond as security for the boy’s continuous work, but there was no corresponding bond on behalf of the apprentice. He added that the FCC has established a School of Technical Training which is receiving the support of the Association.

Commission Faces Increasing Criticism And Is Abolished As the depression deepened, criticism of the Commission’s so-called extravagance and undemocratic nature became more pronounced. Shortly after the Scullin Labor Government assumed office on 22 October 1929 it repealed the Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1924-29 and, as a result, the Federal Capital Commission ceased to exist on 2 November 1929. The Territory reverted to a departmental system of administration initially through the Departments of Home Affairs and Works.

The new government’s final comment on the work of the Commission, was not sympathetic as evidenced by the second-reading speech made by the Assistant Minister, Senator Barnes on the bill to repeal the Act: It is beyond dispute that the Commission has failed as an administrative body, and that it has proved to be an exceedingly costly experiment. Further, the system is objectionable as it is an abrogation of Ministerial and Parliamentary responsibility. Its era of usefulness definitely ended when the majority of the public servants were provided with living quarters and moved to Canberra. Much of the Commission machinery is a duplication of that already existing departmentally and considerable administrative savings should result from the proposed change. The intention of the Government is to abolish the Federal Capital Commission and place the affairs of the Territory under department control, with provision for Ministerial responsibility.

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On 2 November 1929 The Canberra Times reflected on the five years of the Commission’s work as follows:

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Post Federal Capital Commission And The Depression With the abolition of the Commission, the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs (and shortly afterwards the Department of the Interior) was given the task of administering the Territory. The Commonwealth Department of Works assumed responsibility for building and construction activities. By now the national economic depression had taken a vice-like grip on Canberra. Building and construction work was almost at a halt. An indication of the severity of the situation for Canberra was the decision in 1930 to transfer the Royal Military College to Victoria Barracks in Sydney, where it remained until 1937. The government and its agencies had turned their attention to unemployment relief and work-for-the-dole schemes.

Canberra’s population had grown rapidly to over 8000 early in 1927 but by 1931 had declined to 7000 and did not rise above 8000 again until 1936.

The curtailment of expenditure continued for several years and even city building maintenance funds were severely cut. There was no possibility of continuing the orderly development of the preceding five years, and the available funds had to be so allocated that employment was distributed equitably between the artisans and the more numerous unskilled workmen. There was comparatively little building, with most work being done on engineering services, especially road construction. By arrangement with the NSW Government a new and shorter road from Sydney – the Federal Highway – was built and the road from Canberra to Yass converted into a first class highway. To provide productive employment for unskilled workmen the re-afforestation program was speeded up and greatly enhanced.

Another indicator of the depression’s impact on the building industry was in the 1932 Master Builders’ Association decision to drastically wind down its activities. The organisation had been formed in 1925 at the height of the building and construction boom inspired by the construction of the provisional Parliament House.

There was some relief in 1933 when the Patents Office was transferred from Melbourne, to establish its Canberra headquarters in the Hotel Acton. One government building which got under way in the later part of the depression was the National Library, then in Kings Avenue. The foundation stone was laid in 1934 and the building completed in the following year by Simmie and Company. The construction by Simmie and Company of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on State Circle in Forrest commenced in 1929 and continued over the next few years.

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The Depression The depression of the late twenties and early thirties brought building and construction activity in Canberra to a standstill. The flow-on effects meant that the Canberra community suffered as much, if not more, than people in other Australian cities. The cost in human terms was heavy. Some Canberran lives were shattered, many experienced hardship, hunger and heartbreak, as well as the frustration and feelings of personal failure and ignominy in not being able to work for a living.

Canberra’s residents were the first to be affected but in the Territory, as time went on, they were joined by more and more itinerants – those who were misled into believing the Territory was a favoured land of plenty and who arrived weary from long days searching for work elsewhere, often penniless and in a pitiful state. Former workers’ camps became unemployment camps for single unemployed men. These provided basic shelter, with men supplying their bedding, eating and cooking utensils.

The government and administrators struggled to provide adequate relief to all in need.

Three schemes were devised. The first involved rations issued on a set weekly scale, which provided each man with the following items: Bread Meat Tea Sugar

3 loaves = 12 lbs, or 7 lbs of bread plus 5 lbs of potatoes 3 lbs ¼ lb 1 lb

Jam ¾ lb Condensed milk 1 lb (or equivalent powdered milk) Butter or margarine ¾ lb Half a bar of soap

On market prices at the time, this weekly ration was valued at 7/- to 8/-.

The second scheme, which commenced in mid-May 1930 involved the provision of money orders to enable people to buy food. The police force, having been made responsible for administering this scheme, was expected to ‘use all possible diplomacy in regard to the issuing of the orders’. In the case of single unemployed men who were permanent residents of the Territory, orders to the value of 3/- were issued, to a limit of three such orders in any one week. With itinerant unemployed, a maximum of two (3/-) orders were issued.

Police were required to point out to all applicants that no work was available. They were also given directions that arrangements were to be made not to increase the present list of registrations. The second scheme was short-lived with Cabinet deciding in mid-July 1930 on a third scheme which excluded rations and instead, required single men to be engaged on relief work to the extent that entitled them to be paid the 10/- in any oneweek.

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A Matter Of Horse Sense The maximum value or money amount that a single unemployed man, being a permanent resident of the Territory, could receive per week under any of the three schemes was under the unemployed camp scale of rations 7/- to 8/-; under the rations order scheme 9/-; and under the relief work scheme 10/-.

In mid-1930, the FCT Industrial Board’s award stated a driver using his own dray and horse was to be paid £2 1s 0d per week to cover the cost of feeding his horse!

The Canberra Unemployment Relief Fund Committee was set up in June 1930 by the Minister for Home Affairs, Arthur Blakeley, to administer relief funds. The Committee’s membership comprised representatives of the Home Affairs and Works Departments, unions whose members had already been employed in Canberra, and private employers.

Funds came from donations by the community through a collection system organised by the Committee, which the government matched with a subsidy on a £ for £ basis.

In an address to the Committee in June 1931, Minister Blakeley reported that collections had been sustained for the past twelve months, under difficult circumstances, and although the rate of contribution per head was lower than the prescribed per capita tax applied in certain states, he considered that the donation from Canberra people was a creditable voluntary effort.

The works program, as arranged between the government and the committee, had envisaged part-time employment of local workmen, to the equivalent of 55 full-time positions. The government had also decided, in addition to the £ for £ subsidy, to meet material, transport, supervision and incidental charges associated with the works executed under this program.

This added government contribution meant that for the period, the community had committed £3 863 8s 6d to which the Government had added £28 477 8s 10d, bringing the total authorisation of funds to £32 340 17s 4d.

During the period and as the result of the Minister’s initiatives, some additional governmental funding was obtained which increased the equivalent full-time figure to 75 positions. The work available within those positions was shared out, to apply to 55 married and 20 single unemployed men. On this basis, the committee arranged for the relief work to provide for: • married men – 5 days each for 2 to 3 weeks • single men – 3 days each for 6 weeks

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The projects recommended by the committee for relief work covered not only minor works of a distinctly community nature but also some projects directed towards continuing the development of Canberra, and which could not be carried out within the ordinary departmental estimates.

Minister Blakeley noted that, for example, the program contained recreational facilities for the community as well as tree planting and road works. He considered the works could be described, if the long view was taken, as being of benefit for the people. The Minister also pointed out that the government, concurrently with its funding for the Canberra Unemployment Relief Fund scheme, also provided relief to the unemployed through food rations, which were granted on a liberal basis with regard to wages earned on relief work. He referred to the government’s subsidising of the Canberra Relief Society’s operations which provided relief in kind, as distinct from rations.

The government continued to apply the provisions of the New South Wales Child Welfare Act within the Territory. This Act provided for the payment of 10/- per week for the maintenance of each child under the age of 14 in fatherless families.

The Canberra Unemployment Relief Scheme attracted some criticism. At the Canberra Advisory Council meeting of 22 June 1931 it was recorded that a complaint had been received that: Residents of Oaks Estate had been requested to work occasionally on the Weetangera Road and the Federal Highway as there is no other work.

Having regard to the state of roads and vehicles used, such journeys would have been uncomfortable and lengthy. Other sources, however, indicate that men engaged to work under these circumstances were transported at no cost and received 3/- per day allowance to compensate for travelling such distances.

By the end of 1931, the FCT Trades and Labour Council had received complaints concerning administration of the scheme’s works program, so much so that at the TLC meeting held on 17 December 1931, the Council resolved: “…to press for the abolition of The Canberra Unemployment Relief Scheme and place all relief works under Departmental control.

The circumstances of a family tragedy (in early 1929) were made worse by the effects of the depression. In his Canberra 1913-1953 Jim Gibbney writes how 19 year old Betty Hall was called from her bed in the middle of the night by a policeman acquaintance to care for the eight children of a woman who had died in a Westlake cottage while her husband was in Sydney seeking work. The mother was Jean Patrick, 42, wife of Christopher Patrick. The children’s ages ranged from 15 years to 9 months.

Mr Patrick had worked for the Canberra building firm John Howie and Sons Ltd for some years. By early 1929 the firm had wound up its operations in Canberra but it was 114

arranged for Mr Patrick to remain in one of the Westlake cottages to handle some final matters for the firm. These completed, he found it necessary to visit Sydney seeking work and was still doing so at the time of his wife’s death. Ann Gugler provides a footnote to this sad story – ‘Mrs Patrick was buried at St John the Baptist Church cemetery at Reid. Her husband’s ashes now lie with her there.’

Gibbney records that by November 1929 the 200 men out of work in Canberra represented about 9.5% of the male population. By May 1930, 480 men were registered.

Gibbney also refers to the community’s actions in relief work. Colonel Goodwin established the Canberra Relief Society, which was joined by the Australian Youth Settlement League with its well-intentioned but sadly, not implemented plan to train unemployed young men in NSW agricultural colleges as farm labourers.

Churches were also active in relief work. For example the St John’s Church Men’s Society for some time operated a soup kitchen. Up to 120 women worked for the kitchen and milk cans of soup were taken to the unemployed camps in the boot of Rector Archdeacon Robertson’s car.

Building unions and their members did their best to cope with the effects of the depression. The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners minutes recorded: a

All members are entitled to attend and vote on union business even though they might be unfinancial through unemployment. b Members will contribute 3d in the £ of wages to the Unemployment Relief Fund. This was later reconsidered, as follows: c It was agreed to continue with this, pending an approach to the Minister for Home Affairs for a compulsory tax for unemployment relief. d In view of the shortage of work for members, and the slack distribution of relief work, rationing of work must be brought about expediently and effectively.

The Architects’ Case 1930 What was referred to locally as the Architects’ Case showed that not even the architectural profession remained unaffected by the depression. A group of eight FCC architects had been transferred to the Department of Works, following the progressive running down of the Commission, and were given notice by the department that their services were no longer required from the end of August 1930.

Seeking to have this decision reversed they took their case to the Assistant Minister for Works. They argued it would prove to be a false economy for the department to dispense with the services of such a group of highly trained architects, experienced in the various phases, details and peculiar conditions of the city’s growth, and satisfactorily domiciled in Canberra.

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They also made the point that while the government might suspend the building of Canberra at the present time, schemes and designs for basic and developmental works should be prepared to minimise delays as and when conditions allowed building and construction work to resume. They offered to carry out such design work on the basis of reduced salaries or under a system of work rationing. They further submitted that gathering together another and equally qualified team of architects in the future would be a slow and difficult process. The Minister acknowledged the merits of the architects’ case by seeking the Treasurer’s approval for an appropriation of funds to continue their employment.

The Treasury portfolio at that time was handled by Labor Prime Minister James Scullin.

He lost no time in dashing the architects’ hopes, responding to the Minister’s approach in these terms: With the London Investment Market definitely closed to us for the present, we must rely entirely on the local Market for our requirements. As the surplus funds available in Australia for investment in Government loans are limited, we are faced with the necessity of still further reducing our loan programme. Moreover, the position of the revenue budget is such that we must, throughout the year, seek avenues in which expenditure can be reduced. With this pressing necessity for reducing expenditure, I am sorry that I cannot see my way clear to provide for expenditure not included in the Budget.

I regret exceedingly that it is necessary to add to the large body of unemployed; but unless the funds necessary to retain the services of the officers under consideration can be obtained from the funds available for Federal Capital works, I am afraid it is inevitable.

The case indicates how the Scullin Government felt bound to ignore claims of great merit in adhering strictly to the stringent policies it had adopted in those depression times.

Prime Minister Scullin came under fire from the Australian Workers Union in October 1931 for not doing enough for Canberra’s unemployed. The Canberra Times quoted allegations made to it by the union’s Canberra President, A E Gardiner, that ‘the Prime Minister has repeatedly stated that no one will starve in Australia, but we find that very thing happening in Canberra.’

Mr Gardiner cited cases of single men earning less than 9/- per week and married men with large families earning less than 25/- per week over the previous three weeks. He continued: Canberra is in a unique position. There is practically no other employment outside that offered by the Government and workers here are totally dependent on the Government for their existence, whereas the Government

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has accepted the responsibility of the States in providing £1 000 000 and has signified its willingness to provide a similar amount as well as £100 000 to miners to alleviate unemployment. This, after all, was not their responsibility, but that of the States. They have failed to provide work for their dependents, the workers of Canberra.

When the citizens of Canberra inaugurated the Canberra Unemployment Relief Fund they did so in an endeavour to assist the Government over a critical period, at the same time expecting the Government to do all in its power to carry a share of the burden, which it is not doing. This state of affairs is a disgrace to our great Labor movement and should not be tolerated for one moment and that he hoped that steps will be taken to right this grave injustice.

There is no record that the Prime Minister replied to Mr Gardiner’s points either in The Canberra Times or directly to the union.

The The Australian Australian Workers Workers Union UnionAnd AndLack Lack Of Of Pay Pay Details Details There were times when building and construction workers were disenchanted with decisions flowing from the bureaucratic machine they worked within.

An example is the case of the AWU and the missing pay details, which arose in March 1931. The tale begins with a letter sent to the Minister for Home Affairs, Arthur Blakeley, by the local AWU Secretary, who wished to draw the Minister’s notice to a general complaint amongst the workers of Canberra employed by the department. The nub of the complaint was that when the department deducted money from wages to cover rent due to the department, it did not provide the date to which such rental then had been paid. The union therefore requested that pay packets include a receipt that gave such information.

The wheels of bureaucracy began to turn. On 18 March the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs sent the letter on to its Civic Administration FCT Branch, for advice.

On 20 April the Branch revenue ledger keeper reported: One of the main reasons for instituting the practice of taking amounts due for rent from the wages of employees was to economise in the cost of collection. If the AWU’s request is acceded to, the cost of collection will be almost doubled, and, if an employee is in doubt about rental deductions an enquiry at this office will elicit all the information desired.

This was followed by further advice, ‘if an employee is in doubt….information may be readily obtained from the Accounts Section.’

The Union restated its position by asking some key questions: 117

• •

•

if the information was readily available had the officers over-stated the claims of extra costs the union’s request incurred? given the spread of working hours of building and construction workers, and the means of transport, how could workers visit the Accounts Office in its hours of business? even if a telephone could be found, would details of pay and rental payments be freely given to a phone-caller?

The union continued to plead its case. A hand-written letter from the union secretary to the Civic Administrator on 12 August stated that the lack of information with pay envelopes was ‘still very unsatisfactory’. The union pointed out that the department already stamped the date of the end of the pay period on pay envelopes, and all that was required was a stamp of the date of the paid rental period, information which was readily available.

The Civic Administrator referred this second union letter to the accountant who drafted the Civic Administrator’s letter to the union which was sent to the union on 1 September.

The key points in this reply were ‘the matter has had careful consideration, and it is regretted it will not be practicable to meet the union’s wish….it is impossible without a tremendous amount of work to provide information on each pay envelope.’

Undaunted, the union’s Branch President took up the matter in person with departmental officers in January 1932. The Chief Clerk reported on this further approach in a memorandum to the accountant, whose patience appeared to be waning as he endorsed this memorandum with: ‘I have already answered the above query on at least two occasions!’

The department’s final words on the matter were included in a memorandum the accountant sent to the Chief Clerk on 18 February 1932: To accede to this request would mean the employment of additional staff to prepare the information desired. (Authors’ note: Remember, this information was readily available.) I consider the amount of additional work and expenditure does not warrant the service as full particulars can be obtained from Accounts Section at any time.

At the beginning of 1932, the union and its members were fully stretched in dealing with the effects of the depression. They appear to have abandoned the matter as a forlorn cause.

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6 Renewed Optimism But War Intervenes Mid-1930s To 1945 The Depression Begins To Lift As the effects of the depression throughout the nation began to ease, signs of recovery saw a renewed interest in tourism and private sector activity in the nation’s capital. The Hotels Civic and Kingston were built during 1935-36 and opened in 1936. Private investment in building picked up. In the three years ending 30 June 1939, 370 new houses were completed in Canberra. By now Canberra’s population had crept past the 10 000 mark. In the five years to 30 June 1939 the annual use of bricks increased from 4.8 million to 7.5 million while in 1939-40, 11.5 million bricks were produced by the Canberra Brickworks at Westridge. Projects such as the Canberra High School at Acton, and the Patent Office in Parkes helped to stimulate growth in the industry as did the construction of the private Barton House boarding establishment in Brisbane Avenue.

As the economic situation gradually improved, funds became available to provide urgently needed accommodation for additional branches of the public service due for transfer from Melbourne and to expand departments already located at Canberra. It was decided to proceed with the erection of the Australian War Memorial. Home-building in existing subdivisions resumed, and a considerable amount of engineering work was done in connection with the completion of various services to residential areas and for the requirements of private enterprise, which was also reviving its building activities. The return of the Royal Military College to Canberra in 1937 required new buildings to take the place of the temporary buildings that had served for twenty-five years.

With the more optimistic outlook of the late 1930s the government felt that it could transfer the remainder of departmental staffs from Melbourne and establish the Postmaster-General’s Department and the Department of Defence in Canberra. A new program of work was prepared, which made provision for office accommodation, including the completion of the permanent Administrative Building in Parkes, expanded housing development, and additional educational, social and other facilities. Building began in the suburbs of Deakin, North Ainslie and Griffith. Delays that occurred in the construction of the Administrative Building, the Patent Office, and a new hospital, however, were responsible for some deviation from the program and for the introduction of makeshift arrangements, such as the additions to the East and West Block Commonwealth offices.

A shortage of houses was the real problem for Canberra and its building and construction industry. The depression had exacerbated the situation. Despite a substantial program embarked upon by the Lyons Government in 1938, and carried on into the early years of World War II there were only 2100 dwellings in the city to house a population of nearly 12 000. Some of those dwellings were in or near the early construction camp sites such 120

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as Westlake, Molonglo and the Causeway. Owing to the acute shortage of houses it was decided to devote as much as possible of the available funds to home building and further subdivisions were designed for early development. Government House at Yarralumla was extended and upgraded.

Expansion of the nation’s defence program led, among other things, to the establishment of naval wireless stations at Harman and Belconnen, additions to the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and the location of the Royal Australian Air Force Station on portion of the area allotted for the civil airport. At this stage it was generally accepted that the time for makeshift arrangements was past and that all building carried out in Canberra should be directed towards realising the main features of the approved plan for creating a real national capital and seat of government.

Later in 1938 the Federal Capital Territory became officially known as the Australian Capital Territory. In December 1938 Parliament authorised the establishment of a body called the National Capital Planning and Development Committee, to inquire into and report on any matter relating to the planning and development of Canberra which the Minister for the Interior might refer to it. Although the new committee lacked strong powers (it was a body of advice and review), its existence nonetheless strengthened the city administration’s position during the war and post-war years when the approved city plan was under the threat of temporary buildings and other expedients. However, it was generally felt that the committee was largely an irrelevance in its efforts to monitor and scrutinise the Department of the Interior’s plans for the development of Canberra, as it was treated with scant respect and often circumvented.

The outbreak of World War II, however, meant the abandonment of the policy of building a substantial national capital, since nearly all resources had to be redirected for defence and for training service personnel. There was little or no money to make up the serious arrears in housing in Canberra, and further transfers from Melbourne were postponed. The 500 houses built between 1939 and 1942 did not seriously reduce the long and growing waiting list for houses and the substandard cottages remained.

Shortages of skilled workers and of materials became severe, and it was extremely difficult even to maintain the existing property, as the extension of defence establishments had priority. The most important civic work finished during the war period was the new Community Hospital on the Acton Peninsula Its construction was facilitated by the United States Army which used the buildings as a hospital. The temporary buildings of the Canberra Technical College in Kingston were extended as a centre for the training of aircraftsmen and munitions workers. Workshops were erected at the Commonwealth Observatory on Mount Stromlo, where technical operations were developed as part of a general scheme for the manufacture of scientific equipment for the forces.

Although the central offices of service departments, the Postmaster-General’s Department, and several new wartime departments remained in Melbourne, there was a large increase in the administrative staffs located at Canberra, and this aggravated the 12199

already difficult housing position. The houses vacated by those who had been moved away and the comparatively small number that the government was able to build were soon occupied. The shortage became almost desperate when discharged servicemen and women returned and many others married and needed homes in the Territory.

Government House 1939 – Foundations for New Dining Room – Longest Single Piece Ladder Ever Seen Photos: Family of Bob Turner

Government House 1939 – Foundations for New Dining Room

Extensions to Government House 1939

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Photos: Family of Bob Turner

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Formation Of The Trades And Labour Council And Its Early Days In the early 1930s many unionists saw the need for co-ordinated action in both industrial relations and political arenas if working and living conditions in Canberra were to be improved. They knew what had been achieved by Trades and Labour Councils elsewhere, especially in Victoria and NSW. They talked about this more and more and interest built up. With building and construction unions leading the way, two preliminary meetings of representatives from unions were held in March 1931.

Representatives of nine unions met at the Parks and Gardens Cottage at Acton on 16 April 1931. This became the inaugural meeting at which the Federal Capital Territory Trades and Labour Council was formed. The meeting adopted the constitution of the Sydney Trades and Labour Council as its draft constitution. Provisional officebearers were elected to serve for three months. This allowed other unions to take part in electing future office-bearers after that period.

The initial office-bearers elected were: President – T Storey; Vice-President – J Muir; Secretary – A E Helson and Treasurer – H Kelly.

Representatives at the inaugural meeting came from the Australian Workers; Electrical Trades; Plumbers; Painters and Decorators; Slaters and Tilers; Liquor and Allied Trades; Clerks; Carpenters and Joiners Unions; and the Society of Engineers.

The Trades and Labour Council (TLC) had its baptism of fire as the effects of the depression were still bearing down heavily on Canberra. Its office-bearers became involved with administrators on many aspects of relief measures.

Some specific resolutions of early TLC meetings included: That unless all bosses and everyone connected with a job accepted that rationing of work was to be an off-set against cuts to the work-force, then all rationing be abolished.

That Council press for the abolition of the Canberra Unemployed Relief Committee and place all Relief Work under direct Departmental control.

That Council write, through the Minister for Home Affairs, to ask cabinet to allocate sufficient in Estimates to provide continuity of employment for resident trade unionists of Canberra, and a deputation wait on the Minister to enlarge on this.

That with complaints being made against the Australian Workers Union asking members of other unions to take out AWU tickets when they were 101 123

employed on Relief Work, delegates be asked to notify their unions of this and advise them not to agree with this AWU action.

The TLC quickly adopted the practice of writing to, and seeking meetings with appropriate Ministers on matters of concern. The Ministers and their advisors could not ignore approaches made by the combined trade union movement on industrial relations and community matters.

The TLC had already established itself as a significant force in serving the interests of Canberra’s work-force and improving living conditions for its residents. Tribute must be made to its office-bearers and member organisations for their efforts in those early days.

First Aid, Ambulance And Hospital Facilities In Canberra – 1930s Throughout the 1930s the Trades and Labour Council was one organisation which kept on the back of whoever held the portfolio of Commonwealth Minister for Health. It made constant approaches regarding first aid, ambulance and hospital facilities in Canberra. Some of these approaches are summarised here to highlight the inadequacies in these areas and the lack of political will to provide the nation’s capital with facilities at least comparable with those in State capital cities.

In July 1931 the Council made representations to have a first aid man on full duties with the ambulance. It later followed up with the suggestion that the ambulance be stationed at the hospital instead of being located at the Transport Depot.

In May 1934 Council urged the Minister to provide a modern, permanent hospital for Canberra. And in December it repeated its call that where people were unable to obtain necessary medical treatment in Canberra, they be given free transport to the nearest city for such treatment. It also raised objections to the Canberra Hospital practice of questioning patients, especially in maternity cases, to establish their ability to contribute to their hospitalisation costs. In October 1937 Council sought the provision of an extra wing at the Canberra Hospital.

The TLC always tried to isolate the medical staff from its criticisms concerning lack of services and facilities.

While the Council could not claim significant outcomes from all its efforts, the standards of facilities undoubtedly would have slipped and been worse than they were if it had not maintained its vigilance.

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Trades And Labour Council/Chamber Of Commerce Affiliation The mid-1930s saw an affiliation between the Trades and Labour Council and the Canberra Chamber of Commerce. This began at a meeting between the two bodies in July 1933 when the Chamber endorsed and supported the TLC’s push to improve the accuracy of information used by the Commonwealth Statistician in adjusting the Cost of Living Index (used in the fixation of wage rates). Informal discussions following this meeting led to the TLC accepting the Chamber’s suggestion that it be formally represented at the Chamber’s future meetings.

TLC minutes in March 1934 recorded that the regular attendance of its representatives at the Chamber’s meetings was proving to be very useful. In June 1935 there is a reference to the Chamber’s appreciation of the TLC’s efforts to reduce unemployment.

A year later this close affiliation came to an end. The circumstances were not recorded but in June 1936 the TLC formally resolved to disassociate itself from the Chamber.

That an affiliation of this nature ran for some three years is probably unique in Australia’s labour relations history. It reflected the spirit of Canberra’s community at the time when bodies united to work for the common good.

Master Builders – Industrial Registration In 1938 As the city approached the end of what Jim Gibbney described as its ‘decade of stagnation,’ in which building and construction came to a virtual standstill, local master builders began to look to their future more optimistically. In 1938 they met with the aim of re-invigorating their Master Builders’ Association.

New office bearers were elected, and following discussions among members, a general meeting on 11 August 1938 resolved that registration of the Association as an organisation of employers within the terms of the Territory’s Industrial Board Ordinance would serve to strengthen the MBA’s role and status in the industry. Accordingly an application seeking registration was lodged with the Commonwealth Attorney General by local accountant G T Evans who had been elected as the Association’s Secretary. The Secretary requested early consideration of the application, as the Association wanted to appear in its own right at a forthcoming hearing of the Industrial Board. The Association had adopted its constitution and rules and these formed part of the application. See Appendix 7 for more details.

The Attorney General, acting with admirable promptness, and being satisfied that ‘the Association was a voluntary and beneficial body for furthering the interests of its members and that there was no other organisation to which its members might

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conveniently belong’ (as required in the Conciliation and Arbitration Act), declared that the MBA of the FCT be formally registered as from 25 August 1938.

This registration: • • •

conferred corporate status on the Association established it as the sole body representing private employers in the building and construction industry falling within the Territory’s industrial relations jurisdiction; and imposed obligations and rights upon it and its members as spelt out in its constitution and rules.

The thirteen builders listed as members were: Boag, C A S Chapman, J L Hungerford, T A McDonald, W D Mawson, A Perry, W J Reeve, H H

Simmie and Company Stephens, A Toy, T Turton, C W Turton, F Turton, K J

Six businesses engaged in the industry other than as builders were listed as Associate Members. They were plumbers: E C Dockar, W R McKerrow and A F Phillips; electrician: W A Harris; joiner: H C Burden; and plasterer: S Gibbs.

The Association’s officeholders were: President Vice President Treasurer Secretary

W J Perry T Toy T A Hungerford G T Evans

The Association’s constitution and rules had some sixty provisions. They mirrored the constitutions and rules adopted some years earlier by state MBAs when they were registered under the Commonwealth Conciliation Act. Some extracts are shown in Appendix 7. In addition to industrial relations issues, the provisions related to contractual matters and imposed obligations upon members to adhere to certain tendering procedures, granting powers to the Association to discipline members who disregarded their obligations.

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The Hod-Carriers The hod-carriers were star performers on major building works throughout the building surges of the period. These indomitable workers were hard pressed to keep up with the of the the times. times. The TheTerritory’s Industrial Board sought to look after their after interests ‘king-brickies’ of Industrial Board sought to look theiras its awards prescribed: interests as its awards prescribed: A builder’s labourer engaged in delivering material by hod to a height exceeding 15 feet shall be paid 3d per hour additional, and shall not in this case be required to carry more than 12 bricks per load.

A builder’s labourer delivering bricks by wheelbarrow shall not be required to carry more than 36 bricks per barrow, and shall not be required to wheel such load to a height exceeding 15 feet.

Hod Carriers Pause for a Snap – National Archives

Hod Carriers at Canberra High School (Acton) project – National Archives

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The Brickies’ Union A meeting of bricklayers on 12 December 1940 formed the ACT Bricklayer’s Union with the objects of ‘protecting the interests of members, propagating industrial unionism, regulating the hours of labour and upholding the rights of labour.’

Foundation President Arthur Lambert and Secretary Fred McCauley, both of Queanbeyan, were already well-known in the industry, and became outstanding workers in the interests of the union, the industry and the ACT and Queanbeyan communities.

Early steps were taken to affiliate with the ACT Trades and Labour Council, and Ernie Crombie and Frank Soames were elected to be the union’s delegates to that body.

Bricklaying had been and continued to be a basic trade, contributing significantly to the development of the national capital.

The bricklayers’ union established its role as a major force in the industry and in the community both in its own right and through its participation in Trades and Labour Council activities. In due course, later in the 1940s, the ACT Bricklayers’ Union and the Carpenters Union joined together to form the ACT Branch of the Building Workers Industrial Union.

More than a few of the outstanding bricklayers of this era became building contractors and joined the MBA where they continued to play an active role in industry affairs.

Canberra’s Trades Hall Increasing union activities towards the end of the 1930s prompted the ACT Trades and Labour Council to look into building, or at least securing, premises to function and be identified as the Territory’s Trades Hall. The Council had been aware of the need to have a fixed meeting place and space for secretariat facilities that it could also share with its member unions.

How these aims were fulfilled can be traced through Ann Gugler’s book True Tales of Acton (1999), which contains Frank Dunshea’s recollections of the Trades Hall in Acton, 1926-1946.

Frank noted that: A plain timber building with galvansied iron roof and large wooden doors, the Acton Hall was one of the main centres of entertainment and meetings for a large number of community organisations. It was the meeting place for nearly all Canberra unions and the Trades and Labour Council. In its later years part of the hall was taken over by the TLC and was known as the Trades Hall.

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He also added a foonote that the Canberra Workmen’s Club was established in the rear of the Trades Hall in Acton building and operated there for many years before the Club moved to its city site.

The Amalgamated Society Of Carpenters And Joiners (ASC&J) In May 1935, the Society’s Management Committee, having arranged to meet the Master Builders’ Association concerning, holiday pay, wet weather, and apprenticeship, met beforehand to review the stand it would take on these matters. The meeting resolved ‘it was decided to meet the Master Builders in a friendly discussion on these questions.’

In November 1938 ASC&J President Jack Jenkins reported on the meeting he had with the Headmaster of the Grammar School for Boys and Mr Trask, a carpenter employed at the School. Arrangements were finalised to cover Mr Trask’s employment as a maintenance carpenter under the aged and infirm provision of the award, and, in accordance with these conditions: • • •

he would not do any new construction work, only maintenance on work which came within the general definition of carpentry a union official could interview him at any time and inspect the class of work he was doing the agreement would be reviewed annually.

Jack Jenkin’s report mentioned that the matter ‘had not been rushed through’ and ‘a very sincere interest’ had been taken by all the parties.

In 1941, in keeping with TLC policy, the ASC&J took a firm stand against the transporting of building material in employees’ private vehicles: Any member found to have transported material to or from jobs in his own vehicle shall be expelled from the union. Any member who failed to report any such breach shall be fined a sum as fixed by the union’s Management Committee.

In July 1941 the ASC&J Management Committee resolved to instruct its delegates to the Trades and Labour Council to bring before the TLC the matter of the cottages which were being built under the day labour system, with the aim of having the work speeded up, and a satisfactory economic result being achieved for the benefit of all concerned.

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Carpenters Setting Wall-frames. long Way Thump at theArchives End – National Archives It’s AlongIt’s Waya Down with aDown Thumpwith at theaEnd – National

Injuries To Building Workers Earlier in this chapter reference was made to the calls by the Trades and Labour Council for improved first aid, ambulance and hospital services. The information below indicates that the TLC’s calls were based on sound grounds.

Industrial awards covering building and construction work required the employer to keep a supply of first aid material on all jobs and in all workshops. It is not known if or how this requirement was monitored. Study of a list of some twenty compensation claims lodged over a brief period in 1930 indicated all but two of the injuries would have needed first aid treatment while the injured workers were waiting to be transported for further medical care.

Most of these injuries were received in the handling and transporting of building materials and were in the form of cuts and abrasions, sprains and strains, bruising, and damage to the eyes.

In another listed case a labourer was loading pipes on a truck when some rolled back and he sustained a fractured pelvis. Another case involved a group of men who were sitting on top of boxes in a truck. The truck was forced off the road, hit an obstruction, and the men were thrown heavily to the ground. They sustained multiple injuries.

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7 Post War Years In Canberra – New Growth Prospects, New Goals and Great Optimism 1945-1951 After World War II the Chifley Labor Government embarked on a major national plan for post-war reconstruction and resource development. This thrust was backed by commitments to public sector growth and the expansion of the federal parliamentary functions, both of which would lead to increased employment opportunities in Canberra’s policy departments. Minister John Dedman’s Department of Post-War Reconstruction played a key role in implementing the plan.

An Accommodation Crisis However, in mid-1946 Canberra, like many other Australian urban centres, was grappling with substantial backlogs in materials supply, skilled labour availability and unmet housing and broader accommodation needs. With these problems and a modest population of 14 500, the city was about to welcome a wave of assisted migrants from Europe, many of whom would be looking for accommodation and employment opportunities. In 1946 there were only 450 private houses in the city, and 1100 families were on the waiting list for government houses.

A most significant government decision was announced by the Minister for the Interior, H V Johnson, on 26 February 1947, to help alleviate these problems and pressures. Mr Johnson revealed a program that would provide for a further 15 000 people in the city area over a five year period. The program would include 3500 homes, a new eight storey Administrative Block in Parkes at a cost of £2.25 million, a swimming pool, a new hotel, two new hostels, a doubling of the Canberra Brickworks output, and a timber mill at Kingston.

As a result another Canberra building boom got under way, based on the need to provide accommodation for building workers, tradesmen, immigrants and public servants, who would all have a part to play in the scheme to expand Canberra’s role as the national capital and seat of government. At the 30 June 1947 Census the city’s population had reached 15 100.

Projects that helped to stimulate activity and provide the greatest burst of city population growth so far experienced included the Administrative Block in Parkes, the Barton Offices (affectionately known as The Woolsheds), a refurbished Hotel Acton, the Mulwala (contractor G A Winwood), Reid (contractor A V Jennings), Narellan, Havelock and Lawley Houses, nurses’ quarters at the Canberra Community Hospital, a mothercraft centre at Civic and an upgrading of the aerodrome at Fairbairn. In addition major 131109

housing developments got underway in the suburbs of Yarralumla, Deakin, Ainslie, O’Connor, Turner and Narrabundah.

The difficulties faced by Canberra’s building and construction in those post war years is illustrated by the following The Canberra Times report, 17 February 1947: Private enterprise – builders may have to pay higher prices for hardwood in place of radiata pine for home building to permit the Government to utilise the cheaper material, but curtailed supplies of softwoods would still be available to them. Recently supplies of hardwood timbers reaching Canberra were ordered months ago at Leichhardt and Spring Hill and would be absorbed into construction as required. Building for private enterprise could not expect to obtain the cheaper timber with the Government building programme getting into its stride. The Government is under no obligation to assist private contractors but has been doing so to maintain the best possible progress for the benefit of the community. They are now getting all the bricks they want – in some cases more than they can use. I think they are getting a fair deal (said Mr Potts, Deputy Director-General of Works). No instructions had been brought to him for his approval that pine supplies would be closed to builders for private homes until all hardwood supplies had been utilised.

In October 1946 the Canberra Chamber of Commerce sent a deputation to Mr Potts complaining that government contractors received preferential treatment from the government brickworks and sawmill. (See also The Canberra Times story of 6 January 1947, Housing Output Rising as 1946 Ended; Prospects Brighter.)

An important development occurred in February 1948 when a government appointed committee announced a program of departmental transfers to Canberra, involving 7000 officers. Although the program was approved, its implementation ran into many problems and delays.

Following the city growth program decision in February 1947, on 2 November 1948 the Department of Works and Housing signed a fixed fee contract worth £3.7 million for contractor A V Jennings to build 1850 homes and other buildings over a period of five years. An A V Jennings Industries branch office was established in Canberra at the end of 1948, the principal local operators being Norm Sturdy and Billy Cook.

Hostels A Stop-gap Measure One of the key elements in the government’s hard pressed strategy to meet the accommodation crisis in the city was the provision of hostels for families, single public servants and building workers. The Acton Guest House and the Hotel Acton were reopened as hostels in 1946.

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The Mulwala Hostel for 240 residents in Reid was developed from staff quarters moved from the wartime base at Mulwala on the New South Wales/Victoria border. Contractor G A Winwood had the first consignment of timber on site at the beginning of April 1947, and the buildings were completed by the end of August of that year. A contract worth £139 000 was let to Cody and Willis in February 1947 to build Lawley House (originally known as Brisbane House) in Brisbane Avenue, Barton. Narellan House in Reid was built from recycled defence camp material and Reid House (contractor A V Jennings) comprised barrack-style fibro, tiles and wood. Havelock House in Turner, which was completed in 1951, was the same design as Lawley House.

The other arm of the hostel strategy devised by the Commonwealth Government was to provide a network of workmen’s hostels to accommodate the mainly single Australian and migrant building tradesmen and labourers who came or were directed to Canberra to implement the major post war city building boom. As a result, additional hostels to accommodate some 2200 workers in single rooms were put in place by the Department of Works and Housing in the period from 1946 to 1952. As workers were now not prepared to live in tents, hastily devised alternatives were quickly adopted. Eastlake, Fairbairn and Riverside Hostels emerged with the use of recycled defence buildings and materials while Ainslie, Turner, Capital Hill and Hillside Hostels were built in the familiar fibro and timber barracks style.

There were ongoing complaints from these hostel dwellers, particularly about food standards and autocratic management. A social problem arose from the fact that many married women and friends working as domestics in ‘white collar’ hostels were accommodated there in single rooms, while husbands and friends were often geographically isolated in their own single accommodation within workmen’s hostels.

Hostel discontent led to a demonstration outside Parliament House in May 1947 and to a short-lived strike in January 1948.

When the Capital Hill and Hillside Hostels were closed in 1966 and 1968 respectively, an important chapter of Canberra’s social and economic history also came to a close. By this time the diversity of Canberra’s housing supply had all but eliminated the need for single worker type accommodation.

The Late 1940s In the period from 30 June 1947 to Canberra’s population grew by 8400 to 23 350.

About 4200 or 18 per cent of the 1951 population lived in hostels.

The overall city situation of the late 1940s was addressed in the Canberra – A Nation’s Capital (1954), edited by H L White, as follows: It was not surprising, therefore, that as soon as a favourable outcome of the war seemed sufficiently assured, the government directed that the available resources be devoted to erecting houses. This upset the overall scheme of 133111

development, because it meant the postponement of much building essential to the community, in the form of school accommodation, suburban shops, pre-schools, baby health centres, recreation halls, and so on, a state of affairs that soon caused public criticism.

As part of its post-war reconstruction plan for the Territory the Government drew up long-range plans for building in Canberra, to make up the lag that had been caused by the war and to enable it to revive the system of transfer of staff from Melbourne that had been interrupted by the war. But, despite the fact that liberal funds were available, the Commonwealth-wide shortage of labour and materials prevented the fulfilment of this scheme. The Government arranged for several hundred prefabricated houses to be erected. In addition, structures from defence camps were utilized to make hostels for workmen from overseas countries. As far as materials were concerned it was determined that the adoption of a long-range programme, instead of one based on the current year’s parliamentary appropriation, would assist in mobilizing local resources of materials, and in attracting private enterprise, which would be guaranteed a market for its output for a term of years. This would justify expenditure of capital in establishing or extending plant‌.

The increase in the membership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives necessitated substantial alterations and additions to Parliament House, which were accomplished with little detriment to the appearance of the building. Extensions and alterations have also been made to both East and West Blocks of Commonwealth offices to meet the needs of new departments, of older ones that have expanded and of the main post office.

Perhaps the most important work in the post-war period has been the resumption of construction of the first permanent administrative building.

War-time experience in other countries revealed the need for the protection of records and personnel, and therefore the foundations put down in 1929 had to be removed and the excavation deepened. Substantial progress has been made on the building, particularly its north-western portion, work on which is being expedited before other parts.

Additional accommodation for existing departments and for new departments was provided by the erection of a large group of temporary buildings in Macquarie Street, Barton known as The Woolsheds. These buildings, of framed construction, with good services, will provide useful office space for many years until permanent blocks are completed in the parliamentary triangle.

Other achievements in the immediate post-war period were substantial additions to the obstetrics block and the nurses’ and staff quarters at the 134

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Canberra Community Hospital, and the initiation of a scheme for the Australian National University at Acton. Temporary quarters were provided for the council of the University and the administrative staff, and for some units of the Schools of Social Sciences and the Pacific Studies, as well as for the library. The Physical Sciences Building for nuclear science research was put under construction.

Another factor contributing to the post-war building boom was the construction of foreign country embassy buildings in Canberra. The more important were for the United States of America, West Germany and Sweden in the area set aside for this purpose in Yarralumla. The British Government erected its High Commission on a site in Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla. To keep pace with all this building activity the main engineering services and the sewerage systems were expanded, the output of the Power House increased and the storage capacity of the Cotter Reservoir trebled by raising the height of the dam. The Cotter River pumping plant was enlarged and several additional storage reservoirs built on the hills surrounding the city. An interesting development for the city’s building and construction industry was the arrival in 1949 of Austrian contractor Karl Schreiner, who for some years to come was a powerful influence in the industry. The first sale of land since 1927 was held on 15 July 1951, when 18 retail and 51 residential leases were auctioned.

Kingston-Causeway Industrial Area.

Building with talltallchimney rightofofit,it,in in succession Kingston-Causeway Industrial Area.

Building with chimneyisisPower Power House, House, totoright succession along Wentworth Depot,Government Government Printing Office,College, Technical College, Station. along WentworthAvenue, Avenue, Bus Bus Depot, Printing, Technical Railway Station.Railway Rectangular built-up areabuilt-up in left background is Causeway settlement.

Riversidesettlement.

Hostel in foreground.

Source: in ‘Aforeground.

Nation’s Rectangular area in left background is Causeway Riverside Hostel Capital’. Edited by H L White (1954).

Source: ‘Canberra – A Nation’s Capital’. Edited by H L White (1954).

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Post War Building Activity In Canberra In those immediate post war years information from the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistic’s Quarterly Bulletins of Building Statistics illustrate the impact on Canberra’s building and construction industry of government decisions about the future of the city. The statistics identify the positive results obtained from policies aimed at overcoming the accommodation crisis and attracting building workers to Canberra.

Houses Completed And Under Construction In The ACT Under Construction At End of Period 188 368 491 696 678 981 708

Completions 58 149 271 323 404 574 584

1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 1950-51 1951-52

Value Of New Buildings In The ACT £,000s 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 1950-51 1951-52

Commenced 748 2606 1722 1365 2325 2559

Completed 113 310 509 751 1462 1592 2654

Under Construction 431 882 3013 3944 4269 5116* 6091*

*approximately half housing, half other buildings

Persons Working On New Building Projects ACT (at end of period) 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 1950-51 1951-52 138

410 702 918 1389 2022 2075 2229 114

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8 Stories Of Some Early Builders Jock Simmie - An Industry Character Throughout this book Simmie and Company is identified as the builders responsible for the successful completion of many Canberra buildings. While the Australian War Memorial, St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the United States Embassy, the West German Embassy, the Institute of Anatomy, CSIRO buildings at Turner, and the Albert Hall stand out, the company also quietly completed much of the early building of Civic Centre.

The man behind all of this was John Ernest Simmie, known as Jock John Ernest (Jock) Simmie Simmie. He did not seek fame but he John Ernest (Jock) Simmie became one of the most respected and outstanding personalities in Australia’s building industry. In 1922 Jock and his brother Bill formed Simmie and Company in Melbourne. The company soon became a force in the industry and its name was to be associated with many prominent Victorian buildings for well over half a century. One of its projects in the early 1950s was to carry out extensions to the Shrine of Remembrance in St Kilda Road. Simmie and Company had earlier completed the Australian War Memorial.

The company established itself in the Federal Capital Territory in 1926. The story of Jock’s early career path may provide lessons and inspiration for others. Jock learnt his trade of carpentry with the old firm of builders and suppliers W W Moore and Sons of Echuca in Victoria. He enlisted in the AIF (21st Battalion), serving at Gallipoli and then in France where he was wounded in action. Brought back to Australia and discharged because of his wounds, he was still on crutches when he started work with the Commonwealth Audit Office in Melbourne.

The story goes that his supervising officer, Colonel Lang, asked him about his career plans. Jock replied that when fit enough he’d become a builder. The Colonel is quoted as saying ‘Well my advice to you is to study accountancy while you are here with us, because no matter what you do later, it will stand you in good stead.’ Jock accepted the advice, put his head down, and in due course established a record as the first builder in Australia qualified to be a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Secretaries, an Associate of 140

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the Commonwealth Institute of Accountants and a Fellow of the Association of Cost Accountants of Australia!

Jock was once described by his peers in these terms: A typical Australian of many fine parts – with a delightful sense of humour – able to mix in any company – a keen business man of undoubted ability – who in his success was always mindful of the needs of others, ready to assist. Jock Simmie’s word was his bond in all things.

Although still bearing the effects of his war wounds, he was physically untiring, putting up with the lengthy journeys when spending at least a third of his time with his company in Canberra. The greater part of that time was on-the-job on one or more of his projects. Being the sort of character he was, many tales were told about him. He often repeated the following one, even though it went against him.

A carpenter’s outfit in those days was not complete without the well-filled nail bag strung around the waist. The boss’s ploy was to keep down the lost time caused by breaks to the store shed for refills. Jock chipped a young bloke of Irish ancestry about having a bag smaller than usual. The response was ‘ah, yes, for sure for sure, and when you’ll be seeing all them others knocking off with big full bags, they’ll be your very own nails Mr Simmie they’ll be taking home to use on their odd jobs!’

Another one he told in a good-natured way was about being an honoured guest at the handing-over ceremony of the West German Embassy. He whispered to a fellow guest that when he was lying in the mud on the Western Front examining the mess a piece of German shell had made of his leg, he’d never imagined one day he’d be enjoying a drink in Australia’s national capital with a smartly-uniformed German military attaché!

Jock also observed the custom of having a drink on-site with the boys, handing out the Christmas pay packets, a few personal remarks and a hearty handshake with each one.

This ritual was always well received, although on one occasion he recounted that he overheard one wag observe that like all accountants, Jock’s largesse was not likely to start an unruly inflationary surge!

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Charles Burrows and Clive Lowes Charlie Burrows (affectionately known as Buckets) and Clive Lowes became well-known in the building industry through their partnership Burrows and Lowes. Charlie, having served in the 1st AIF, left Newcastle and came to Canberra in 1926, to work on a wide range of projects.

Clive had worked on projects in many NSW country towns, including Dorrigo, Dungog, Mudgee, Lake Cargelligo, West Wyalong, Dubbo, Bathurst, with the last being Bowral when he was employed by the early area builder Alf Stephens. Around 1930 Clive moved to Canberra to work with Alf Stephens on projects which included cottages at Ainslie and Reid, the Manuka Fire Station and the Kingston Milk Depot. With the outbreak Clive Lowes of World War II Stephens decided to pull out of Clive Lowes Canberra and suggested that Clive and Charlie, who were his foremen, establish their own business and take over the work Stephens had on his books. They began their partnership by setting up an office and workshop in Wentworth Avenue, Kingston.

Their projects over the years included alterations to the Dial House, in Red Hill, the Kingston Post Office, the Commonwealth Banking Company’s building in Civic, extensions to the Ainslie School, G ward at the Canberra Community Hospital, the Methodist Church in Barton (now the Wesley Uniting Church), houses in Campbell, and alterations to the Canberra and Civic Hotels.

After many years at Wentworth Avenue the government needed the partnership’s land for the Government Printing Office. The business was given a block at Fyshwick where they built a new office and workshop. The Burrows and Lowes partnership had a long association with the MBA. Clive Lowes represented the Association for a time on the ACT Apprenticeship Board.

Charlie and Clive mutually agreed to dissolve their partnership in the mid-1960s. Charlie Burrows saw his working days out as a Clerk of Works on various Australian National University projects.

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John Deans – Master Builder John Deans was one of the identities who experienced Canberra’s changing development cycles during the mid-1920s to the early 1930s period.

John Deans made his mark for the role he played in the formation of the Territory’s Master Builders’ Association in 1925, and in the Association’s activities over the next eight years. He chaired the meeting of builders at which the MBA was formed, served as its foundation president, and later as vice-president.

John was a worthy member of deputations in meetings with the FCC. Records of these meetings show that his representations were accurate and well-founded while being pressed firmly but fairly. He also was a force in meetings other business groups held with Ministers and administrators.

John Deans came from Sydney, carried out building contracts with the FCC and did some private building. He operated several companies and secured leases for favoured business sites in Eastlake (now Kingston).

His run of success did not endure however. In Canberra 1913-1953, Jim Gibbney describes him as ‘the one serious casualty the business community suffered from the Depression.’ With his Canberra Building and Investment Co already experiencing financial difficulty, his Universal Distributing Co was compulsorily wound up in 1932.

His imaginative application to transform a cordial factory in Mort Street was rejected, as was his tender for the lease of the Hotel Wellington. Gibbney records that Deans, although discouraged, did some building work for a while before returning to Sydney in 1936.

Nevertheless John Deans was an identity who made a major contribution to the development of Canberra.

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Tom Bourke – 80 Year Ties With Canberra Tom Bourke’s story is fascinating because it illustrates how a local boy moved into and did well in Canberra’s building industry over the past eighty years. It provides vignettes of a life and career, from his birth under canvas in a workers’ camp to his retirement in 1994 and his decision to continue to live in Canberra – the city to whose building he contributed so much.

Tom’s parents joined the ranks of many others who had come to Canberra from the surrounding NSW region. His father, Edward, had worked on the Kiandra goldfields, and his mother Edith (nee Turner) lived on a Middlingbank property. Edward’s job at the Power House entitled their move into the married quarters of the nearby workers’ camp.

Born there under canvas in 1920, Tom’s birth was attended by Nurse Dunn, one of the nurses admired for their devotion in bringing medical care to the early settlers.

Following his education at St Christopher’s Convent School at Manuka, in April 1937, Thomas Joseph Bourke, became a bricklayer apprentice with well-known builder Alf Stephens and Son. Tom gained the distinction of being registered as Apprentice No 1 in the newly established ACT apprenticeship system. The Canberra Technical College at that time operated in one of Kingston’s tin sheds, near the Power House.

Tom’s apprenticeship was put on hold during his 1941-46 Army Service in Australia and overseas, after which he completed his time with the Department of Works and Housing in Sydney, receiving his Journeyman’s Certificate from the ACT Apprenticeship Board in July 1946. Prior to discharge from the Army Tom obtained the Sydney Technical College’s Building Construction Stage 1 Theory Certificate through the Army’s Correspondence Education Service. In due course other qualifications followed: • • •

Building Foreman and Clerk of Works Certificate, Sydney Technical College, 1950 Member of the Australian Institute of Construction Supervisors, 1965 granted an ACT Individual Builder’s Licence, 1978.

Tom did his bit for the training of future tradesmen as a part-time teacher in Building Theory and Practice at the Canberra Technical College for six months in 1946. He worked in his trade for some years with John Grant and Sons (later Grant Bros), general contractors, on Parliament House and ANU projects. He became a foreman with the firm when it built the Olympic Swimming Pool in Civic during 1955 and 1956. He relinquished his membership of the Building Workers Industrial Union with regret on being appointed foreman.

In 1960 Tom joined A V Jennings Industries which by then had become one of Canberra’s major building companies. He moved through the ranks of foreman, general foreman, then project manager until ill health forced him to leave the firm in 1972. In those twelve years Tom’s name was associated with the successful completion of

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numerous projects, such as the Northbourne Avenue flats, schools, telephone exchanges at Woden and Belconnen (the first buildings in those areas), the Dickson Swimming Pool, the NRMA building and the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station numbering among them.

Tom’s service in the building industry did not come to an end after he left Jennings, because as his health recovered he was able to take on the role of a Clerk of Works. In that capacity he served with architectural practices which were responsible for a significant part of public and private works in Canberra over some twenty years. These were Bunning and Madden; Daryl Jackson; Anchor Mortlock and Murray; McConnell Smith and Johnstone; Neil Renfree; and Munns and Sly. Their projects form much of Canberra’s landscape, and those that were personal highlights for Tom were the Canberra School of Music, Benjamin Offices and major faculty buildings for the ANU. Tom has many tales to tell about work and life in the early building days. Some of these have contributed to items throughout this book. It is fitting to note a few of the identities he remembers from the 1930s and 1940s, with particular nostalgia. Tom O’Connor, an outstanding sportsman, was a foreman with builder Jim Perry before becoming a builder of great renown in his own right. Tom Toy and Sid Banks also stand out, as does the building partnership of Burrows and Lowes. Retiring in 1994, Tom and his wife Pat (who is still very active in a wide range of community affairs) did not follow the familiar trend of moving down to the coast. They prefer Canberra’s lifestyle and as Tom says ‘it’s the best city in the world.’ He might well have added that it has the best built buildings – after all he had spent all his life making sure they were!

Tom Bourke on the Job

Tom Bourke on the Job

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Wesley George and David Elphinstone David Bruce Elphinstone was active in early MBA activities. He served a term of office as President and represented the Association at conferences of the MBFA. David brought his family to Canberra from Sydney in 1926.

He formed a partnership with Wesley George. During the middle to late Twenties the partnership carried out a wide range of building works, many under contracts with the FCC and some in the private sector.

David Elphinstone

David Elphinstone

Some of the George and Elphinstone projects were the Hotel Ainslie, repair works on the Hotel Canberra, completion of the Queanbeyan Hotel, when the initial builder W H Mason become insolvent, and the wellknown Dial House in Red Hill.

Of these, their work on the Hotel Ainslie earned considerable attention. In early 1926 architects Burcham Clamp and Finch signed up George and Elphinstone for the contract sum of ÂŁ22 943. The highest of the other nine tenders was ÂŁ40 084. Some guests were accommodated at the hotel from early May 1927, with the official opening taking place in September 1927.

Both Wesley George and David Elphinstone were true master builders and their daughters Elsie Elphinstone (Prowse) and Helen George (Peterick) recall them being very outspoken should any work fail to meet their high standards.

The partnership earned the glowing report by the architects to the FCC who praised the manner in which George and Elphinstone carried out their Hotel Ainslie contract.

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Jack McNamara – A Splendid Builder When you look at Jack McNamara you see living history – he’s a man with deep coloured eyes and hands as big as dinner plates, and you quickly get the impression that Jack, although a real gentleman, is not the type of person you would take on lightly.

Jack was a great cricketer (wicketkeeper and batsman) and an Australian Rules footballer. He was also a keen cyclist. Jack was born in Sydney’s Redfern and later moved to Newtown. In 1933 he cycled (with a friend) from Sydney to Queanbeyan and decided to stay there.

Jack had done a carpenter’s course at the Sydney Technical College and soon had a job with the well-known Queanbeyan building firm of W H Mason. Jack married a Mason girl, Mary Helen (Nell). Jack’s father-in-law W H Mason went broke building the Hotel Queanbeyan in 1927. The Mason brothers also operated a funeral director’s business.

Jack McNamaraJack McNamara

Jack McNamara worked on several major Canberra building projects including the Australian War Memorial, the Canberra High School and the United States Embassy.

Jack recalls some unusual events that occurred while working on the Australian War Memorial project, just prior to and in the early part of World War II. • •

scaffolding was suspect and on one occasion a mason working on the arches near the pool, rode a scaffold into the Pool of Remembrance. on another occasion Darky Nolan went to the workmen’s toilet. The toilets were straight drops and made of corrugated iron. The toilet was bombarded with bricks and stones with a startled Nolan dashing out of the toilet with his pants down around his knees. At the same time the typists (work had already got underway in a completed section of the AWM building) were making their way to lunch and got a full view of the show! Darky crawled back to the toilet in horror.

Jack also recalls that after the war telescopic scaffolding was used at the War Memorial.

It was designed by Stan Pearl and it accelerated the completion of mosaic work in the Hall of Memory. Aldo Rossi, an Italian, responsible for the mosaic work, praised the value of Stan Pearl’s design.

Jack remembers that in the late thirties the union movement was in its formative stages.

If there was a dispute on the job, Fred McCauley, Arthur Lambert or Dick Selway would leave the jobs they were working on and attend the dispute. The union office was in the

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Jolimont Buildings at Civic Centre. There were no real disputes, as ACT workers were a shilling a week better off.

One practice that was common before World War II was sacking people just before Christmas and re-employing them just after. This meant that the employer could avoid paying the men public holiday pay. The Industrial Board heard a case on this matter at the Albert Hall. Fred McCauley needed witnesses and Jack (as a carpenter) gave evidence. He told it the way it happened. The Award was amended and Jack had his day in the sun.

Jack retired in Queanbeyan 15 years ago and still lives there. He laughs about an incident which took place while working at the United States Embassy. ‘A dog belonging to the Ambassador, wandered down from the residence onto the Chancellery building site and ate my pie. I tied up the dog and rang the house, explaining what had happened and requested that they give me a lunch in exchange for the dog. At lunch time the chauffeur pulled up in a big car with a quite nice lunch and I accepted it in exchange for the dog. I am unsure as to whether the incident was reported to the White House!’

An Early Builder Pays His Own Tribute In her history Early Days At The Causeway (ACT Museum Unit 1992) Jill Waterhouse quoted an early builder’s verdict on what had been achieved in the national capital: Well, it had its ups and downs, but it had to go ahead because it had been declared the capital city.

I would not have wanted to live anywhere else. It’s clean, safe for families, you can get on here.

What every worker likes is to do a job that’ll last, and I think that what we’ve done has lasted pretty well, don’t you? We were made to feel proud of our work, and I’m proud of it.

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Epilogue By the end of 1950 Canberra was well placed to move forward to realise the dream of being a well-recognised national capital.

The city’s population, although just over 22 000, was ready to take off. Indeed, by the end of the next decade, Canberra’s population would double and in March 1967 pass the 100 000 mark. Canberra’s building and construction industry and its pioneer workers had set high standards and achieved so much in the three decades leading up to 1950. The industry was ready to meet any future challenges and it could look back with pride on what had happened so far. Very solid foundations had been laid.

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Appendices 1 The commitment of the Engineering Works – 1913 Commencement of principal the Principal Engineering Works – 1913 Statement by Minister for Home Affairs, King O’Malley.

2 Molonglo Camp – Summary of Works Statistics 3 The Territory’s Industrial Board – A Brief History 4 Workmen’s Camp Sites and Sanitation – Department of Home Affairs 5 Rules of Conduct for Camp Occupants – Federal Capital Commission 6 Progress on Canberra Building Projects – 1925 to 1929 7 Extracts from MBAFCT Constitution and Rules 8 Some of Canberra’s Major Building Projects – 1920 to 1950

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1 The Commencement of the Principal Engineering Works – 1913 Statement by Minister for Home Affairs, King O’Malley

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2 Molonglo Camp – Summary of Works Statistics 1

WORKS PROGRAMME: The project was planned, organised, built and completed within a nine and a half week period.

2 DESCRIPTION OF WORKS: Area – approximately 250 acres.

Railway connection – siding, with points and crossings approximately ¼ mile, accommodating 29 rail wagons.

(This connection was constructed in 10 days.)

3 BUILDINGS: 80 tenements (huts) each 140 feet long, 40 latrine blocks, 10 tenement stores; and 30 military buildings.

Total building floor area: 300 974 super feet (or 7 acres).

Total roof area: 427 241 super feet (or 9 acres); 15 000 hardwood stumps (cut, hauled and sunk in position in 24 days).

In the buildings, aggregate length of approximately 1½ miles of wooden steps were cut into 2000 flights and fixed for entrance doors.

Approximately 3 000 000 super feet of timber, plus material removed from Duntroon, were used; over 10 tons of nails used.

P C items included 560 stoves, 560 sinks, 180 W C pans and cisterns; 120 600-gallon rain-water tanks were made on the job and erected.

4

SERVICES: Water supply (from Molonglo River): 10 miles water piping in mains and articulation including use of 5000 fittings, elbows, tees, crosses etc, 1600 bib taps and 350 stop taps.

Well sinking 18 feet deep at river bank, and two pumps (driven by portable engine) discharging up to 6000 gallons per hour into storage reservoir of 100 000 gallons capacity.

Sewerage:

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Seven miles of mains and connections, including use of 950 traps, 1831 bends, 521 risers, 500 sink stones and 1863 junctions; 105 manholes (some 3 feet x 3 feet and some 3 feet x 2 feet) average depth of 7 feet.

Sedimentation tank 26 feet x 26 feet with 15 acre treatment area and distribution channels.

Electric Power: Total length of wire 46½ miles, 2½ miles, high tension transmission mains on 76 poles requiring 10 miles of cable.

Aerial substation – two 50 kilowatt transformers, 1¼ miles secondary distribution mains with 4 miles of cable. 5½ miles submains to buildings.

27 miles internal building wiring; fittings included 36 000 cleats, 6050 blocks, 2300 lamp-holders, 2100 switches, using 60 000 fixing screws.

And 1800 16/c lamps, 475 50/c lamps and 25 200/c street lamps.

5 TRANSPORT AND HANDLING OF BUILDING MATERIALS: Materials received at railway siding from some 715 wagons had to be handled and transported to buildings approximately ½ mile distant – total of some 4500 tons. Materials transported by road from Canberra depot (2½ miles), 1700 tons. Sand and gravel from Molonglo River, 2000 tons. Building materials from Duntroon, average distance 7 miles, including river crossing, 300 tons.

The total tonnage was 8500 tons – at one time, 5 traction engines, 30 trailers, 7 horse teams, 2 bullock, horse and drays were engaged in the road transport.

6 FURNITURE PROVIDED BY DEPARTMENT OF WORKS: For the tenement buildings – 1000 wire stretchers, 1500 canvas stretchers 600 5 feet x 5 feet tables, 600 bedroom tables 2 feet 6 inches x 1 foot 9 inches, 1200 4 feet long seating forms, 600 kitchen safes, 1800 chairs.

7 WORKMEN AND CAMPS: Total number of day labour employees employed over progress of works – 1202; greatest number of departmental and contractors’ workers at one time – 1077; number of workers (departmental and contractors) accommodated in Workmen’s Camp – 1000; number of tents in this camp – 250.

Nine marquees were erected for dining rooms, 7 Wyllies patent cookers were provided, and the greatest number of cooks and off-siders employed at one time was 44.

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3 The Territory’s Industrial Board – A Brief History The government established an Industrial Board for the Territory after the 1922 general strike. The FCT Industrial Board Ordinance (20 April 1922) provided: …an Industrial Board which shall have power to fix rates of pay, hours and conditions of employment in respect of workmen engaged upon Commonwealth Works in the Territory.

The Board’s coverage later took in workmen on both public and private projects. The board was tri-partite, its membership was a Chairman, one member appointed as an employers’ representative and one member elected by workmen as a workmen’s representative. At Board meetings the Chairman held a deliberative vote. In 1926 the Ordinance was amended to allow for the appointment/election of deputies for the three members. The Board’s coverage later took in workmen on both public and private projects.

The Ordinance limited the Board’s power to make awards through this provision: Nothing in this Ordinance or in any decision of the Board shall affect the operation of any award of a Commonwealth Court or Commonwealth Industrial Tribunal operating to the Territory; provided that no county allowance under any such award shall be payable in the Territory.

The Board’s first award of June 1922 was accepted by all parties as a reasonable and comprehensive coverage for building and construction activities. Awards were published in the Commonwealth Gazette and unions were encouraged to place copies at work sites.

Future awards were handed down by the Board when changes occurred in the CCAC’s awards.

As with industrial tribunals throughout Australia the Industrial Board, because of its limited powers, was criticised by building unions and the Territory’s Trades and Labour Council. However, the Board was well-served for some ten years by its foundation chairman Andrew Sinclair. Later chairmen Lionel Hill and G A ‘Tom’ Findlay were highly regarded for their work in the period up to 1949 when the Board was abolished and local industrial matters came within the jurisdiction of the CCAC. The Industrial Board developed effective industrial relations between building and construction workers and their builder employers in the Territory. A widely respected ACT union official who worked within the Industrial Board system, Amos McVeigh, in a recent article in The Canberra Times wrote: in its time the Industrial Board was accepted as the best form of a tribunal for deciding industrial relations issues. There was plenty of discussion between its employer and employee representatives when coming to decisions and in making determinations. Its passing was certainly a step backwards!

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4 Workmen’s Camp Sites and Sanitation Department of Home Affairs

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5 Rules of Conduct for Camp Occupants Federal Capital Commission

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6 Progress on Canberra Building Projects – 1925 to 1929 1925-26 Private Enterprise • • •

Shopping centres Eastlake (14 shops completed) and Manuka (2 shops opened).

Minor industrial centre Ainslie (Braddon) – steam laundry, two bakeries, printing office established.

Red Hill – several residences placed under construction.

Planned developments included 7 more shops at Eastlake, 6 at Manuka, 2 garages and a cordial factory at Braddon, 13 homes at Eastlake, 3 at Ainslie, and a picture theatre at Manuka.

Federal Capital Commission • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Parliament House – steady progress was made throughout year, with emphasis on plastering and joinery.

Secretariat No 1 (East Block) – Telephone Exchange completed 25 July 1925. Work on Central Block and Post Office progressed.

Printing Office Eastlake – Paynter and Dixon contract almost complete.

West Block Offices – work underway by contractor Hutcherson Bros.

Hotel Kurrajong – work progressed by contractor Colonel J Walker. Main block plus 6 pavilions, practically complete.

Hotel Acton – similar design to Kurrajong. Day labour. Well progressed. Main block and 6 pavilions.

Bachelors’ Quarters, Acton – increased by large dormitory block of 50 bedrooms.

Dining and recreation areas also increased in size.

Prime Minister’s Residence – designed by Oakley and Parkes. Contractor J G Taylor.

Work progressed satisfactorily.

Government House, Yarralumla – day labour.

Conversion of homestead of Governor-General’s residence with additions to stables, provision of garage, new garden layout. Well advanced.

Stromlo Observatory Buildings – two brick residences, brick administration office, timber single officers’quarters - Contractor J Howie and Sons. Day labour completed four additional brick residences.

Printers’ Quarters, Eastlake – contractor W H Mason. Twenty-four semi-detached cottages and central dining room, kitchen block. Completed.

Fifty Blandfordia cottages – under supervision of Oakley and Parkes. Near completion.

Four residences for senior officers at Acton. Timber. Day labour.

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Ainslie cottages. Forty-two timber cottages by day labour are half completed. Of the thirty-seven brick cottages, some completed.

Three hundred cottages. Three contracts, 100 each. Bruce, Eden and, Griffiths at South Ainslie; W H Mason at Telopea; and Monolyte Construction Co at Manuka District. Work started on 26 May 1926.

Westridge cottages. Five timber cottages W H Mason. Adjacent to brick cottages.

Near completion.

Four Dairy Farm cottages at Mill Flat (W H Mason). Rangers’ cottages at Yarralumla and Stromlo (W H Mason). Placed under construction.

1926-27 Private Enterprise Private enterprise completed 97 building projects, mainly houses. On 9 April 1927 the third subdivision sale of city leases was held by public auction at the Acton Amusement Hall.

Federal Capital Commission • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Parliament House – focus directed to all the finishing trades East Block Offices (Secretariat No 1). Building completed. PMG occupied Post Office on 19 March 1927. The central blocks became available for departments transferred from Melbourne.

West Block (Secretariat No 2). Steady progress made by Hutcherson Bros. Central and south blocks were to be completed by end of July 1927.

Brick Store Building, Eastlake – abutting railway. Progress slow because of shortage of steelwork. End of August 1927 target date for completion.

Railway Station, Eastlake. New timber station building, erected near original building by contractor W H Mason. Completed April 1927.

Ainslie Infants School. A contract was let to Contractor A M Sweetman in January 1927 to extend accommodation to provide for 300 students.

Assembly Hall (Albert Hall). Contractor Simmie and Company. Work to commence shortly.

Prime Minister’s Residence. Contractor J G Taylor. Building completed at beginning of May 1927.

Hotel Ainslie. Contractor George and Elphinstone. Occupied early May 1927.

Hotel Wellington. Contractor J G Taylor. Partial occupation took place at the beginning of May 1927.

Beauchamp House. Contractor Colonel J Walker. Occupied May 1927.

Brassey House. Contractor Colonel J Walker. Completion expected at end of July 1927.

Hotel Acton. Day Labour. Commenced September 1925. Completed 31 March 1927. Occupied 1 May 1927.

Bachelors’ Quarters Acton. Day labour. New block for 27 single men completed at end of year. Commenced February 1927.

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Solar Observatory Stromlo. Day labour work finished. New contracts let for Director’s residence, telescope buildings.

Forestry School. The Commission’s Building Construction Branch, through day labour, commenced work in August 1926. The work was completed at the beginning of April 1927 when the school opened.

Government House, Yarralumla. Commenced August 1925. Finished April 1927.

Work done by day labour.

Telopea Park School additions. Two additional wings for 500 scholars. Commenced February 1927. Completed November 1927.

Eastlake Garage, opposite Power Station. Day labour. Commenced February 1927.

Space for 36 vehicles. Completed September 1927.

Extension to Fitters Workshop, Eastlake.

Canberra Hospital. Two 20 bed wards under construction. Also obstetric ward and administration building. Commenced November 1926. Plans completed for new kitchen, dining block, additional staff accommodation, and extensions to operating theatre.

Other day labour projects carried out by the FCC’s Building Construction Branch were: • • • •

New mess and cubicles – Brickyards. Commenced February 1927.

New mess and cubicles – Causeway. Commenced 22 June 1927.

47 brick cottages and 61 weatherboard cottages completed.

Fibro Plaster Factory. Commenced operations October 1926.

1927-28 Federal Capital Commission • • • • • • • •

Store Building, Kingston – the contract for the erection of this building was completed on 20 October 1927, and was taken over by the Commission shortly after completion.

Ainslie Infants School – this school building, erected by contractor A M Sweetman, was completed on 1 September 1927, providing accommodation for 500 students.

Albert Hall – contractor Simmie and Company commenced work on 1 July 1927.

The work was completed on 21 May 1928.

Hotels and Guest Houses – Hotels Ainslie, Wellington, and Acton, and Brassey and Beauchamp Houses. These buildings were completed in the first quarter of the financial year and taken into use.

Bachelors’ Quarters, Acton – a contract was let to Mr H Johnson to carry out certain minor alterations and additions to this establishment.

Residence, Forestry School – completed.

Telopea Park School Additions – this work was carried out under the supervision of the Building Construction Branch by day labour and was completed in June 1928.

The two new wings increased the number of pupils accommodated to 1000.

Commission Garage, Kingston – this work, carried out by contractor J G Taylor, was completed, and ready for occupation, at the end of September 1927.

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• •

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Canberra Hospital Additions – during the financial year, a second 20 bed ward, an obstetric ward, an administrative block, a new kitchen block, a boiler house and the remodelling of the old kitchen block and administrative block to provide nurses’ quarters were completed.

A contract was let to Simmie and Company for the erection of an isolation ward at the Canberra Hospital. Work on this building was progressing, the contract was due for completion in December 1928.

Tenders were called for the erection of night nurses’ quarters at the hospital, the lowest tenderer being Messrs Peverill and Cadzow. The building was due for occupation in early November 1928.

Mount Stromlo – during the first quarter of the financial year contractor W H Mason was carrying out the erection of a Sun Telescope Building, a Farnham Telescope SubStation and Store Building, the Reynolds Reflector House and a residence for Director of the Solar Observatory. As progress was not satisfactory the Commission took the work out of the contractor’s hands and handed it over to the Commission’s Building Construction Branch. The Reynolds Reflector House was completed on 31 March 1928, and work completing the remaining buildings was in the final stages.

Gorman House – extra accommodation was provided as were two additional sitting rooms. A contract for the work was let on the 3 April 1928 to Messrs Toy and Erickson, and was completed on 29 May 1928.

City Shopping Area – conversion of certain unoccupied buildings in the City into office accommodation for the incoming Commonwealth departments involved in the second wave of the transfer. The conversion work was undertaken through the Commission’s Building Construction Branch, by day labour.

Commonwealth Offices – this building was previously known as the Administrative Block in Parkes. A contract was entered into with Messrs Hutcherson Bros for the laying of the foundations. The work began in October and satisfactory progress was made with the job, which was completed and ready for final inspection, on 30 April 1928.

1928-29 Federal Capital Commission The status of Commission projects at 30 June 1929 was as follows: • • • •

Mount Stromlo Observatory – all projects completed.

Canberra Hospital – the main building scheme was completed including the night nurses’ quarters; isolation ward; extension and remodelling of existing operating theatre and removal of old isolation buildings.

Health Building – a health building and laboratory was placed under construction by contract on a site contiguous to the Canberra Hospital.

Hotel Kurrajong – two rear pavilions previously used as office accommodation for Commonwealth Departments were converted to 45 single bedrooms. Garage accommodation for guests was constructed at the rear of the hotel. Both works were carried out by contract.

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Gorman House – additional accommodation was provided for female officers of Commonwealth Departments being transferred to Canberra, and two new blocks, each containing seventeen bedrooms, four sitting rooms and two lavatory blocks, were added to this establishment. The work was carried out by contract.

Existing accommodation in privately owned buildings in the city, and portion of the Commonwealth Offices, West Block, previous allotted to the National Library, were made suitable to accommodate departments being transferred to Canberra, by the erection of partitions and the provision of additional heating and artificial lighting.

The work was carried out by day labour.

A timber building containing 12 541 square feet was removed from Jolimont, Melbourne, and re-erected at Canberra on a site in the city, to provide office accommodation for the Commonwealth Department of Works. An additional 13 952 square feet of buildings were added by the removal of existing buildings from the Molonglo Camp and by new construction to give a total gross floor space of 26 493 square feet. Plans for the buildings were prepared in the office of the Commonwealth Department of Works; erection of the buildings was carried out by the Commission under the supervision of a foreman of works loaned by the Department of Works.

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. A scheme was developed by the Commission to provide scientific buildings on a site in Acton. The first building group under this scheme, the Insectary Buildings, was developed to the building stage and a contract let for the two larger buildings to Simmie and Company was completed.

The second building group, comprising a laboratory for the Entomological Section, was completed by Simmie and Company at a cost of £17 900.

It was constructed in brickwork with concrete floors and roof, heated by warmed air and provided with mechanical means for ventilating and exhausting the vitiated air.

Australian Institute of Anatomy (previously known as the Zoological Museum) – a site was allotted for the building at Acton. After the approval of the government, tenders were invited and the contract let to Simmie and Company.

Schools – temporary accommodation was provided at the old Rectory, Ainslie (Glebe House) to enable this building to be used by the Canberra Grammar School at the beginning of 1929.

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7 Extracts from MBAFCT Constitution and Rules 1938

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8 Some of Canberra’s Major Building Projects – 1920 to 1950 Sydney and Melbourne Buildings in Civic Centre Beauchamp House Canberra Community Hospital Institute of Anatomy Australian War Memorial Provisional Parliament House Administrative Building, Parkes United States Embassy Australian Forestry School Government House at Yarralumla (major renovations) The Prime Minister’s Lodge Canberra Grammar School St Gabriel’s Church of England Grammar School for Girls St Paul’s Church, Manuka Manuka Shopping Centre St Christopher’s School and Church St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Manuka Swimming Pool Telopea Park School Mount Stromlo Observatory Capitol and Civic Theatres Eastlake (Kingston) Shops Manuka Shops Ainslie Infants and Primary School Canberra High School Reid Methodist Church Methodist Church, Forrest Baptist Church, Kingston Canberra Incinerator, Westbourne Woods Gorman House, Brassey House and the Wellington, Canberra, Ainslie, Civic, Kingston, Acton and Kurrajong Hotels Commonwealth Patents Office East and West Block Offices Albert Hall Government Printing Office The Printers’ Quarters, Kingston (later Kingston Guest House) FCC Offices, Acton and Bachelors Quarters (later Acton Guest House) Post second world war hostels; eg Mulwala, Reid, Narellan, Havelock and Lawley Houses; Ainslie, Capital Hill, Riverside, Eastlake, Hillside and Turner Hostels The Causeway Hall The Manuka Fire Station CSIRO at Black Mountain National Library, Kings Avenue The Kingston Bus Depot Salvation Army Headquarters, Braddon 165

Index Of Names AN = Author s Notes App = Appendix A Anchor, Mortlock and Muurray 145 Andrew, David AN Anketel and Kingsley Henderson 84 Archibald 8 Ashe, J 91 B Banks, Sid 145 Barker, V W 91 Barnes, Senator 109 Becker, J AN Blakeley, Arthur 113, 114, 117 Blakie, George 73 Bloye, F E 91 Boag, C A S 126 Bond, P L 91 Bourke, Edith and Edward 144 Bourke, Pat 145 Bourke, Thomas Joseph 144, 145 Brooks, William 43 Bruce, Eden and Griffiths 55, 101 App 6 Bunning and Madden 145 Burcham Clamp and Finch 146 Burden, H C 126 Burrows and Lowes 142, 145 Burrows, Charlie ( Buckets ) 142 Butters, Sir John 33, 68, 70, 85, 102 C Cameron, Angus 90 Campbell, Frederick 9 Campbell, Robert 9 Chapman and Eggleston 91 Chapman, J L 70, 126 Chapman, Sir Austin 29, 31, 43 Christmas, W A 27 Coane, John Montgomery 7 Cody and Willis 14 Conner, Jim 13 Cook, Billy 132 Cook, Sir Joseph 18 Crombie, Ernie 128 D Daley, C S AN, 33, 85 Dawson, H L 91 Deans, John 70, 85, 91, 143 DeBurgh, E M 30 Dedman, John 131 Digan, H AN Dillon, Jeremiah (Jerry) 20, 24

166

Dockar, E C Dow, Peter Dowling, Jean Dunshea, Frank Dyer, Sue

126 72 31 128 AN E

Ellis Bros Elphinstone, David Bruce Elphinstone, Elsie Emerton, Val Evans, G T

26 92, 146 146 AN, 31 125, 126 F

Findlay, G A (Tom) Fitzpatrick, George Foskett, Alan Foster, Richard Fuller, Sir George

App 3 43 AN 43 43

G Gale, John 27 Gardiner, A E 116, 117 George and Elphinstone 91, 146, App 6 George, Helen and Wesley 146 Gibbney, Jim AN, 43, 44, 114, 115, 125, 143 Gibbs, S 126 Gildea, W G 27, 70, 85, 91 Gillespie, L AN Gillies, R T 91 Goodwin, Colonel 115 Goodwin, J T H 30 Gorman, C H 33, 83 Grant Bros 144 Grant, John and Sons 144 Green, C A 91 Griffin, Walter Burley 7, 8, 13, 45, 46 Groom, Sir Littleton 30 Gugler, Ann AN, 20, 55, 115, 128 H Hall, Betty 114 Harris, W A 126 Harrison, Sir John 33 Helson, A E 123 Hill, Lionel App 3 Housden, R M 91 Howie, John (and Sons) 30, 53, 55, 114, App 6 Hudson, Geo 26 Hughes, William Morris (Billy) 8, 44 Hungerford, T A 126 Hutcherson Bros 53, 91, App 6 Hutcherson, R 85

J Jackson, Daryl 145 Jenkins, Jack 129 Jennings, A V 131, 132, 133, 144, 145 Johnson, Fred 51, 52 Johnson, Henry (Harry) and Family 51 Johnson, H V 131, App 6 Johnstone, Phil AN Jones, G Sydney 105 Jowett, Clerk of Works 68 K Kaye, Charles 9 Kelly, H 123 Kelly, W H 8 Kesble, J W 91 Kinlyside, Elizabeth 16 Kinlyside, Thomas 16, 17 Kirkpatrick, John 7 Klensendorlffe 3, 9 L Lambert, Arthur 27, 128, 147 Lang, Colonel 140 Lea, Joe 31 Lowes, Clive 142 Lyons 120 M McCarthy, F J 70, 71, 85 McCauley, Fred 27, 128, 147, 148 McConnell, Smith and Johnstone 145 McDonald, W 70, 91, 126 MacKenzie, Sir Colin 105 McKerrow, W R 126 McNamara, Jack 27, 147 McVeigh, Amos App 3 Maher, J 91 Mahon, Hugh 2 Male, B T 91 Marr, C W C 43 Mason, W H and Family 27, 55, 65, 70, 101 121, 122, App 6 Mawson, A 126 Mawson, F 91 Midson, R E 91, 100 Miller, Colonel 9, 14 Mills, J C R 100 Moore, J J 9 Moore, W W and Sons 140 Muir, J 123 Munns and Sly 145 Murdoch, J S 13, 26 Murray 9 N Nolan, Darky 147 Nurse Dunn 144 O Oakley and Parkes 55, 62, App 6

O Connell, A G O Connor, Tom Ogilvy, James Ogilvy, William O Malley, King Owen, Colonel P T

20 27 58 58 7, 8, 10, 27, App 1 13, 30 P

Patrick, Family Paynter Paynter & Dixon Paynter and Paynter Paynter, C Pearl, Stan Perry, J Perry, W J Peterick, Helen Peverill and Cadzow Peverill, J Phillips, A F Plimmer, J Potter, E R Potts Priest, Chas and Fanny Pritchard, Colleen Prowse, Elsie

114, 115 70 91, App 6 70 85 147 91, 145 126 146 App 6 91 126 27 91 132 101 67 146 R

Reeve, H H Renfree, Neil Rickler, W A Rolland, Henry Maitland Ross, Herbert E Rossi, Aldo

126 151 27 9, 45, 68 30 147 S

Saxon and Binns Schreiner, Karl Scrivener, C R Scullin, James Selway, Dick Shakespeare, J

26 135 2, 3 109, 116 147 91

Shannon, Gordon AN Shellshear, Walter 50 Simmie and Co 91, 111, 126, 140, App 6 Simmie, Bill 140 Simmie, John Ernest (Jock) 140, 141 Sinclair, Andrew App 3 Smith, C 27 Smith, James 7 Soames, Frank 128 Sodersteen, E L and J Crust 99, 105 Spendelove, E 109 Stephens, A 126 Stephens, Alf 142 Stephens, Alf and Son 91, 144 Stewart, Percy 31 Storey, T 123

167 } {PAGE

Strachan, Harold Stuart Bros Sturdy, Norm Sulman, Sir John Sweetman, A M

31 91 132 8, 30 91, App 6 T

Tait, D R Taylor, J G Taylor, S J Thomas, T J Tinman, S Toy and Erickson Toy, T Trask Turner, Bob and Edith Turton, C W Turton, F Turton, K J

91 App 6 27, 91 83 68 91, App 6 126, 145 129 122, 144 91, 126 126 126 W

Waddell, C J Walker, Colonel John Wallace, W and Sons Warner, A E Waterhouse, Jill White, H L Winch, R T Winwood, G A Young, J B

168

91 55, 70, 84, 85 App 6 91 91 148 AN, 133, 135 100 131, 133 Y 29

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