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National Carillon Print Page 
30-January-2015
Photographs supplied by Peter F Williams / Russell Byers
The National Carillon was presented by Great Britain to commemorate the golden jubilee of the foundation of the national capital of Australia in 1913.
The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely planned city outside of any state, similar to Washington ,D.C.in the United States or Brasilia in Brazil. Following an international contest for the city's design, a blueprint by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffiin was selected and construction commenced in 1913. The Griffins' plan featured geometric motifs such as circles, hexagons and triangles, and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks in the Australian Capital Territory.
As the seat of the government in Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court and numerous government departments and agencies.
In April the winning design of Canberra's carillon is expected to be announced. When it is erected on Aspen Island it may well fulfill a community need harking back to the history of the countries of our origins, where the belltower has always symbolised urban unity. To be built with the British Government's gift of $500,000, the carillon will mark Canberra's 1963 Golden Jubilee. Designs from three Australian and three British architects will be judged by Lord Holford, a past president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Sir John Overall, Commissioner of the NCDC, and Mr Eric Bedford, chief architect of the British Ministry of Public Building and Works. The great Dutch bell makers could be selected to cast the Canberra carillon.
The Canberra Times (ACT), 27 January 1968.
Test drilling for the foundations of a tower to house a carillon on Aspen Island in the central basin of Lake Burley Griffin will begin today. The drilling rig was mounted on the island yesterday and testing will continue for about a fortnight. The cost of the carillon and the tower will be met by the British Government's gift of $500,000 in honour of Canberra's 50th anniversary in 1963. In April an Australian firm of architects, Cameron, Chisholm and Nicol of Perth, won a competition to design a structure to house the carillon.
The Canberra Times (ACT), 26 October 1968.
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The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely planned city outside of any state, similar to Washington ,D.C.in the United States or Brasilia in Brazil. Following an international contest for the city's design, a blueprint by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffiin was selected and construction commenced in 1913. The Griffins' plan featured geometric motifs such as circles, hexagons and triangles, and was centred on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks in the Australian Capital Territory.
As the seat of the government in Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court and numerous government departments and agencies.
In April the winning design of Canberra's carillon is expected to be announced. When it is erected on Aspen Island it may well fulfill a community need harking back to the history of the countries of our origins, where the belltower has always symbolised urban unity. To be built with the British Government's gift of $500,000, the carillon will mark Canberra's 1963 Golden Jubilee. Designs from three Australian and three British architects will be judged by Lord Holford, a past president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Sir John Overall, Commissioner of the NCDC, and Mr Eric Bedford, chief architect of the British Ministry of Public Building and Works. The great Dutch bell makers could be selected to cast the Canberra carillon.
The Canberra Times (ACT), 27 January 1968.
Test drilling for the foundations of a tower to house a carillon on Aspen Island in the central basin of Lake Burley Griffin will begin today. The drilling rig was mounted on the island yesterday and testing will continue for about a fortnight. The cost of the carillon and the tower will be met by the British Government's gift of $500,000 in honour of Canberra's 50th anniversary in 1963. In April an Australian firm of architects, Cameron, Chisholm and Nicol of Perth, won a competition to design a structure to house the carillon.
The Canberra Times (ACT), 26 October 1968.
Location
| Address: | Aspen Island, Wendouree Drive, Parkes, 2600 |
|---|---|
| State: | ACT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -35.298573 Long: 149.141692 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Structure |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | Federal |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1913 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1963 |
| Designer: | Cameron, Chisholm & Nicol (Perth, WA) |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 26th April, 1970 |
|---|
Front Inscription
Source: MAThis carillon was presented by Britain to the city of Canberra
In commemoration of the golden jubilee of the founding of the national capital of Australia and was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 26 April 1970
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au
