National Engineering Landmark - Lake Burley GriffinPrint Page

The bronze plaque commemorates the design, development and construction of the Lake scheme as a National Engineering Landmark. It was erected by the Institution of Engineers, Australia and the NCA for the Centenary of Federation in 2001.

An intrinsic feature in the design and construction of a new national capital city included an ornamental water element. Charles Scrivener (Scrivener Dam is named in his honour) championed the Yass–Canberra site for its ability to provide such a waterway. Created by damming the Molonglo River, Lake Burley Griffin was officially inaugurated on 17 October 1964 by Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies.

Walter Burley Griffin’s winning design for Canberra centred around two axes – water and land. The water axis covered the length of the lake. Although his plans included the lake, it was not until Menzies directed the Natinal capital Development Commission (NCDC) to create it as a centrepiece of the city that it became a reality. Consisting of three basins, east, central and west, Lake Burley Griffin is 9 kilometres in length with a total of six islands and 40.5 kilometres of landscaped foreshores.

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