ACTON Brochure
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NT-09-2009 [acton].indd 1 [acton].indd NT-09-2009 23/9/09 11:32:25 PM 11:32:25 23/9/09 Black Mountain Black • Collection. Times Canberra Library, Heritage ACT the of Courtesy • • Dr (design) Brainstorm tudio S (research) Dowling Peter ublishers wish to acknowledge: to wish ublishers p The Commonwealth Ave Bridge Ave Commonwealth • Collection. Times Canberra Library, Heritage ACT the of Courtesy The Shine Dome Shine The • Courtesy of the ACT Heritage Library, ACT Administration Collection. Administration ACT Library, Heritage ACT the of Courtesy www.nationaltrustact.org.au 0533 6230 02 Civic Square ACT 2608 ACT Square Civic PO Box 1144 1144 Box PO Contact: National Trust of Australia (ACT) Australia of Trust National Contact: © Copyright 2009 ACT Government ACT 2009 Copyright © ACT Government to update and reprint the tour. tour. the reprint and update to Government ACT Further funding was given by the the by given was funding Further ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program. Program. Grants Heritage ACT the under Government ACT assisted through funding made available by the the by available made funding through assisted This project was originally originally was project This University A SELF-GUIDED TOUR SELF-GUIDED A ustralian National National ustralian A 21. lack Mountain lack B 20. anberra School of Music of School anberra C 19. cton House cton A 18. A heritage tour of tour heritage A he Shine Dome Shine he T 17. ational Film and Sound Archive Sound and Film ational N 16. an Potter House Potter an I 15. ld Canberra House Canberra ld O 14. ennox House Complex House ennox L 13. cton Houses cton A 12. ullivan’s Creek ullivan’s S 11. & 10. Springbank Island Springbank 10. & 9 8. The Pregnant Pine Pregnant The 8. ACTON 7. European Tree Plantings Tree European 7. 6. Remnant Indigenous Vegetation Indigenous Remnant 6. 5. National Museum of Australia of Museum National 5. 4. Acton Geological Site Geological Acton 4. 3. Acton Park by the Lake the by Park Acton 3. 2. Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Avenue Commonwealth 2. 1. Lake Burley Griffin Burley Lake 1. ACTON IN PLACES LISTED 1. 4. LAKE BURLEY GRIFFIN ACTON GEOLOGICAL SITE When Charles Scrivener defined the site of the present capital in West Basin, Acton Peninsula. his 1909 survey he foresaw an ornamental lake next to the city. Low outcrops of dark grey, recrystallised limestone occur along a Walter Burley Griffin took up this concept in his 1911 plan for the 100 metre stretch of Lake Burley Griffin foreshore just north of the capital and proposed a lake which formed a water axis dividing National Museum of Australia. The term ‘Limestone Plains’ figures the parliamentary zone from the commercial centre. But the prominently in early descriptions of the Canberra region and it lake proposal had to contend with a host of critics and doubters, is most likely this outcrop, and others that are now submerged monetary restrictions, several planning changes and insistence by by the waters of the Lake, from which the term originates. The Prime Minister Menzies before work began. It was not until April 1964, when the meanders of the Molonglo River were flooded by the limestone was formed by the accumulation of shells from small construction of the Scrivener Dam, that the lake as we know it today marine animals approximately 420 million years ago when the was finally formed. It is now a focal point for the capital. area was covered by a warm, shallow sea. At this time there was The suburb of Acton was an abundance of life in this sea indicated by the presence of fossil trilobites and corals in the sediments that were formed. Life on land gazetted in September 1928, 2. was just beginning in the form of land plants colonising the water COMMONWEALTH AVE margins. The outcrop is the only accessible, clear and continuing making it one of Canberra’s exposure of limestone in the suburban part of Canberra. first suburbs. The name BRIDGE Commonwealth Avenue ‘Acton’ was given to the 5. Commonwealth Avenue Bridge marks the eastern boundary grazing property situated in of Acton. It is one of two bridges crossing Lake Burley Griffin. NATIONAL MUSEUM the area of Molonglo River Construction began in March 1961, before the Lake was formed, and OF AUSTRALIA it was opened to traffic in November 1963. From any viewpoint its and Sullivans Creek by seemingly simple construction can be considered to be an excellent Acton Peninsula. Lieutenant Arthur Jeffreys RN, example of skilled engineering blended with a high level of aesthetic The National Museum of Australia was opened in 2001 to quality and form. These qualities were noted by the Prime Minister, commemorate Australia’s centenary of federation. The Museum in 1843. Acton, bordering Sir Robert Menzies, during a ceremony marking the inauguration tells the story of Australia. It has been developed to research Lake Burley Griffin, Black of the Lake in October 1964 when he described the bridge as ‘the Australian history, develop and maintain a national collection finest building in the National Capital’. Notice how the bridge is of historical material and to create exhibitions and programs Mountain and the central aligned with Capital Hill and City Hill and how it forms the western exploring our cultures, heritage and history. The museum’s business district of Canberra, boundary of the Parliamentary Triangle. It is worth making the effort programs and exhibitions are based on three main themes to drive or walk underneath the approaches of the bridge to see the presented in specific galleries: Aboriginal and Torres Strait contains many early blocks of granite. These were taken from London’s old Waterloo Islander cultures and history; Australian society and history Bridge across the Thames and presented to Australia to exemplify since 1788; and the interaction of people with the Australian historical places as well as the historic links in the British Commonwealth of Nations. environment. Allow several hours for your visit. the large precincts of the Australian National University 3. 6. and the National ACTON PARK REMNANT Museum of Australia. BY THE LAKE INDIGENOUS VEGATATION Access can be gained either from Commonwealth Avenue or the South western corner of the Peninsula within the footbridge over Parkes Way leading from Acton House. grounds of the National Museum. It is worth taking a stroll through this park which follows the Before the arrival of Europeans the vegetation of the Acton area foreshore of the West Basin between Commonwealth Avenue Bridge consisted mainly of open grasslands dominated by Kangaroo and the National Museum of Australia. You will be rewarded with grass. The low lying plains of the Molonglo River were subjected a view of the museum buildings rising from Acton Peninsula, Black to cold air drainage which induced frost hollows and created a Mountain and its landmark tower, New Parliament House and micro-climate that inhibited tree growth. However, some isolated flag pole, and the buildings of Yarralumla emerging from the trees. pockets of unusually favourable soil and ground water conditions For the more adventurous there are bikes to be hired which can did support large Eucalyptus trees particularly in the south western be ridden at a sedate pace around the foreshore, or hired boats to corner of the Peninsula. The trees are estimated to be between 150 peddle, paddle and sail on the lake. and 250 years old. Other prominent native species in the Acton area is the Ribbon Gum but these were planted during the 1960s as part of the landscape development of the Lake foreshores. NT-09-2009 [acton].indd 1 [acton].indd NT-09-2009 23/9/09 11:32:25 PM 11:32:25 23/9/09 Black Mountain Black • Collection. Times Canberra Library, Heritage ACT the of Courtesy • • Dr (design) Brainstorm tudio S (research) Dowling Peter ublishers wish to acknowledge: to wish ublishers p The Commonwealth Ave Bridge Ave Commonwealth • Collection. Times Canberra Library, Heritage ACT the of Courtesy The Shine Dome Shine The • Courtesy of the ACT Heritage Library, ACT Administration Collection. Administration ACT Library, Heritage ACT the of Courtesy www.nationaltrustact.org.au 0533 6230 02 Civic Square ACT 2608 ACT Square Civic PO Box 1144 1144 Box PO Contact: National Trust of Australia (ACT) Australia of Trust National Contact: © Copyright 2009 ACT Government ACT 2009 Copyright © ACT Government to update and reprint the tour. tour. the reprint and update to Government ACT Further funding was given by the the by given was funding Further ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program. Program. Grants Heritage ACT the under Government ACT assisted through funding made available by the the by available made funding through assisted This project was originally originally was project This University A SELF-GUIDED TOUR SELF-GUIDED A ustralian National National ustralian A 21. lack Mountain lack B 20. anberra School of Music of School anberra C 19. cton House cton A 18. A heritage tour of tour heritage A he Shine Dome Shine he T 17. ational Film and Sound Archive Sound and Film ational N 16. an Potter House Potter an I 15. ld Canberra House Canberra ld O 14. ennox House Complex House ennox L 13. cton Houses cton A 12. ullivan’s Creek ullivan’s S 11. & 10. Springbank Island Springbank 10. & 9 8. The Pregnant Pine Pregnant The 8. ACTON 7. European Tree Plantings Tree European 7. 6. Remnant Indigenous Vegetation Indigenous Remnant 6. 5. National Museum of Australia of Museum National 5. 4. Acton Geological Site Geological Acton 4. 3. Acton Park by the Lake the by Park Acton 3. 2. Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Avenue Commonwealth 2.