ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection Planning Institute of Australia 2012-2013 Oral History Project GEOFF CAMPBELL HMSS 0359 Planning Institute of Australia 2012-13 Oral History Project http://www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/search/Manuscript_Collections/hmss-0358-Institue-of-Planners-Oral-History-Project Libraries ACT I Ph: 6205 9000 I Website: www.library.act.gov.au Date of birth 1935 Address/contact details See permission form Date/s of interview 21/9/12; 25/9/12 Place of interview Canberra Length of interview (1) 2:05:07 (2) 2:08:46 Name of interviewer Mary Hutchison Interviewer contact details [email protected] Signed permission form Yes (includes photos) Photographs of interviewee Provided by interviewer Other documentation supplied No Recording equipment Marantz recorder, Rode mic (stereo), WAV file, 48khz BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY Geoff Campbell was born in Yass in 1935 before the family moved to Victoria. He attended five different schools, completing schooling at Wesley College, Melbourne and began to study architecture at Melbourne University in 1955. He completed his degree and a diploma in town planning and then worked as an architect in Melbourne and Brisbane. He married in 1964 before going to work in the UK in 1965. There he worked as an architect-planner, at Greater London Council and in Scotland on the development of Livingston New Town. With plans to return to Australia he responded to a recruitment drive by the National Capital Development Commission and after an interview in London was offered the position of Town Planner class 3. Geoff, his wife and young daughter arrived in Canberra in 1970 when he took up the position. Geoff stayed at the NCDC until it closed in 1988. He was Chief Planner from 1978-89. He was then appointed Chief Planner to the Interim Territory Planning Authority. With the completion of the new planning legislation and the draft Territory Plan he became a consultant to Deputy Prime Minister, Brian Howe on the Federal Government’s Building Better Cities program. In 1996 he joined the Centre for Developing Cities at the University of Canberra and was later involved in the University’s planning courses. He officially retired in 2008. He played an active role in the restructuring of the Planning Institute of Australia. TIMED SUMMARY: GEOFF CAMPBELL Interview: 21/9/12 Session #1 time subjects proper names 0:00:00 Introduction. Early life and schooling. Interest Yass, Loch, Gippsland, , in architecture. Melbourne University Korumburra, Traralgon, HMSS 0359 Planning Institute of Australia 2012-13 Oral History Project http://www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/search/Manuscript_Collections/hmss-0358-Institue-of-Planners-Oral-History-Project Libraries ACT I Ph: 6205 9000 I Website: www.library.act.gov.au architecture department as learning Wesley College, Portland, environment. Deniliquin 0:05:08 Architecture department. Enrolment in new Professor Brian Lewis, planning diploma; influence of British Professor Fred Ledger, John planning. Practice as architect while studying Bailey in office of Gawler, Churchman and Boardman; John Gawler’s influence on planning for post-war reconstruction. 0:09:53 Work as architect; move to Brisbane. Marriage. Move to London in 1965. Employments as town planner at Greater London Council. Value of travel in Europe. Appointment to position of planner for Livingston New Town; office environment and colleagues. 0:15:30 Experience of living and working in Livingston; The Gorbals, Peter Funder, growth of interest in planning and pursuing Hans Westerman. this career in Australia. Information about NCDC; response to advertisement for planners; interview in London. 0:20:23 Importance of working as planner in association with development. Interest in planning response to social needs and experience of this in Livingston New Town. Intentions in taking position at NCDC. 0:26:08 End of session Interview: 21/9/12 Session #2 time subjects proper names 0:0:00 Arrival in Canberra in middle of winter 1970; Brassey House, Acton Hostel, accommodation. Interest in Canberra as Alf Lester, John McInerny, dominated by landscape rather than Neil Dadge, Malcolm Smith, development. One of six new planners at Steve Pazsit, Bob Lansdown NCDC; introduction to Commission 0:04:45 First experience of planning section of NCDC. David Hain, Woden, Weston Rate of expansion in Canberra and need for Creek planning response at this time; work on neighbourhood and town centre medium HMSS 0359 Planning Institute of Australia 2012-13 Oral History Project http://www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/search/Manuscript_Collections/hmss-0358-Institue-of-Planners-Oral-History-Project Libraries ACT I Ph: 6205 9000 I Website: www.library.act.gov.au density housing. Process of using control drawings. Public consultations. 0:10:33 Initiative to change use of control drawings to Hugh Chalker, Serge principles diagrams. Liaison with Department Domicelj, Keith Storey, Peter of Interior and later versions of. Planning Harrison, Growth Strategy section responds to growth forecast for Plan Canberra by finalising details of Y Plan - published 1970 0:14:49 Y Plan and Canberra development; intentions of Y Plan. Impact of change from government to private sector development of office space. Social needs basis of Y Plan. 0:19:58 Y Plan as response to issues of much larger Gungahlin population than envisaged in Griffin Plan. Ongoing issue of movement of traffic. Light rail. 0:23:27 1970s working environment at NCDC; system John Overall of delegated authority, Commissioner’s management style; recognition of own approach to managing planning process for medium density housing. Character of NCDC. 0:28:28 Scale of Canberra development; population Bill Andrews, Clive Price, statistics 1950-1988. Key figures in NCDC Roger Johnson, Des Paine, 1958-1970s. Varying use of consultants and Laurie Killeen. staff. Structure of NCDC; co-ordination committee; principles and approaches to decision-making. 0:35:25 End of session Interview: 21/9/12 Session #3 time subjects proper names 0:00:00 Changes at NCDC 1970s; introduction of McMahon, Whitlam, planning at national level 1972-3; movement National Urban and Regional of key staff from and within organisation; Development Authority, new staff appointments. Parliamentary Triangle, Belconnen Town Centre, Woden Town Centre, Gordon Shannon, Arnis HMSS 0359 Planning Institute of Australia 2012-13 Oral History Project http://www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/search/Manuscript_Collections/hmss-0358-Institue-of-Planners-Oral-History-Project Libraries ACT I Ph: 6205 9000 I Website: www.library.act.gov.au Siksna 0:04:48 Election of Whitlam Government; Pat Troy, Albury-Wodonga, establishment of Cities Commission and Bathurst-Orange, Jim national Department of Urban and Regional Connor, Ian Morison, John Development; John Overall and Bob Mant, Alinga Street Lansdown head these respectively. Growth centres. NCDC sets up External Projects Division to assist Cities Commission. NCDC’s response to new Labor government Civic Health Centre. 0:10:34 NCDC senior level staff changes 1973-4. First Tony Powell, Colm discussion of self-government. New O’Flaherty, Ken Myers, John demands and changing nature of NCDC. Own Haskell, Tuggeranong Town work on town centres and appointment as Centre, Peter Emery, David head of new Corporate Planning Unit to Parkin, Tom Uren, Fraser. review NCDC operations (1974-5) 0:15:31 Process, methods and outcomes of review; establishment of operational cycle. Own experience of Corporate Planning Unit. 0:19:56 Integration of corporate planning and Janet Smith. external projects into Planning Division. Value of model of management as refined by corporate review. Cyclone Tracey. Establishment of NCDC Library and publications program 0:24:25 Approval of site for new Parliament House Lord Holford, Paul Reid and Fraser Government decision to establish separate authority to build. Construction activities 1974-5. Canberra Commercial Development Authority. Gungahlin in planning stage. Sacking Whitlam Government and election of Fraser Government. Cuts to Public Service and Canberra’s growth. 0:29:22 Impact of cuts on Canberra building industry Oskar Pumpurs, Trevor and NCDC. Reviews of planning issues. Gibson, Charnwood. Model of neighbourhood unit replaced by ‘territorial’ unit in response to issues of demographic change in neighbourhoods over time. HMSS 0359 Planning Institute of Australia 2012-13 Oral History Project http://www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/search/Manuscript_Collections/hmss-0358-Institue-of-Planners-Oral-History-Project Libraries ACT I Ph: 6205 9000 I Website: www.library.act.gov.au 0:34:25 Planning of residential areas in Canberra Graham Moseley, John over time reflects changing ideas and Gilchrist experiments. Value of seeing plans materialise. Cutbacks to Tuggeranong development as Canberra growth slows. Parliamentary Joint Committee inquiry into Canberra planning procedures. Establishment of formal procedures for planning and public consultation. Own work 1975-6. 0:40:56 End of session Interview: 21/9/12 Session #4 time subjects Proper names 0:00:00 Issues of planning Belconnen Town Centre 1976. Contrast between Canberra Commercial Development Authority’s and NCDC approach. Long term impact of traditional commercial approach on Belconnen Town Centre. Commission’s response to decision against its own approach. 0:05:00 1977-8 Urban renewal scheme Narrabundah Graham Scott-Bohanna. and role of new Fraser government minister, Ellicott. Public consultation