Previous find of the month

April 2010

Canberra's Captain Cook Memorial

As well as providing public access to ACT Government files older than 20 years, ArchivesACT can also provide access to a wide range of publications & brochures about Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory.

For the April Find of the Month we have two early brochures produced for the Captain Cook Memorial. The memorial consisting of the water jet and a globe was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on the 25^th of April 1970 to commemorate the Bicentenary of Captain James Cook's first sighting of the east coast of Australia.

The first brochure dates from circa 1972

Canberra's Captain Cook Memorial - 1972 Brochure Cover

Canberra's Captain Cook Memorial - 1972 Brochure Text

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The second brochure dates from 1973

Canberra's Captain Cook Memorial - 1973 Brochure Cover

Canberra's Captain Cook Memorial - 1973 Brochure Text

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One of the interesting details of these brochures is they document the change of the ACT’s administration from the Department of the Interior to the Department of the Capital Territory which occurred in December 1972.

Originally the Australian Capital Territory was administered by the Department of Home Affairs from 1901 until 1916 when it was abolished and its functions transferred to other departments including the then newly created Department of Home and Territories.

In 1951 the Department of Home and Territories functions were divided between the Department of Territories and the Department of the Interior who took over the ACT's administration. This continued until December 1972 when the Department of the Interior responsibility for the ACT was transferred to the Department of the Capital Territory. This is the time period covered by these two brochures.

Several administrative changes occurred between then and 1987 when a major administrative change took place with the establishment of the ACT Administration in preparation for self-government.

Since self-government several areas of the ACT remained under the administration of the Commonwealth Government including the Parliamentary Triangle, Lake Burley Griffin and Commonwealth Park which incorporates the Captain Cook Memorial. It is for this reason that ArchivesACT may direct researchers to the National Archives of Australia (NAA) as their area of research falls under Commonwealth administration.

The map below illustrates the areas still administered by the Commonwealth Government. When this map was produced in 1991 two Commonwealth Departments administered these areas, the pink areas by the Department Administrative Services and the blue areas by the Department of Arts, Sports, Tourism & Territories. These areas are currently administered by the National Capital Authority.

Declared National Land 1991