National Capital

Produced by The National Film Board 1945. Directed by Maslyn Williams. When this film was made, Canberra was one of the world's youngest planned cities. This film briefly outlines how the Australian colonies became one nation in 1901 and how the need was felt for a city to be the symbol of national unity. Canberra, a tiny hamlet in the rolling countryside of New South Wales, was chosen as the site. It turned into a thriving city of Federal Government, growing according to plan yet retaining all of its rural charm. This film features some of Canberra's most dignified buildings - Parliament House, the National War Memorial, the Institute of Anatomy - as well as broad tree-lined roads and lawn-fronted homes. It also looks at the people who have come to live in the nation's captial.

[@J03YDR4M45]

Born in Canberra in 1987, still here! Born to Yugoslavian immigrants, old fella worked on New Parliament House - Wogs & Concrete!

[@duncanyourmate2433]

Back then ,the contractors from NSW ,were eagerly awaited upon Monday return ,& Unions worked , they got A/C & microwaves(australian 1st) ,weird stuff Minister & shadow offices had to be shortened or there would be a keg of beer in the lines , to members bar ,

[@truthgardener9983]

Thank you. I lived in Canberra about 20 years ago for 18 months and loved it! I’ve got family living there now. It’s a beautiful place with lovely people too.

[@kylewaddington1983]

would you move Back there ?

[@bboucharde]

Dear NFSA Film Channel Staff, Thank you so much for providing these films, which are beautifully done examples of the public service film genre. And, they remind me of my month spent traveling across Australia in the early 1980's. At that time, I found Australia to be the most friendly, functional, and civilized nation in the world. Very Respectfully, BBoucharde USA

[@NFSAFilms]

Thank you for your nice comment and encouraging feedback on our channel and content. We have many thousands of these films and will continue to upload them here in 2014 and beyond so please stay tuned. Regards NFSA Films.

[@petergraves2085]

Canberra is now one of the great cities of our world - planned, green and a great community. It can now be best viewed from the Marion Mahony Griffin View from Mt Ainslie. Marion was the wife of Walter Burley Griffin and it was her artwork that really won them the prize to design Canberra. It's Marion's 150th birthday on 14 February 2021. Canberra is truly the national capital in the national interest.

[@ralphyo6285]

Where have all of these wonderful values gone? Now it's greed, not caring for the country and it's people dirty politics, and every man for himself. So sad. Those great and peaceful times will never, ever return. :(

[@duncanyourmate2433]

No they wont return ,when everything is privatised (=middle men appear) , whom were prior not needed , a Civil Service, whom served the Government of the day ,implemented their policies ,even with personal disagreement ,served the people ,people made the choice ,Yes it had faults ,yet greed,fraud, were'nt there security of Tenure was , for frank & honest exchange ,Nowadays they Tender to Whomever is going to provide what opinion they "paid for" .Privatisation =opinion that could of been done far cheaper ,with honesty, Inhouse

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Fabulous . Probably the best time to grow up , in the history of modern mankind . I think Canberra was hot and fly bothersome . However the beer was icy cool .

[@duncanyourmate2433]

Gidday Perry , I was there too , your old mate from Barrier Street , C.A,W ,was bloody hot ,those years ,

[@geraldinekelly139]

great film very interesting

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Fascinating.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

Thank you for a trip down memory lane , my family was part of the big push by Menzies to re-locate ( whole decade of 50's) although it continued 60's ,bit of 70's ,my older siblings born at Canberra Community Hospital 50's, me last at Box Hill , then back to Canberra at 6mths of age , thanks to Menzies Mum spent a long time between Melbourne & Canberra in an Austin A30 pregnant , Dr's were thin on the ground , & the old Masons Vs Catholics was alive an running , one year I was single digit,(Christmas Party) at Telopia park high school (santa/father turned up in FJ ute) , depending on which side of the oval , it was Santa Claus one side of sign Father Christmas the other , Many will of witnessed this ,Whitlams house , Melbourne Ave , 11.44 ,

[@stevewiles7132]

Many of those older and smaller cottages from the construction days are still there.

[@Cadcare]

I think there's a missing lake in that last shot and what a pleasant lookout they have. 17:17

[@darioburatovich2240]

All the ocultismo of the architect survives in the convoluted "symbolism" of the streets orientation, angles and other expressions of human delirium,which are perpetuated in that long tale of an undiagnosed pathology called : Human History.

[@spinynorman1562]

So many bicycles! No wonder obesity was rare in those days.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

was called South Block , cause it was south , theres an identical North Block too ,

[@user-fv5tt8zi2w]

뭐라해도 이런 기록이 있으니 다행이지요.

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

really interesting. it certainly was a golden age. and the nation so degraded, and citizens dumbed down now. most people don't have a clue what's going on.

[@jerryscanas]

The Government degraded The People are doing fine the government are fucked....

[@hypercomms2001]

06:23 : what is this building now? It is kind of weird seeing how sparse Canberra is in this picture compared to what it looks like now...

[@jasperli7794]

looks like the ANU School of Art

[@chrisbell1878]

@@jasperli7794 it is the school of art and design

[@duncanyourmate2433]

Was once National Biological Standards Laboratory (i saw Phar Laps Heart there) , then , changed to National film & sound Archive ,(75-85?) , I think ,Institute of Science Dome downhill , 63-4,

[@shahramtorki560]

👌👍✅🤛🏽🍺🙏

[@roybennett9284]

I can see most of the p.ms of the past perfect Sydney..my bordomt level can do three days then back to Wollongong..hahaha

[@hypercomms2001]

12 000 people... crikey, it is now almost 500 000... it still has that country town vibe to it when I was recently living there... 10:05... when a population of 12 000 people, it must have been hard being a Russian spy.. especially with the constant photography of the comings and goings of the Russian embassy by ASIO from the Kingston Hotel...

[@duncanyourmate2433]

Petrov was safe though they only moved him round the corner an up Capt Cook Cres ,

[@douglasnerge6701]

b

[@Cruelaid]

So good not to see McDonalds & Co

[@thenaturalhistorian2953]

And not a word about the alleged mistreatment of the Indigenous aborigines but other then that great video.

[@deanpd3402]

My brother was taken from his family when he was 13 by court order, for the crime of going along for the ride, in a stolen car. Kept in a home for 5 years. His back was broken and he was subjected to daily beatings. He had to endure watching other kids going through this too. My brother is a white man, and he was stolen from his family. You don't have to be a black man to be a victim.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

No Nugunnawal people were moved to NSW ,or Life was made impossible , not alleged , a fact , this only changed ever so slightly in 1972 ,