SELECTING A CAPITAL THE DALGETY STORY

Building a nation, the Dalgety story, an account of a capital city that could have
been
By Chris Barry

Image 1: The Snowy River and bridge at Buckleys Crossing

Dalgety, situated in the Monaro region of New South Wales, was a proposed site for
the federal capital of Australia in the period of 1903 to 1908 and was a popular
candidate to be the site chosen. Formerly known as Buckleys Crossing, the site is
quietly nestled on the water metropolis of the Snowy river and was the front-runner to
be Australias bush capital.i At the time, there was a political battle raging between
the Victorian and New South Wales parliaments as to the whereabouts and location of
the future capital city.
Ultimately Canberra was selected and became Australias largest planned city.
Dalgety on the other hand, as a small rural hamlet with a population of less than 100,
has wandered like similar communities into rural obscurity. Today Dalgety, has one
operating pub; one primary school with roughly 13 students and has been
predominantly lost in history. Eventually, Canberra got the nod as the capital city, and
like many country towns, Dalgety has faded off the historical record but how easily
the roles could have been reversed with this town on the Snowy being our federal
unifier.

Federation
As historic a moment as Federation was, the problem turned to where the governance
of a federal country would be situated, under a capital city. This was a significant issue
particularly given the fact that the two biggest colonies, Victoria and New South Wales

were engaged in a rivalry over governance. Given the political angst between
parliaments, both states were appeased by the enactment of section 125 of the
Commonwealth Constitution which stipulated that a new capital should be in NSW, no
less than 100 miles from Sydney, but in the meantime parliament shall sit at
Melbourne until it meet at the seat of Government.ii Therefore it was decided that a
political planned capital should be erected in Australia by following a similar method
as planned cities such as Washington and Ontario.iii
Buckleys Crossing Progress Committee
With the advent of looking for a capital, sites were nominated to Federal parliament.
In Dalgetys case, members of the Buckleys Crossing Progression Committee put
forward
their

community to become the site chosen. iv

In
considering sites, at the request of the
Minister for state and home affairs, Sir
John Forrest, the site was enquired into
its
suitability as a site for a Federal Capital. Dalgety also had prominent support from
Minister for Federal Parliament Austin Chapman, who pushed the site to be listed as
the site was the best in his electorate.v As a result, Dalgety was put onto the possible
sites list, which included other sites such as Bombala, Lake George and
NSW
Armidale, which were all reported upon by the Royal
VIC
Commission. Chapman, who successfully contested
the Eden-Monaro seat was determined that the site should
be in his electorate and his choice was Dalgety as he proudly
stated, the capital is fixed at Dalgety and nothing but an
earthquake will shift it.vi

Image 4: Letter written by Buckleys

Crossing Progress Committee

Geography and Federal Capitol Report

Charles Scrivenor was contracted as the chief surveyor of the Dalgety region,
conducted his survey during the winter months of 1904; which upon later
consideration appeared to be a significant factor. During his surveying, Scrivenor was
immediately drawn to its geographical beauty. The views from the site to the north
east, and south east are extensive and picturesque, and from the hill on the western
boundary the view of up the valley of the Snowy river, with Kosciusko and other
summits of the Australian Alps in the background, is very grand.vii Scrivener spoke
extensively of the attraction of the site, describing the view it possessed a
commanding position for a capital and had a contour, which is favourable to a
symmetrical design of a modern city.viii Another major draw point of the Dalgety site
was the abundance of water and the metropolis that the Snowy River could support.
This was the significant advantage in which Dalgety had over the other locations
suggested, as the Snowy River could provide enough water for a city with a plentiful
population.ix Water tended to be the trend for Dalgety with Scrivener even suggesting
that the site could depend upon the waters of the Snowy River for the generation of
power for lighting and traction. He also reported that the site, could have a reservoir
with a capacity of 5 billion cubic feet, from the Snowy River alone.x Scrivener also
reported that the Crown lands in the Territory is approximated to be 128 000 acres
with a value of 96 000 pounds for distribution to the Commonwealth, which was much
cheaper than other possible sites such as Lyndhurst and Tumut. The State of Victoria
was also pleased with this site as it was significantly closer than other presented sites
and was made trade and transport through the Gippsland region of Victoria a highly
viable option.

Image 5: Royal Commissions 1st page on

Image
6: Dalgety
written one
intoof
Federal
Image
7: Charles
Scrivener,
the key
Law
surveyors
of Dalgety is seated far right

How close Dalgety came to being

selected
To put it into context of how close
Dalgety came to being the preferred site
chosen, it was written into the
Commonwealth legislation by the Seat of
Government Act, as the site that would
be the Federal capital.xi This was due to
the fact that the site received an overwhelming majority of the votes of the
representatives of the States with the exception of New South Wales.xii Prominent
Federal Ministers were also very happy with Dalgety as the site chosen as proved by
strong support indicated by Sir John Forrest who was the Federal Minister for Home
Affairs at the time. In his eyes it fulfilled all his requirements and surpassed the
others as regards water supply, water frontages and surrounding scenery. It was by far
the most picturesque and would attract visitors and tourists the summer by reason of
its climate and the attractions of the snowy
mountains.xiii However New South Wales
wouldnt relinquish that territory and cede
Dalgety to be the Federal capital. As it played
out, Charles Wade was appointed as premier in
1907 and wanted the matter over the site
selection settled quickly in the hope of improving
relations between the Commonwealth and the
State, by this stage Yass-Canberra was gaining
supporters and impressed both Federal and State
politicians who visited the area.xiv

Image 8: Dalgetys Position comparative today

Why Dalgety

isnt our
Federal Capital
Dalgety ultimately wasnt picked for a variety of reasons but the major reason being
that the decision to legislate for it as the Federal capital never had the backing of the
New South Wales Parliament. The NSW government, which alone had the
constitutional authority to surrender land for the capital, was not consulted and
accordingly did not accept the Federal Parliaments choice.xv As the New South Wales
Government failed to adequately back in Dalgety, they wouldnt relinquish the area
required for a Commonwealth territory and consequently the sites legitimacy came to
a standstill. The longer the standstill, the stronger the argument came from YassCanberra as a contender to challenge Dalgety. This push for the current Canberra site,
was supported strongly on the back of the delay and was put into writing by journalist
John Gale. In his very argumentative piece of journalism entitled, The Federal Capital,
Dalgety or Canberra which? Gale outlined the concerns over Dalgety and presented
Canberra as the practical solution. In this paper, which was mass distributed to all
members of parliament, Gale heavily criticized Chapman and Forrest by outlining what
they are asking the public for is illogical absurdity.xvi
Gale issued advantageous factors, which he believed the Canberra site had superior
over Dalgety and had them lettered. The major factors, which drew particular
attention to the federal public, were Factor C the climate of Dalgety; and Factor D, Rail
accessibility.xvii The climate of Dalgety was excessively harsher than the Canberra site
due significantly to its comparative altitude above sea level, with Dalgety
commanding a position of 2650 feet above sea level to Canberras lesser 1890 feet.xviii
Likewise Scrivener who surveyed Dalgety in the winter was concerned with the
climate of the site, with frosts and snow being not an uncommon occurrence. Gales
other strong counter argument to Dalgety was the awkwardness involved around its
location relative to Melbourne and Sydney. According to the opinions of the Railway
Commissioners, both of New South Wales and Victoria, the line by Gippsland could not
compete as a through route between Sydney and Melbourne, with the existing one via
Albury.xix Geographically, Canberra being positioned 118 miles closer to Melbourne
and 74 miles to Sydney proved a decisive factor in the decision. Ultimately a ballot
was cast in 1908 and Canberra was voted in with 39 votes to 33.xx This was the final
straw and Dalgety as a capital died officially with the repeal of the 1904 Seat of
Government Acts replacement to the 1908 version.

Image 9: Dalgety Distances to Cities via Rail

Image 10: The Age 10th October 1908 page 13

A city that could have been

Major planners for the Federal capital had ambitious plans of Australias planned city,
similar to the vein in which Washington DC has become the hub for the United States.
Its hard not to think of what could have been a sprawling metropolis with plentiful
water supply by being positioned next to the idyllic Snowy River. So much so that
even depictions of what this planned city would have looked like are preserved
through artists interpretations, specifically Lionel Lindsays interpretation of the
Federal Capital Dalgety.xxi Location being the epicenter of what the Federal
Government requested as a site, the Snowy River could have been as synonymous to
the Commonwealth as the Yarra and Parramatta rivers are
for
Melbourne and Sydney.

Image 11: Lionel Lindsays

Dalgety

Image 12: Buckleys Crossing Hotel today

Relevance to today
As is the case with much of history, the winners are remembered and those who were
runners up often fall into obscurity and are lost by history. The Dalgety tale reaches
out to much of the make up of rural towns particularly those that were primarily used
as stop offs on stock routes and trade. Today as transport and industry allows greater
distances to be travelled and has removed key businesses, this has negative effects
over population in similar towns. The rise of industrial capitalism, with manufacturing
replacing agriculture as the main generator of wealth has seen an increase of
population living in towns and cities, this is a term known as urbanization.xxii Increased
farm sizes and agricultural improvements have resulted in smaller populations living
in farming areas and consequently affected the size of towns in which it services. This
is clearly identifiable in Dalgetys situation as the town formerly had two pubs, with
the Horse and Jockey Inn site being still preserved of a by gone colonial era.xxiii
Even with this possibility of what could have been, Dalgety still has a prominent
makeup of how Federalism occurred and how the States managed to finally come to a
resolution over the important decision of their national capital. It is undeniable that
country towns such as Dalgety have a presence on our makeup as a country by
showing the decisions parliaments and individuals make and their implications over
wider population. Likewise the process of creating a planned city reflects how modern
cities are now thought of in terms of planning and development globally, with
Canberra being a resonation of global influences and ideas.xxiv
Although Dalgety isnt our national capital, Dalgetys dismissal gives us an insight into
the colonial rivalry during the early 20th century and how far we have come as a
nation to collaborate on matters Federally.

Secondary

Sources:
Frank
Forrest, A founding father of the Commonwealth
Australia University of Western Australia Press 2000

Crowley,
Sir John
of

Pegrum, Roger The Bush Capital, How Australia chose Canberra as the Capital City
1983 SLV
Gale, John The Federal Capital, Dalgety or Canberra : Which? Hackett Publishers 1907
SLV
Gillespie, Lyall Canberra 1820 1913 AGPS Press publication
Gordon, David Planning Twentieth Century Capital Cities London Routledge 2006
Fitzgerald, Alan Canberra in two centuries, a pictorial history Clareville Press 1987
Foster, Clive Australian Cities Oxford University Press 1995
Rawson, D Politics in the Eden-Monaro Donald William 1958
Taylor, Griffith The Evolution of a capital, a physiographic study of the foundation of
Canberra, Australia The Geographic Journal Vol 43 No 4 1914 page 386
Primary Sources
Commonwealth Constitution 1901 Section 125
The Age Newspaper per Trove; 10th October 1908 page 12; The Federal Capital
Question 13th July 1904 page 6; 15th October 1904 Why Dalgety is preferable
The Argus 7th July 1904
The Bulletin 6th February 1908
Legislative Assembly New South Wales Ordered Report on Proposed Federal Capital
Site at Dalgety 15th November 1904
Lionel Lindsay painting on Dalgety 1st April 1908 courtesy of the National Library of

Australia
National Advocate Bathurst Newspaper, Canberra the Conqueror, the downfall of
Dalgety Friday 9th October
Report on a proposed Site for the federal capital at Dalgety; 27th October 1904 NRS
333 5/7744.2
Seat of Government Act 1904 Commonwealth ;Courtesy of Federal Register of
Legislation
Queanbeyan observer, 26th August 1906

Images:
1) Buckleys Crossing Bridge built in 1888, was the original way over the Snowy
River. Image per http://www.snowyriverholidaypark.com.au
2) Victorian State Coat of Arms
3) New South Wales State Coat of Arms
4) Letter Written by Buckleys Crossing Progress Committee 1899, offering their
community as a site to be listed NRS 1460 2/833.2
5) Royal Commission Report on a proposed site for the Federal Capital at Dalgety page
2
6) Seat of Government Act 1904, which was later repealed by the 1908 amendment;
Courtesy of Federal Register of Legislation
7) Charles Scrivener; National Library of Australia
8) Google Maps, view of where Dalgety is relative to Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and
the proposed trade route through Gippsland.
9) Page 2 of Royal Commission Report on a proposed site for the Federal Capital NRS
333 5/7744.2
10) The Age 10th October 1908 page 13 per Trove
11) Lindsay, Lionel drawing on Federal Capital Dalgety, 1st April 1908 National Library
of Australia,
12) Buckleys Crossing Hotel; photo courtesy of Suzanne Upton, State Records
Authority of New South Wales

ENDNOTES

i Pegrum, Roger The Bush Capital, How Australia chose Canberra as the Capital City 1983
ii Commonwealth Constitution 1901 Section 125
iii Gordon, David Planning Twentieth Century Capital Cities London Routledge 2006 Chapter 1
iv Letter to Land Appraisal Court Sydney, 28 December 1899; NRS 1460 2/833.2
v Fitzgerald, Alan Canberra in two centuries, a pictorial history Clareville Press 1987 page 21
Federation
vi Queanbeyan observer, 26th August 1906
vii Royal Commission Report on a Proposed site for a Federal Capital at Dalgety page 1 NRS
333 5/7744.2
viii The Argus 7th July 1904
ix The Bulletin 6th February 1908 this trickle of water;
x The Age Scrivener 15th October 1904 Why Dalgety is preferable page 12
xi Seat of Government Act (Cth) 1904
xii Pegrum, Roger The Bush Capital, How Australia chose Canberra as the Capital City Hale
and Irenmoger 1983 The New capital of Australia, Description of Dalgety
xiii Crowley, F K Sir John Forrest Francis Keble 1924 Page 344
xiv Pegrum, Roger The Bush Capital Hale and Irenmoger, Sydney 1983 page 132
xv Fitzgerald Allen, Canberra and the new parliament house Lansdown Press 1983 page 21
xvi Gale, John The Federal Capital, Dalgety or Canberra: which? 24th July 1907 SLV 994.71
page 6
xvii Ibid page
xviii Royal Commission Report on a proposed site for the Federal Capital page 2 NRS 333
5/7744.2
xix Ibid page 7
xx National Advocate Bathurst Newspaper, Canberra the Conqueror, the downfall of Dalgety
Friday 9th October page 2
xxi Lionel Lindsay painting on Dalgety 1st April 1908 courtesy of the National Library of
Australia
xxii Foster, Clive Australian Cities Oxford University Press 1995 page 6
xxiii Horse and Jockey : Dalgety Conservation Area
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=2410222
xxiv Gordon, David Planning Twentieth Century Capital Cities London Routledge 2006
Chapter 11