Canberra Centenary Column

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Canberra Centenary Column
Canberra Centenary Column 2.jpg
Canberra Centenary Column
35°16′53″S149°07′45″E / 35.28143°S 149.12921°E / -35.28143; 149.12921 Coordinates: 35°16′53″S149°07′45″E / 35.28143°S 149.12921°E / -35.28143; 149.12921 [1]
Location City Hill, Canberra
DesignerGeoff Farquhar-Still
Type Obelisk
MaterialStainless steel, granite, glass
Width5 metres (16 ft)
Height8.5 metres (28 ft)
Opening date2014-03-11

The Canberra Centenary Column is a sculpture in City Hill, Canberra, Australia. It was built to commemorate the city's centenary, and unveiled on 11 March 2014. [1] [2]

The sculpture is an 8.5-metre (28 ft) stainless steel obelisk on a 5-metre-wide (16 ft) [3] granite-dressed concrete base. The top of the base is inlaid with glass tiles and has a steel covering etched with images depicting Canberra's 100-year history. [4] It was designed and fabricated by local artist Geoff Farquhar-Still with his team of artisans at Artillion Studio. The design was inspired by the "Commencement Column" that was proposed to have been built when Canberra was founded, but was never completed. [1] [lower-alpha 1]

Encased in the base is a time capsule containing one hundred objects, [6] both symbolic and mundane. [7] The time capsule is intended to be opened in 100 years, [6] during Canberra's bicentenary. [8] The ACT Heritage Library and the National Film and Sound Archive have catalogues of the capsule's contents, and copies of some of the items. [9]

Notes

  1. The Commencement Column was to have been built on three foundation stones that were laid in 1913 to mark the founding of Canberra. The column was never constructed; the foundation stones have since been moved, and are included on the Commonwealth Heritage List. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 h (13 June 2014). "Canberra Centenary Column". artsACT. ACT Government. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  2. "Canberra's first 100 years sealed in centenary time capsule". ACT Government. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  3. Jane Easthope (13 December 2013). "Questions and Answers about the Canberra Centenary Column and Time Capsule". Canberra CBD Limited. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  4. David Ellery (11 March 2014). "Centenary column ticks off some unfinished business for Canberra". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  5. "Commencement Column Monument (Place ID 105347)". Australian Heritage Database . Australian Government.
  6. 1 2 Louise Maher (11 March 2014). "Time capsule sealed inside Canberra's new Centenary Column". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  7. Stephen Easton (11 March 2014). "Monumental end to Centenary". Canberra CityNews. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  8. Launch of the Canberra Centenary Column. YouTube. 11 March 2014. Event occurs at 2:20.
  9. "HMSS 0375 Canberra Centenary Time Capsule". ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collections. ACT Government. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.