Forestry School, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Abstract

View from Schlich Street of the symmetrical façade of the Australian Forestry School. The School was built in 1927 by the Federal Capital Commission from designs by John Kirkpatrick, assisted by Henry Rolland. Architecturally, it is an example of the Inter-War Stripped Classical style. It features round arched openings at the entrance and in the projecting end bays and roundels above the rectangular vertical windows. The stepped parapet above the front door follows through from the entrance steps. The landscape setting is also symmetrical and formal in its arrangement of lawns, paths and cypresses. The School's location was chosen because of the proximity to the arboretum at Westbourne Woods. In 1965 the School's educational role was taken over by the Australian National University and in 1975 its research activities were transferred to the CSIRO (Commonweath Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) which has since occupied the building. This photograph is from an album that was held at the London office of the ANU over the period 1949 to 1952. The album was used to inform prospective staff about Canberra. These images are part of the series produced by the Department of Information and kept at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra. National Archives holdings in this series have gaps and some images may be held only at the ANU Archives.