The National Library of Australia under construction, c. 1967, nla.obj-147040537
The National Library of Australia building located at Parkes Place, Canberra was opened on 15 August 1968 by Prime Minister John Gorton. When the building opened it was the first time since the Library moved to Canberra in 1927 that all of the collections and staff were located in one building.
Walter Bunning (1912-1977) of the architectural firm Bunning and Madden was the chief architect in association with T.E. O Mahony. The style of the building is Contemporary Classical ( Late-Twentieth Century Stripped Classical ), influenced by the work of American architect Edward Stone and the Parthenon in Greece. The building was planned to have the same amount of columns (17 x 8) but the National Capital Development Commission cut one row of columns (to 16 x 8) to save $250,000.
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âWe make no apology for giving you a budget which will entail sacrifice,â concluded the Menzies governmentâs Treasurer Arthur Fadden in September 1951, less than two months after
The Australian Financial Review started publication.
But Sir Arthurâs punishing tax assault on households and businesses was not well received by Australiaâs upstart first national newspaper.
âFADDENâS DISASTROUS BUDGET FOR 1951-52,â screamed its page one headline.
Sir Arthur Fadden arrives at Parliament House to deliver the federal budget aiming to rein in a runaway economy.Â
Harry Martin
âNo more disastrous series of financial proposals can ever have been presented to Parliament than the Budget for 1951-52,â thundered the
The cattle-farming family of a hard man in Australia s World War II political leadership have reaped more than $100million with the sale of the huge property he bought in retirement.
Cecil Looker, private secretary to WWII Prime Minister Robert Menzies and later a chief of the Melbourne and Australian Stock Exchanges, bought the 434 hectare Merri Park property at Beveridge, 35km north of Melbourne in 1966.
A hard man with a large chip on his shoulder , Mr Looker relaxed at the property with his wife Jean from 1966, according to the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
In 1968 he hosted Prince Philip at the property, holding displays of boomerang throwing, sheep shearing and dog trials.
From the Archives, 1966: Too many exits for PM in his last five-act drama
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From the Archives, 1966: Too many exits for PM in his last five-act drama
55 years ago, a weary Sir Robert Menzies told Cabinet he would resign after 16 years in power. This was more than the day the Prime Minister resigned, the Herald wrote. This was history.
By Peter Bowers
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Too many exits for star in his last five-act drama
CANBERRA, Thursday. In short, I am tired. These could have been the words of an overworked clerk after a hard day at the office.