The National Capital Authority (NCA) is a
statutory authority of the
Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
that was established to manage the Commonwealth's interest in the planning and development of
Canberra as the capital city of
Australia.
Timeline of the NCA and preceding bodies:
* 1921–1924: Federal Capital Advisory Committee (FCAC)
* 1925–1930: Federal Capital Commission (FCC)
* 1930–1938: No body in existence
* 1938–1957: National Capital Planning and Development Committee (NCPDC)
* 1958–1989: National Capital Development Commission (NCDC)
* 1989–present: National Capital Authority (NCA)
1921–1924: Federal Capital Advisory Committee (FCAC)
The FCAC oversaw the construction of Canberra from 1921 to 1924 following the termination of the contract of architect
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia's capital city and the New South Wales towns of Griffith and Leeton. He has been cr ...
.
The Committee was chaired by Australian architect Sir
John Sulman
Sir John Sulman (29 August 1849 – 18 August 1934) was an Australian architect. Born in Greenwich, England, he emigrated to Sydney in 1885. From 1921 to 1924 he was chairman of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee and influenced the develop ...
, and advised the Minister of Home Affairs on the Construction of Canberra and conducted a review of the Griffin Plan. The Committee proposed that development should take place in three stages:
* Stage one, which was to take three years, would see the transfer of Parliament and key administrative staff moved from Melbourne to Canberra.
* Stage two, also to take three years, would include the construction of railways in addition to other key buildings
* Stage three would create character and permanence in the capital.
The Committee was largely unsuccessful in achieving its aims, for example Parliament did not move to Canberra until 1927, and no permanent rail connection between
Sydney, Canberra and