1921 - 1924 Federal Capital Advisory Committee

Role: To advise the Minister of Home Affairs on the Construction of Canberra and Review the Griffin Plan.

Sir John Sulman, an Australian architect (chairman); an engineer; the Director-General of Works and the Surveyor-General.

The Committee proposed that Canberra be developed in three stages. The first stage, to take three years, would see the Parliament and key administrative staff moved from Melbourne and housed in Canberra. The second stage, to be carried out over the next three years, would see the transfer to Canberra of some government departments, construction of an additional railway connection, and construction of some permanent architectural and engineering works. No time limit or estimated cost was provided for the third stage which would provide character and permanence to the capital. The government accepted the Committee's recommendations but little progress on development was made.

The first sod for the Provisional Parliament House was turned on 28 August 1923. The building was located below and in front of the site designated for the Parliament House in Griffin's plan. A construction railway began to operate between the brickworks in Yarralumla and the major building sites and a passenger service to Canberra via Queanbeyan was inaugurated in October 1923. The first land auction for residential and business sites was held in December 1924 shortly before the Advisory Committee was abolished because of dissatisfaction with the pace of development. At this time, Canberra had about 3,000 residents, mostly workmen and their families living in camps and under canvas.