Commencement Column Foundation Stone

However, the laying of the segments of stone was not the most important part of the ceremonies in 1913.

After the stone base was laid, a dais was placed over it and Lady Denman stepped up, accompanied by her husband, Andrew Fisher and King O’Malley.

Opening a gold cigarette case passed to her by Mrs. O’Malley, Lady Denman pulled from it a slip of paper on which the name for the Federal Capital was inscribed: Canberra.

This is the reason that the 12 March is celebrated in the ACT as Canberra Day.

On 12 March 1988, 75 years after the segments of stone were laid by the Prime Minister (Andrew Fisher), the Governor-General (Lord Thomas Denman) and the Minister for the Federal Territory (King O’Malley) another ceremony took place.

Originally located in scrub near the summit of Kurrajong (later Capital Hill), the Commencement Column Foundation Stone was relocated to a central position on Federation Mall to allow construction of Parliament House. The original site, on the forecourt of Parliament House, is marked with a bronze plaque.

At the new location those original segments of the memorial were relaid – by the Prime Minister (Bob Hawke), the Governor-General (Sir Ninian Stephen) and the Minister for the Arts and Territories (Gary Punch).

The significance of this stone is demonstrated by there being Heritage Management Plan for it.