The Federal Capital Commission (FCC) was an agency of the Australian government formed to construct and administer Canberra from 1 January 1925. The Chief Commissioner of the body was Sir John Butters.
The FCC followed the Federal Capital Advisory Committee, which had overseen the commencement of the construction of Canberra from 1921 following the termination of the contract of Walter Burley Griffin. The FCC was to prepare Canberra for the arrival of 1,100 civil servants and their families.
During the first 2 years of FCC operation Parliament House, The Lodge, the Albert Hall, the Institute of Anatomy, and the Australian School of Forestry and an Observatory on Mount Stromlo were completed. The FCC also oversaw construction of the Sydney and Melbourne commercial buildings in the City and significant residential development.
The FCC was disbanded on 1 May 1930 following the start of the great depression in 1929. Development after this point was not centrally planned until the establishment of the National Capital Planning and Development Committee in 1938.
Predecessors and successors of the FCC:
- 1921-1924: Federal Capital Advisory Committee
- 1938-1957: National Capital Planning and Development Committee
- 1958-1989: National Capital Development Commission and the National Capital Planning Committee
- since 1989: National Capital Authority
Read more about Federal Capital Commission: Federal Capital Architectural Style
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