Look down from here upon the lost history of the Molonglo Valley.
At the turn of the twentieth century this valley was dotted with
homesteads and the cottages of tenant farmers and shepherds of the
larger estates Duntroon and Yarralumla. The Molonglo River made its
winding course through this shallow valley, and made a tight left
hand turn at the foot of Black Mountain, where Parkes Way now runs
towards Tuggeranong and Belconnen. Sullivans Creek ran into the
Molonglo near what is now known as Black Mountain Peninsula, which
at that time was a low ridge that ran directly north-south to the
river, north-east of Yarralumla House and west of Springbank
cottage on what is now Springbank Island.
Acton House on Acton Peninsula was the home of Arthur and Salome
Brassey. The imposing Glebe House was, for a time, the home of the
Rev Arthur Champion, but sadly was not saved from demolition.
Corkhill’s cottage was sited close to the site of the National
Library, while Cameron’s cottage was closer to the river and is now
under the waters of Lake Burley Griffin.
These were busy times for farmers, and for their wives it was
not uncommon to bear eight or ten children, to die in childbirth,
or to lose a husband and become a young widow.
When this region was chosen in 1908 as the site for the capital
of the new nation, there was resentment amongst landholders whose
holdings were forcibly resumed. Many previously well tended houses
became derelict and fell into disrepair. Others were deliberately
demolished when Lake Burley Griffin came into being in 1963.
Today only a handful of buildings remain from this early period
of settlement on the Limestone Plains. Along the valley of the
Molonglo six original structures remain. The easternmost is the
magnificent Duntroon House built by George Campbell, son of Robert
Campbell, who was one of the first settlers on the Limestone
plains. Close by is Duntroon Dairy, the oldest standing structure
in Canberra.
To the extreme west of the basin is Yarralumla House, now the
residence of the Governor General. Blundell’s cottage remains as an
example of the modest dwelling of the tenant farmer or employee,
saved thanks to the protests of concerned citizens. St John’s
Schoolhouse and the simple local church were located further from
the lake and were saved. Still further from the lake is Mugga
Mugga, a modest cottage built in the 1830s for the head shepherd of
the Duntroon estate.
Take a moment to imagine this valley one hundred years ago,
before the lake covered many cottages and before the construction
of Burley Griffin’s symmetrical plan for the city of Canberra.
Hope you enjoy the view.