Kylie Scroope – paper for A Cultivated City: The Griffins in Australia's Capital
SYNOPSIS: [STILL NEED A TITLE]
Like many great creative figures, the archival legacy of Walter and Marion Griffin is dispersed and
fragmentary, perhaps reflecting a belief that the built output or ‘finished products’ of their careers would be
the most enduring and important testimony to their professional and personal partnership.
The National Library of Australia is one of a number of institutions in Australia and the United States that hold
archival material related to the work and lives of Walter and Marion. In particular, the National Library
collection includes the following:
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The Eric Milton Nicholls collection, comprising substantial original records maintained by the Griffins’
Australian business partner, and acquired by the Library in 2006 (it is this collection which forms the
core of the current NLA’s Canberra centenary exhibition The Dream of A Century);
The Donald Leslie Johnson collection of Walter and Marion Griffin documents; and
The Papers of Peter Harrison.
[I will add more detail about each of these collections – ie how and when they were developed/accumulated
and then acquired by the Library, and what they contain].
Of these, the Nicholls collection contains the richest records related to the Griffins, and is particularly strong
in visual/pictorial material, including many hundreds of photographs, as well as original drawings and
sketches, maps, etc. The textual records in the Nicholls collection include a small proportion of primary source
documents, such as handwritten and typed manuscripts and a small quantity of correspondence; as well as
substantial secondary source collections of news clippings, magazine and journal articles, etc.
Sadly, there is very little directly personal material about the Griffins in any of the Library’s collections,
however, the material available does allow us to better appreciate their professional work, and gain a richer
understanding of the attitudes and philosophies that underpinned it.
I will be focussing today on just a couple of aspects of the Griffins joint endeavours that are evident in these
collections. Both these themes also link directly to Walter and Marion’s views about democracy, and the
potential for architecture and urban development to embody and reflect social idealism that was
fundamental to their design for Canberra. The specific topics I will be examining are:
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Their interest in the natural environment and how built or constructed elements could be integrated
into the landscape; and
Their conviction that architecture and urban settlements could play a fundamental role in enhancing
community life.
[I will expand on both these points in more detail – ie showing particular items from the collections that
address these areas of interest – in particular – the photographs of trees, and the ‘catalogues’ of trees and
shrubs developed by Marion; and articles etc written by Walter on the latter topic].
There are many other images and themes that are revealed through the Library’s collections, and many of
these are featured in the exhibition – they encompass the Griffins’ various urban projects including city plans
for Leeton and Griffith in NSW; their remarkable incinerator designs; significant public buildings like Newman
College, Café Australia and the Capitol Theatre; Walter’s work in India, and residential projects (particularly
Castlecrag in Sydney). In many ways, the Griffins remain enigmatic figures - although much more is now
known about the scope of their professional output than was previously the case, there is still frustratingly
little we know about them as people. To me it seems, they come across as very earnest and serious figures –
no doubt this can be attributed in part to the challenges and attacks they faced (particularly in Australia), with
a public dialogue that often put them on the defensive. However, there are also brief glimpses of a lighter side
to their lives as well, and for me personally, these are perhaps the greatest ‘treasure’ contained within the
Library collections. [I will illustrate this concluding point with photos from Nicholls collection – including
Castlecrag Christmas party, open air theatre etc.]