Lake Burley Griffin

Lake Burley Griffin

Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River was dammed. The lake is an ornamental body with a length of 11 kilometres and a width, at its widest, of 1. 2 kilometres. It has an average depth of 4 metres and a maximum depth of about 18 metres near the Scrivener Dam.

About Lake Burley Griffin in brief

Summary Lake Burley GriffinLake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River was dammed. The lake is an ornamental body with a length of 11 kilometres and a width, at its widest, of 1. 2 kilometres. It has an average depth of 4 metres and a maximum depth of about 18 metres near the Scrivener Dam. Numerous important institutions, such as the National Gallery, National Museum, National Library, Australian National University and the High Court were built on its shores. Its surrounds, consisting mainly of parklands, are popular with recreational users, particularly in the warmer months. Though swimming in the lake is uncommon, it is used for a wide variety of other activities, including rowing, fishing, and sailing. It is located in the approximate geographic centre of the city, and is the centrepiece of the capital in accordance with Griffin’s original designs. The lakes were deliberately designed so that their orientation was related to various topographical landmarks in Canberra. In 1911, a competition for the design of Canberra was launched. American architect Walter Burley. Griffin won the contest and was invited to Australia to oversee the construction of the nation’s new capital after the judges’ decision was ratified by King O’Malley, the Minister for Home Affairs. Griffin’s proposal was designed with many geometric motifs, so that the axes of his design lined up with natural geographical landmarks in the area. However, government authorities changed his original plans and no substantial work was completed before he left Australia in 1920.

The Lake was formally inaugurated on 17 October 1964 and is located on the site where Parliament House is now. It can be maintained through the release of water from Googong Dam, located on an upstream tributary of the Molongslo River. The water levels can also be maintained by the release from the Googongs Dam, which is on the other side of the River Molongsa, on the opposite side of Canberra from the city centre. In times of drought, the lake’s target water level was not reached until April 1964, and it is not known when the lake will be fully full again. The area was selected for the lake because of its ability to store water for ornamental purposes at reasonable cost. Charles Robert ScriVENer recommended the site for Canberra in 1909, which was to be a planned capital city for the country. He showed that the topography could be used to create a lake through flooding. His detailed survey of the area was supplied to the competing architects. It showed in grey an area representing an artificialLake and four possible locations for a dam to create it. Most of the proposals took the hint and included artificial bodies of water. The lakes stretched from east to west and divided the city in two; a land axis perpendicular to the central basin stretched along Anzac Parade across the northern banks of Capital Hill. This was designed that stood directly at the foot of Mount Ainslie, the southwestern foot of the War Memorial.