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This newspaper page contains 8 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Canberra Times
Location
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Date
Mar 12, 1963
Page
12
Canberra marks its first 50 years as a national capital celebrating its vision and public service. The speech lauds Canberra as a symbol of Australian nationhood, a centre of government learning science and national life, forged by citizens and leaders who shaped its growth and ideals.
A poetic ode to the capital’s transformation with references to a peaceful war, exploding buildings, and a future Iridge across a lake. The verse notes a noble father’s plans passed to a son and a joining of past and present to mark Canberra’s Jubilee.
The Canberra Times recalls the early era when the city rested on open fields with few roads and fences. It notes orchards and broken features once part of the landscape near the church glebe, contrasting it with today’s gardens, avenues, and modern suburb architecture.
Recalls the foundation ceremony led by Mr Hughes in a grand event at the Federal Capitol Grounds. The piece describes speeches by the Prime Minister and other dignitaries, the pledge to nation service, and notes the timing of the procession and festivities scheduled for March.
A fragmented Canberra sketch from 1938 praises the city as an emerging capital with gleaming administrative zones. The text notes urban planning, grandeur, and the hope of a modern national seat, reflecting progress and design ambitions for Australia’s capital.
The Canberra Times began as a weekly in 1926 on its present site and evolved to daily publication by 1928. It was built into a national symbol of Australia’s outlook under the Shakespeare family, with key figures A T Shakespeare C J Shakespeare and J Mo Shakespeare shaping its course.
First Press superseded after 31 years as the Canberra Times grew from a eight page early machine to a 48 page duplex system. The paper now employs over 100 staff, won the Merlad journalism award for editorial standards, and plans a larger faster press to meet city population needs.
Thomas Mitchell Shakespeare shaped Canberra journalism as a founder of the Canberra Times and a key advocate for the Federal Capital. He led the Country Press and Australian Provincial Press Association, influenced Canberra’s development, served on NSW and advisory bodies, and left a lasting institutional landmark in the newspaper.
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