Everything about Duntroon Australian Capital Territory totally explained
Duntroon is a suburb of the city of
Canberra in the
Australian Capital Territory.
History
Robert Campbell's property
Duntroon was situated on the limestone plains of
New South Wales in the area that's now covered by the ACT.
Given government compensation for the loss of his ship the
Sydney while under government charter, Robert Campbell, sent
James Ainslie to collect 700 sheep from the government flocks at
Bathurst and to go southward looking for suitable pasture.
Ainslie reached the Limestone Plains and selected a site on the slopes above the
Molonglo River where the
Royal Military College now stands. In 1825 Campbell applied for and received his grant, naming it 'Duntroon' after the family castle,
Duntrune Castle on Loch Crinan in Argyll,
Scotland.
In 1833, Campbell built 'Duntroon House' out of stone with wide verandahs. In 1862 Robert's son George added a large two-storey extension. In its final form the house contained twenty rooms and is a great example of colonial architecture. It now serves as the officer's mess for the
Royal Military College, Duntroon and is situated in the suburb of
Campbell,
Canberra.
'Duntroon House' was the centre of activity for Campbell's station. Gardens were established around the house including many exotic trees and an intricate maze was grown also a conservatory, orchard, vineyard and dairy farm were built in the surrounding area.
Duntroon was recommenced as the site for Australia's Military College by
Lord Kitchener, who had been commissioned in 1910 to report on the country's defence needs. Initially the government rented Duntroon for two years before obtaining the title to Duntroon and its surrounding 360 acres (1.5 km²) through the creation of the Australian Capital Territory.
On
June 27,
1911 the
Royal Military College opened at Duntroon.
Prisoner of War National Memorial
The Prisoner of War National Memorial is located at Duntroon. It consists of the
Changi Chapel, which was originally constructed by Australian and British prisoners of war in
Singapore in 1944. It was dismantled at the end of the war, packed away and taken to a military store in Australia. It was reconstructed using old diagrams and notes from the "architect" Hamish Cameron-Smith and unveiled in 1988 to commemorate the POW's.
Geology
In the east calcareous
Shales from the Canberra Formation is overlain by
Quaternary alluvium.
This rock is the limestone of the original title of Canberra "Limestone Plains".
The Narrabundah
Ashstone is part of this formation and can be seen in the easternmost corner.
In the higher west including Mt Pleasant is grey quartz
andesite from the Ainslie Volcanics.
Around Australian Defence Force Academy is grey
dacite from the Ainslie Volcanics.
Geology of the Australian Capital Territory covers more of the geology of the ACT.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Duntroon Australian Capital Territory'.
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