National Library building, 1960-1963

Containers:

Box 6

Component identifier:

Series 5

Content Summary:

There had been talk of a new Library building for many years and in 1960 the National Capital Development Commission allotted a site north-west of Parliament House. In 1961 the Government agreed to proposals by the Council of the Library and the Commission and the firm of Bunning and Madden were appointed as architects. The sketch plans were completed in 1962. The foundation stone was laid in March 1966 and the building was opened in August 1968.

Burmester took a strong interest in the new building from the outset and took part in many of the meetings with planners and architects. In 1961 he was especially concerned that the planned building would be too small to cope with the rapid growth of the collection and that services would suffer as a result of an inefficient relationship between reading rooms, reference services and the book collection. The series contains minutes and draft minutes, specifications, projections on the growth of the collection, and papers for meetings with the architects.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were donated by C.A. Burmester in many instalments between 1976 and 1989.

Names:

C. A. Burmester

Contents

Access and use