Lake Burley Griffin Canberra ACT video.
Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the center of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River—which ran between the city center and Parliamentary Triangle—was dammed. It is named after Walter Burley Griffin, the American architect who won the competition to design Canberra’s city.
Griffin designed the lake with many geometric motifs. 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. Griffin’s proposal was further delayed by the Great Depression and World War II. It was not until the 1950s that planning resumed. After political disputes and consideration of other proposed variations, excavation work began in 1960 with Prime Minister Robert Menzies’ energetic backing. After the completion of the bridges and dams, the dams were locked in September 1963. However, because of a drought, the lake’s target water level was not reached until April 1964. The lake was formally inaugurated on 17 October 1964.
The lake is located in the approximate geographic center of the city. It is the centerpiece of the capital following Griffin’s original designs. Numerous vital institutions, such as the National Gallery, National Museum, National Library, Australian National University, and the High Court were built on its shores. Parliament House is a short distance away. 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 various other activities, such as rowing, fishing, and sailing.
The lake is an ornamental body with a length of 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) and a width, at its widest, of 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi). It has an average depth of 4 meters (13 ft) and a maximum depth of about 18 meters (59 ft) near the Scrivener Dam. Its flow is regulated by the 33-meter-tall (108 ft) Scrivener Dam, designed to handle floods that occur once in 5,000 years. In times of drought, water levels can be maintained through the release of water from Googong Dam, located on the Molonglo River’s upstream tributary.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Burley_Griffin
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