Building a city

Kingston Foreshore was once the industrial heart of Canberra.

During the 1920s when construction of the city was in full swing, it was where many of Canberra’s building materials were made, from timber and bricks to concrete pipes.

Along with these industrial plants, Kingston Foreshore was also home to vital services. The Transport Department depot housed buses, Commonwealth cars, ambulance and the fire brigade. The Printers Office produced the parliamentary and departmental papers essential for running the Federal Government, and from 1927 was connected to Parliament House through an intricate system of tubes and pipes which transported materials for printing, editing and distribution.

Most importantly, Kingston Foreshore was home to the Power House, Canberra’s generator of industrial and domestic power. When it was completed in 1914 the Kingston Power House was a landmark in its rural surroundings, signalling the beginning of the city to come.