How did the Molonglo River influence Canberra’s design?

The Molonglo River was central to the design of Canberra, as the winning plan by architect Walter Burley Griffin utilized the river's floodplain as a primary landscape feature.1

Griffin’s design focused on an east-west axis centered on the river, which was dammed to create Lake Burley Griffin. This ornamental lake serves as a major landscape element, effectively dividing the city's residential suburbs, which were laid out to the north and south of the water. By incorporating the river into the city's core, the design established a strong landscape emphasis that remains a defining characteristic of Canberra's central basin. Additionally, the deep alluvial soils found along the banks of the Molonglo have historically served as a source for the city's garden topsoil.213