The Man Who Planted Canberra (Robert Macklin, NLA)
The Man Who Planted Canberra examines the life and legacy of Charles Weston, an Englishman whose extraordinary foresight and dedication transformed the landscape of Australia’s capital city through planting three million trees. Written by Robert Macklin and grounded in John Gray’s scholarly research, this biographical history offers a fresh perspective on Canberra’s origins. While popular narratives celebrate Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin – visionary architects from Chicago and disciples of Frank Lloyd Wright – and their American enabler King O’Malley, this book shifts the spotlight to Charles Weston’s pivotal role in re-greening areas of Canberra impacted by the effects of colonisation. Weston’s attention was fixed on turning the rabbit-infested Limestone Plains, the Molonglo River and the Griffin’s outlines into the lush, green environment it is today through research and experimentation with deciduous and native species. While the book highlights Weston’s achievements and influence on Australian urban planning and ecology, it offers little insight into his inner life and largely overlooks the colonial context of Canberra’s creation and the dispossession of First Nations peoples, including the care taken by the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples. The Man Who Planted Canberra compellingly conveys Weston’s efforts and lasting influence on broader trends in Australian urban planning and ecological practices. For readers interested in Canberra’s history or public green spaces, this is an illuminating account and prompts reflection on how visionary thinking can shape cities and the environments we inhabit for generations.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Michael Kitson is a bookseller, writer and academic. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews
