Institute of Anatomy, Acton, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Abstract

View of the front entrance of the building created to house the anatomy collection donated to the nation by Sir Colin Mackenzie in 1922. Designed by W. Hayward Morris with the assistance of Robert Casboulte and Malcolm Moir, the Institute was completed in 1930. Architecturally, it is an example of Art Deco style as seen in the fluted pilasters along the façade that flanks the curved entrance bay. All the capitals are carved with goannas among ferns and waratahs, and are examples of the building's many decorative elements inspired by Australian animals and plants.The Institute is set within a planting of evergreen hedges, conifers, lawns and prunus trees. It served as a natural history museum and a resource for research into human nutrition until December 1985. It is now occupied by ScreenSound Australia: the National Screen and Sound Archive. This photograph is from an album that was held at the London office of the Australian National University over the period 1949 to 1952. The album was used to inform prospective staff about Canberra. These images are part of the series produced by the Department of Information and kept at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra. National Archives holdings in this series have gaps and some images may be held only at the ANU Archives.