Chapter 169: Sydney Palace
Shortly after the Cabinet meeting, under Arthur's orders, Butler Hunter began inviting various European architectural experts and searching the outskirts of Sydney for a suitable location to build the new palace.
The new palace would serve as the permanent residence and royal palace of the Australian royal family, representing the royal family's dignity and prestige abroad. Since Arthur had decided to build a new palace, he was not going to be frugal. The total budget for the construction reached five million pounds, and there was no limit on the use of indigenous labor.
The goal for this palace's construction was clear: to be as luxurious as possible without being ostentatious, to be solemn yet innovative, vast yet imposing, and, on top of quality and quantity, to use as much indigenous labor as possible to speed up the construction cycle, without burdening Australia's various other development plans.
The requirements were quite high, but with the help of a large number of European experts, many of whom had previously built palaces and royal residences for European royal families, the construction was set to be in capable hands. After more than half a month of site searches, the construction teams had scoured nearly all the outskirts of Sydney and finally found a very suitable location southwest of the city.
This site was a vast plain at the intersection of mountains and lakes. To the east were large stretches of flatlands, while to the west stood a small hill about 200 meters high. On the edge of the plain was a large lake. Based on the unique geographical environment, the construction team, after extensive research, finally confirmed the design plan for the Australian Royal Palace, also known as Sydney Palace.
The palace would take the shape of a "口" character, without the horizontal stroke at the top. The core area of the palace would be the lower stroke of the character, with two vertical parts representing the dining hall, meeting rooms, entertainment rooms, and living quarters for servants.
Each vertical part would have a protruding section at the bottom. On the left, it would connect to a large building for royal medical, educational, and entertainment purposes. It would also include a fully functional royal private hospital. On the right, there would be a circular church, where the royal family would hold significant events like baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
Extending from the right side was another large building that would serve as the residence for guests. This area would also feature a small restaurant, meeting rooms, offices, and other facilities.
In the center of the palace, the core of the "口" shape, was a large circular flower bed. In the center of the flower bed, statues of Australia's previous rulers would be placed, with planned statues of Queen Victoria and Arthur himself.
Queen Victoria was the ruler during Australia's colonial period and a key figure in the establishment of the Australian Duchy. Her statue not only represented the royal bloodline from the British Empire but also helped to garner the support of both the British people and the British government. Australia owed much of its current success to its origins in the British Empire. While Australia might eventually separate and become a fully independent and powerful nation, for now, it would not reject its royal connection to Britain.
This unique royal connection could not be compared to alliances formed merely out of mutual interests. If one day Australia found itself in conflict with its ally, the Island Nation, and the British government chose not to support Australia, it would face dissatisfaction from its own people and opposition parties. Similarly, if Australia openly sided with the British Empire's enemies without reason, the British and Australians would both lose faith in their respective governments.
Around the perimeter of the palace, or rather on the top row of the "口" shape, there would be a massive semicircular fountain. Beyond the fountain was the palace's expansive outer garden, which would be planted with numerous flowers and plants, becoming the largest garden of the palace.
To the right of the garden was a natural, vast lake. The water in the fountain and the small lakes within the palace were connected to this massive natural lake.
Beyond the lake and garden was an even larger square. The size of the square was immense, far surpassing the plaza in front of the government building. At the closest edge of the square, directly facing the palace, there would be a six-meter-high review stand, specially built for future military parades in Australia.
In front of the review stand, at the far end of the square, a stone monument depicting a sword being drawn would stand. This monument would be known as the Australian Heroes Memorial, a place to honor any hero who had contributed to the establishment and growth of Australia. It would be a place for all Australians and foreign visitors to pay their respects.
The road from the Heroes Memorial to the national flags, and then to the review stand, would be wide, flanked on both sides by flowerbeds. Below the review stand, a wide road, perpendicular to this one, would connect the square's roads, forming a T-shape.
This cross-shaped road, known as the Parade Road, would be where the military units would march and be seen by the people in the square. The vast square, divided by the road from the Heroes Memorial and national flags, would provide the best view for people to watch the parades. The square would be able to hold at least 60,000 people, making it the largest square in Australia.
Behind the palace was a small hill, about 200-300 meters high. This would be a place for royal family members to train and engage in leisure activities.
The entire royal palace, including the hill, the main building, the fountain, the lake, the garden, and the square, would cover over 400,000 square meters (40 hectares, or 0.4 square kilometers). The garden, lake, and hill in the back would cover 150,000 square meters, while the actual building area of the palace itself would be less than 100,000 square meters.
If completed, the palace would have up to 600 rooms, a full private hospital, a church, a floor dedicated to educating royal members, twenty large and small meeting rooms, six restaurants, fifty offices, and more than ten guard towers and stations on the top floor, all designed with luxury, opulence, and security.
Notably, when entering through the main gate of the palace, on the left and right was a corridor over 100 meters long. This corridor would display literary works and priceless treasures from around the world, serving as the royal family's cultural corridor.
Unfortunately, the main gate was in the most central area of the royal palace, and only royal family members and Cabinet members were allowed to enter through it. Others would need Arthur's summons, and without it, it was virtually impossible to enter through the main gate and tour the cultural corridor.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997