A century ago on Tuesday, the weather was cool, the landscape was rugged and alcohol was banned at the official naming of Canberra.
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One hundred years later, there were sunshine, champagne, fainting and a bit of irreverence, as Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and a host of other VIPs and descendants gathered to recreate the ceremony at Canberra's foundation stone.
Footage from the original ceremony shows soldiers on horseback, and young cadets from the recently established Duntroon.
Many of these men would, in just two years, be killed or wounded at Gallipoli, or later on the Western Front. On Tuesday, it was Australia's Federation Guard that provided all the pomp and ceremony, although the relative heat proved too much for some. At least five soldiers wilted during the ceremony, and had to be escorted off the field.
It was also noted that, although it has become almost second nature to include a Welcome to Country or acknowledgment of the land's traditional owners at any official event, Aboriginal people did not figure in the original ceremony.
But Ms Gillard pointed out that the name chosen for the capital was forward-looking.
''At a time when Britain was still home, the federal generation was astute enough to give this place an Aboriginal name, a wise and evocative choice,'' she said.
''So it was on this hill 100 years ago that Lady Denman drew a card from her gold cigarette case and named this city Canberra, the world's newest capital on the world's oldest continent. The naming of Canberra completed a remarkable quartet of events - the idea, the site, the plan, the name.''
Governor-General Quentin Bryce spoke of how her 1913 counterpart, Lord Thomas Denman, had stood in the same spot and given what was generally agreed to have been the best speech of his time in Australia.
He had also wowed the crowd by pronouncing one of the more fanciful names suggested for the capital.
''He delighted his audience … by daring to pronounce one of the bizarre suggestions for the name of the new capital city, which combined the first syllable of every state capital,'' Ms Bryce said. ''I'm not even going to attempt to echo this!''
She did, however, call on her own spouse, Michael Bryce, to join her at the podium to provide the correct pronunciation of the capital's chosen name.
History has recorded that on the day of Canberra's official naming, nobody could agree on how to pronounce ''Canberra'', and it was left to the unwitting Lady Denman to settle the dispute.
''On a day of recalling, and remembering, it's only appropriate, I think, that my husband, Michael Bryce, should assist,'' Ms Bryce said, motioning for her husband to join her.
''The pragmatic decision, finally reached, was that whatever pronunciation Lady Denman used on the day would become the official version,'' Mr Bryce said.
''And so it was, as the history books inform us, on this centenary day, Canberra it remains.''
Minister for Regional Affairs Simon Crean spoke of his 1913 equivalent, the legendary King O'Malley, who as minister for home affairs was instrumental in helping decide the winner of Canberra's design.
He was also a famous teetotaller, and had banned alcohol for the foundation ceremony.
Thankfully, Mr Crean had made no such requirements, and guests were served champagne to help toast the capital's birthday.
Leading the toast, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher spoke of Canberra as ''a city with two lives - firstly as the purpose-built capital of the nation, the other our home''.
''We are proud of our nation's capital … we are proud of what has been achieved in our first 100 years, and we are excited about the next.''