It took the archives 10 years of solid conservation work to restore Griffin's drawings. Originally covered in dust, dirt, soot and fingerprints, the drawings now clearly capture Griffin's vision for the territory.

The archives say there was little interest in Griffin in the 1920s and his drawings of Canberra, which won him the federal capital design competition, consequently vanished. They were found a little over 60 years ago in a crate in a Kingston shed.

The archives' assistant director of preservation Ian Batterham said the drawings were transferred to the archives for safe keeping. Griffin's 15 original drawings, as well those of three other entrants noted by judges, are held by the archives and could be publicly displayed next year.

''Because next year is the 100th anniversary of Canberra we really want to display the drawings - Canberrans really should be able to see them,'' Mr Batterham said.

Conservation scientist Bruce Ford has been employed by the archives to perform the micro-fading work on Griffin's pieces to ensure they can be displayed without being damaged.

He said the new $20,000 micro-fading machine, owned by the National Museum, is the only one in the southern hemisphere.

''The archives will want the drawings on display as much as possible during the centenary year, and the results so far have shown that is a reasonable expectation,'' Mr Ford said.

The archives' director-general, David Fricker, said the archives and the National Museum were working together to bring Griffin's works to life. Mr Fricker said the drawings made people think about what might have been, had the judges' decision gone a different way.

''We would be in a very different environment today,'' Mr Fricker said.

So why did Griffin win?

''I think that is a question for everybody to ask themselves when they come and see these exhibits next year,'' Mr Fricker said.