The name Mahkoolma is not used today, and the once proposed city site now lies across the boundary of the modern-day localities of Bookham and Burrinjuck, New South Wales.
In 1904, the Commonwealth Parliament had passed the Seat of Government Act 1904, which legislated that the new national capital of Australia would be at a location within 17 miles of Dalgety, New South Wales.
It also seems that around this time, despite their differences in political ideology, Chris Watson, the Federal Labor leader and a former Prime Minister of Australia, and Premier Curruthers were cooperating, both aiming to overturn the selection of Dalgety.
The dam also impounds the water of the smaller watercourse, Carrolls Creek, that ran through the proposed site of the capital city.
Its southernmost extent would reach the north end of the gorge through which the lower part of Carrolls Creek flowed into the Murrumbidgee.
The federal territory, the hinterland of the proposed city, was to be the area between the Murrumbidgee and the Great South Road (modern-day Hume Highway).
Vernon anticipated that a modification of the dam would be needed to allow it to provide a picturesque ornamental lake for the proposed capital city,[4][10] but without elaborating on how that would be possible.
and Industrial requirements are available at Mahkoolma, the residential suburbs must find a home on the wooded foot hills and valleys encircling the main site in all directions.
They then travelled in horse-drawn vehicles from Bowning, over the rough and boggy road, on a cold and windy winter day, with rain falling.
Chris Watson, the Labor leader and former Prime Minister, travelled in relative comfort, but only because he had borrowed a trooper's horse to ride over the rough route.
A few of the party carried on to the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Goodradigbee, and found fine scenery; but that was not the Mahkoolma site and would later be inundated by the dam.
Chris Watson and Mr Webster climbed a hill to take in the fine views, extending toward Kiandra; but for most, it was a hurried visit, with just enough time to "look across the sloping plateau toward the enveloping range of timber-covered hills, or at the dense array of dead trees, which gave the rising ground behind them such a desolate appearance",[16] while they ate damp sandwiches, in their wet clothes.
[15] A copy of Vernon's illustrated pamphlet, with Charles Coulter's watercolour sketches—one of the few reminders of Mahkoolma—is held by the National Library of Australia, in Canberra.