Although most countries in the Commonwealth derive their town planning systems from British practice and legislation, the process of transfer has received relatively little attention. Based mainly upon material in the early town planning journals, this article proposes an explanatory model, comprising colonial status, type of activity, implementation mechanism and geographical location. It also examines the colonial work of two garden city planners: Charles Reade (1883–1933) in South Australia, Malaya and Northern Rhodesia, and Albert Thompson (1878–1940) in South Africa and Nigeria. Conflicts between town planning and the political realities of colonial rule are considered, particularly the opposition of local colonial administrators to outside advice and the segregationist principles underpinning colonial rule. Finally, some directions for future research are suggested.