Hotel Heritage in Canberra: History

The Hotel Kurrajong is one of Canberra's historical treasures. Completed in 1926 it stands as a prime example of architectural trends of the early Commonwealth period. Originally used as a hotel for Government employees, it is now the home of the Australian International Hotel School.

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The Hotel was Designed by JS Murdoch, the same architect who designed the original Parliament House and the Hotel Canberra (now the Hyatt). Built in a pavilion style, the Hotel Kurrajong features the elegant verandahs and radiating courtyards typical of Murdoch's designs in Canberra.

The recent renovation of the Kurrajong carefully incorporates some of the Art Deco elements of its original era. The bright cubic designs of the frieze lining the lobby wall are a good example of this style. The frieze is a copy of the original wallpaper discovered under a false ceiling during renovations in 1994. The frieze shows how Art Deco took modern art movements like Cubism and made them palatable to mass audiences and then incorporated them into everyday design.

Work on the Hotel Kurrajong began in January 1925, when the Commonwealth Government faced the formidable task of moving Parliament along with thousands of public servants from Melbourne to the capital in Canberra.

Commissioned as part of the Hotel and Hostels Program, the Kurrajong was to house public servants, Members of Parliament, casual visitors and press representatives.
Each pavilion contained shared bathrooms, a common sitting room and small guestrooms. Originally men and women were housed in separate pavilions, as were married couples.

Two new wings, now used as student residences, were added to the Hotel Kurrajong in 1936 to meet continued demand for housing in Canberra.

By the 1930s, the Kurrajong became the favoured accommodation for Labor Party politicians, as the Hotel Canberra did for United Australia Party politicians, the forerunner of the Liberal Party. The most famous resident was the Prime Minister Ben Chifley who decided to stay at the Hotel Kurrajong in preference to moving up to the Lodge.

In addition to Chifley at least four former Prime Ministers stayed at the Kurrajong. John Curtin, Australia's other war time leader; Frank Forde, Prime Minister during the 1940s; John McEwen, Country party leader and Prime Minister during the 1960s were regular guests. Even Paul Keating, Prime Minister through the 1980s and 90s, stayed at the Kurrajong during his early days in Parliament.

Other famous occupants include John Dedman, Reg Pollard, Fred Daly, Eddie Ward, and Arthur Calwell. A Department of Home Affairs memorandum indicates that over half the residents of the Hotel Kurrajong in 1931 were Members of Parliament.

Approximately a third were public servants and the rest were members of the press, Members' wives and casual visitors.

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The building was used as a hotel until 1975. It then stood vacant until 1978 when it was converted into government office space.

The Hotel Kurrajong is now home to the Australian International Hotel School.

Learn about the most prominent Hotel guest — Ben Chifley

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