Hotel Kurrajong Canberra

Hotel Kurrajong Canberra first opened in 1926 at the birth of the nation's capital. It was designed by the Commonwealth Chief Architect, John Smith Murdoch, who is also famous for designing Old Parliament House. It first housed staff transferred from Melbourne to set up the new Parliament, and it continued as a residence for Members of Parliament and public servants for years to come.

Hotel Kurrajong Canberra's corridors are steeped in the capital's political history. The hotel team considers themselves proud custodians of its heritage, passionately sharing stories of its early days during guided tours. Its roots are reflected in the hotel's beautiful Art Deco décor, nostalgic ambient lighting, jazz music, and a lounge filled with books and artworks on the city's political history and leaders.

Prime Minister Ben Chifley lived at the hotel throughout his parliamentary career, including his term as Prime Minister from 1945-1949 and up until his death in 1951. He preferred the Kurrajong's comfortable, down-to-earth confines to The Lodge, enjoying the 700m walk each morning to Parliament House. Chifley is remembered for establishing the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, Trans-Australian Airlines, and Australian National University. In Chifley's most famous speech in 1949, he described the 'light on the hill'—the objective towards which he said the Australian labour movement must continually strive.