University House at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...

(ANU) is the oldest

residential college A residential college is a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship ...

in ANU. It opened in 1954 for the faculty, staff, and postgraduate students of ANU. University House is also listed as a

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...

site by ANU, the

Royal Australian Institute of Architects The Australian Institute of Architects, officially the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (abbreviated as RAIA), is Australia's professional body for architects. Its members use the post-nominals FRAIA (Fellow), ARAIA (Associate Member) an ...

and the

Government of Australia The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national Executive (government), executive government of Australia, a federalism, federal Parliamentary system, parliamentary con ...

and is a nominee for heritage listing by the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

. University House hosts various functions, a faculty club, and serves as a hotel and residence for postgraduate students. On Monday 20 January 2020, Canberra experienced a destructive hailstorm which resulted in extensive building damage at the ANU Acton campus, with most buildings impacted, including University House. The subsequent, and otherwise welcome, rain of 9-10 February caused substantial further water ingress. The storm and rain damaged the roof, electrical circuits, and disabled the fire system of University House. Many public rooms, hotel and student rooms, and some service areas also suffered hail or water damage. The scale of repairs, coordination with the refurbishments that were to begin in 2020, and the need for heritage and building code compliance, together mean an extended period of repair and refurbishment. The University is fully committed to reopening University House, and extensive repairs are now underway. Reopening is scheduled for late 2025.

History

University House was first planned in 1947 and was designed by Brian Lewis. Intended at the time to hold the Schools of Social Sciences and Pacific Studies as well as a Faculty Club, library and various accommodations and offices, it was later revised to serve specifically as housing for faculty and students. The foundation stone for the building was placed in 1949. During construction, in 1950, it was decided that the University House would also hold

modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...

. The building was ceremonially opened for occupancy by

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

on 16 February 1954. In its early years, initially intended to follow the

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford, Universities of Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collect ...

collegiate system, students were required to attend regular seminars and a daily formal dinner at the hall with the faculty. Since the 1970s this fashion became unpopular reflected by the reduction of students residing at the House. The Oxbridge inspired system was therefore discontinued. In 2001, the House turned parts of the building into hotel to accommodate academic guest, visiting scholars, and general public. In 2002, another residence, Graduate House, was incorporated into the University House system although separate routine and daily administration including its identity and admission remain mostly untouched. Traditional Oxbridge formal dinners are available for members, students and faculty every Wednesday evening (so called "House Dinner") during semester time however the formality of dress is considerably relaxed to its least degree. University House has been the residence of many notable people, including

Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from December 1972 to November 1975. To date the longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), he was notable for being ...

, who moved in for a brief period in 1975 after his removal from the office of

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...

Great Hall

The Great Hall was originally the dining area for Fellows, although this use has been reduced by the creation of an adjoining restaurant, Boffins. The hall features are by

Leonard French Leonard William French OBE (8 October 1928 – 10 January 2017) was an Australian artist, known principally for major stained glass works. French was born in Brunswick, Victoria to a family of Cornish origin. His stained glass creations inc ...

, who decorated the western or rostrum end with Regeneration (1972) and was also commissioned to create The Journey series (1974) of ten paintings that also decorate the Hall.University House and Garden

References

University House and garden

University House, welcome
Australian National University {{Australian_National_University Residential colleges of the Australian National University Buildings and structures awarded the Sir John Sulman Medal 1954 establishments in Australia University and college buildings completed in 1954