---

Official Residences

• The Lodge
• Kirribilli House

The Lodge

The Lodge is the official Canberra residence of the Prime Minister and his family. It was built between 1926 and 1927 as a ‘temporary’ residence until such time as a larger house could be built.

In 1925 the Federal Capital Commission engaged Messrs Oakley and Parkes, architects from Melbourne, to prepare designs for a temporary official residence for the Prime Minister of Australia.

There was some discussion at the time as to whether three similar houses should be built: one for the Prime Minister, one for the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the third for the President of the Senate, however this proposal was abandoned. It was originally intended that the Prime Minister’s residence would be ‘occupied by him until such time as a monumental Prime Minister’s residence is constructed, and thereafter to be used for other purposes’.

The Lodge was built by a Sydney builder, Mr J G Taylor of Glebe, at a cost of £28,319. This figure included the development of the 2.8 hectare site from bare grazing land to lawns, flower beds, fruit and vegetable gardens, orchards and recreational facilities including a tennis court and croquet lawn. It further included the cost of decorating and furnishing The Lodge, under the supervision of Melbourne interior decorator, Mrs Ruth Lane-Poole.

The origin of the name 'The Lodge' is unknown, but it was in use before the first occupants, Prime Minister and Mrs Bruce, moved in on 4 May 1927. Records of the Federal Capital Commission in the early 1920s refer to the residence as ‘The Lodge’ but who suggested it remains a mystery.

In 1929 Prime Minister Scullin, declined to occupy The Lodge. Consideration was given to letting the residence but this course was not pursued. It was also suggested that the building could become the home of the National Library, or perhaps a private hospital, but nothing came from these suggestions. With the election of the Lyons Government in 1931 The Lodge was again occupied by Prime Ministers.

Apart from some redecoration to the interior, no major changes were made to The Lodge until the late 1960s when a swimming pool and courtyard were installed by Prime Minister Gorton and a native garden installed in the north east corner of the grounds. In addition, the grounds were reduced to 1.8 hectares to allow for the widening of Adelaide Avenue, a major Canberra thoroughfare. Major work was also carried out in 1977-78 to upgrade the kitchen and staff quarters and to extend the main dining room.

In 1985 under the Hawke Government, major repairs and maintenance to correct a number of serious structural and safety deficiencies were undertaken. The reception areas of The Lodge were then re-decorated in the style of the 1920s, in keeping with the historical significance of the house, with the assistance of decorator Mr David Spode. Furniture appropriate to the period has been made available by The Australiana Fund, and the National Gallery of Australia has lent a selection of works by Australian artists contemporary to the 1920s. Work on upgrading the first floor commenced in May 1988 and was completed in March 1990.

From 2000 to 2005, the reception areas of the residence were progressively refurbished with the assistance of interior designer Ms Mary Durack. The two main reception rooms, the Morning Room and Drawing Room, were redecorated in a complementary theme rather than as two distinctive areas, as was previously the case. The dining room and foyer were also refurbished.

These works were carried out under the guidance of the Official Establishments Trust. The Official Establishments Trust provides advice on the conservation and development of the Australian Government’s four official establishments: The Lodge and Government House in Canberra and Kirribilli House and Admiralty House in Sydney.

The cost of running and maintaining The Lodge is met by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from monies appropriated to it for this purpose by Parliament in the annual Budget.

Top

Kirribilli House

Kirribilli House has been the Prime Minister’s official Sydney residence since 1956.

The history of Kirribilli House began in 1854 when Adolphus Frederic Feez purchased an area of approximately half a hectare at Kirribilli Point for £200 from J L Travers who at that time owned Admiralty House, then known as ‘Wotonga’. In 1855 Feez erected a Gothic revival style residence, Kirribilli House, on the site.

From 1860 to 1919, ownership of Kirribilli House passed through the Terry, Taylor Lawry and McCrae families before it was advertised for sale on 20 June 1919. The property was purchased by Mr Arthur Allen for £10,000. When it was reported that Mr Allen planned to sub-divide the land, there was great public agitation for the house and gardens to be preserved. In response, Prime Minister Hughes gave his approval for the purchase or compulsory acquisition of the property and the land was resumed by special Commonwealth Gazette on 17 January 1920.

For some years the house was used to accommodate members of the Governor‑General’s staff when Admiralty House was being used by the Governor-General. On some occasions the Governor-General stayed there when on short visits to Sydney.

In 1930 the Commonwealth Government decided to discontinue use of Admiralty House as the residence of the Governor-General when in Sydney and subsequently Kirribilli House was leased to tenants, a practice which continued until 1953. (The decision to discontinue using Admiralty House was reversed some six years later.)

In 1956-57 the Commonwealth Government restored Kirribilli House for use as a residence for overseas guests of the Commonwealth and the Prime Minister of the day and his family. This restoration was undertaken by Mr J L S Mansfield of the firm of Fowell, Mansfield and Maclurcan. Since then, Kirribilli House has welcomed royalty, heads of state and heads of government. The first guest of the Commonwealth after the renovation was His Excellency Mr Nobusuke Kishi, Prime Minister of Japan.

A redecoration was carried out in the 1980s, with the assistance of decorator Mr David Spode.

In the late 1990s further restoration and refurbishment work was undertaken. The doorway between the drawing and dining rooms was widened and the two rooms were refurbished. In consultation with the then Australian Heritage Commission (AHC), the main staircase was reconstructed to its 1880s position in the central hallway and the hallway refurbished. In supporting this work the AHC stated it ‘believes that the move will enhance national estate values’. These works were undertaken with the assistance of heritage architect Mr Clive Lucas OBE and interior designer Ms Rosemary Lucas, under the guidance of the Official Establishments Trust.

The cost of running and maintaining Kirribilli House is met by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from monies appropriated to it for this purpose by parliament in the annual budget.