History of Gorman

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Wisteria vines growing on the terrace at Hotel Ainslie (Gorman House)

Early wisteria planting at Gorman House. 1926, Mildenhall Collection

A black and white glass plate image of a dark horse pulling construction supplies on site at Gorman House.

Construction of Gorman House. 1924, Mildenhall Collection

A black and white image of a mid-1920's dining hall, with wooden chairs surrounding tables with cloths and table settings.

Dining Hall at Gorman House. 1926, Mildenhall Collection.

Where we started…

Located on Ngunnawal Country, Gorman House was built in 1924 as a hostel for Commonwealth Public Servants. As the place of first contact for so many Canberrans, Gorman House featured strongly in the social history of Canberra, particularly during the city’s early development as the Federal Capital of Australia. Thousands of people lived at Gorman House during its 48 years as a hostel. Ex-residents remember it warmly for its atmosphere of camaraderie and for its simple but graceful design.

Now a lively and centrally located Arts Centre, Gorman House is important in a new way to the Canberra community.

Explore our dedicated galleries and recollections from each era of our building’s history in the above menu, or read our short history below by writer Stephanie Greene.

A Short History

Submit your stories

If you have a digital submission for the our archive please use the submit button below to upload your files.

For more information about the project or information on how to submit physical objects, artworks, documents and photos please contact marketing@ainslieandgorman.com.au or get in touch via our main office 02 6182 0000

Photo: Emma White, with permission from the National Library of Australia

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