Calthorpes' House

Calthorpes' House is a heritage-listed house located at 24 Mugga Way, Red Hill, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.[1]

Calthorpes' House
General information
StatusUsed as a museum
TypeResidence
Address24 Mugga Way
Town or cityRed Hill, ACT
CountryAustralia
Completed1927
Design and construction
Architect(s)Ken Oliphant
Architecture firmOakley and Parkes
Official nameCalthorpes House
Designated25 March 1986
Reference no.13374

It was built in 1927 for Harry and Dell Calthorpe.[2] Harry Calthorpe was a partner in Calthorpe and Woodger, a successful Queanbeyan-based stock and station and real estate agency.[3] The house was designed by Ken Oliphant of Oakley and Parkes, the architectural firm responsible for the residence of the Prime Minister of Australia, The Lodge.[4][5] Sir Charles Rosenthal had initially been selected to design the house; however, his plans were not used.[3]

Harry Calthorpe died at age 59 in 1950, and Dell Calthorpe remained in the house until her death in 1979. The house and its contents had remained largely unchanged for many years, and both the Calthorpe family and historians recognised its historical value and later, potential for a house museum. It was purchased by the Government of Australia in late 1984, and was opened as a museum in 1986. It continues to operate as a museum today.[3][6][2]

Calthorpes' House is a snapshot of domestic life for a family of four in a late 1920s three-bedroom Canberra house, however it is not entirely representative, given the larger than average house and garden,[7] and there have been some minor changes and additions over time. There is an air raid shelter behind the house which is still preserved, and was built in response to the risk of bombing of Canberra during the war.[8]

It was added to the Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register on 27 September 1996 and to the former Register of the National Estate on 25 March 1986.[9][1]

References
  1. "Calthorpes House, 24 Mugga Way, Red Hill, ACT, Australia (Place ID 13374)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. 25 March 1986. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  2. "Calthorpes' House". Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  3. "Calthorpes' House Conservation Management Plan" (PDF). Canberra Museums and Galleries. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  4. "About". Calthorpes' House. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  5. "Ken Oliphant". Canberra House. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  6. "Calthorpe House: The Way We Were". CityNews. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  7. Bickford, Anne (1987). "Introduction". Calthorpes' House museum guide. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service (Department of Territories). p. 22. ISBN 0644064854.
  8. Bickford, Anne (1987). "The residents of Calthorpes' House". Calthorpes' House museum guide. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service (Department of Territories). p. 22. ISBN 0644064854.
  9. "Calthorpes' House" (PDF). ACT Heritage Register. ACT Heritage Council. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
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