News and Media
15 October 2009
Caring for Defence heritage homes in Canberra
Nestled along Harrison Road at the Royal Military College (RMC) Duntroon, four historical cottages have for the past two years been receiving some much needed care from Defence Housing Australia (DHA).
Across Australia DHA manages 62 historical houses for the Department of Defence heritage homes upgrade initiative. DHA works closely with Defence to ensure these properties are cared for and refurbished with their historical significance in mind.
The four Harrison Road properties, known as the ‘Captains’ Cottages’, were built in 1912 and 1913 to house the quartermaster and captain instructors. The houses form a significant chapter in the story of Defence’s history in Canberra and following RMC tradition each house was named after its first occupant.
Today, nearly 100 years on, the heritage houses are still used as homes for Defence personnel and their families. These historic buildings have been sympathetically refurbished to bring them into line with the current housing requirements of the Department of Defence.
Over the years, the cottages have been upgraded to include modern bathrooms, kitchens and air conditioning whilst still maintaining their historical features.
This latest upgrade has seen bathroom refurbishments, new carpets and the repainting of all four houses. Cottages two, three and four have also gained some much needed living space through the addition of family rooms.
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McKenzie Cottage is the fourth of the Harrison Road houses. In addition to the upgrade, it is undergoing significant repairs to ceilings and roof structures to rooms previously affected by fire.
Outside of Canberra, refurbishments are also underway on two buildings at Victoria Barracks in Sydney. The Married Quarters known as Building 13 and Building 87, originally a hospital linen store, is currently being converted into two three-bedroom units. ‘The Bungalow’ is one of Defence’s most historic homes, built in the 1840s, and was refurbished earlier this year.
DHA has worked closely with experienced heritage architects to repair and maintain the heritage features of the houses and remains committed to caring for these historically significant buildings.