History

The historic Hotel Kurrajong is located in the parliamentary triangle of Canberra. The building was refurbished in 1995 in sympathy with the original concept of architect John Murdoch, and is today a heritage listed building.

The Hotel Kurrajong is Canberra's premier boutique hotel with 26 superbly-appointed rooms, an award-winning restaurant, Chifley's at the Kurrajong, and Isabella's Bar & Terrace which provides a friendly and attractive rendezvous for morning and afternoon tea or that quiet drink after work.

The Hotel's unique facilities have endeared it to many. It has been the venue for a number of significant functions in the ACT, including the Official Welcome reception in honour of the visit in March 2000 of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip.

The Hotel is steeped in history. In the early 1930's through to the "50's the 'Kurra" was home to many famous guests, most notably, former Prime Minister Ben Chifley. On the evening of June 13, 1951, Ben Chifley was working in his room at the "Kurra" when he suffered the massive heart attack that would end his life. "Chifley's at the Kurrajong" has been named in honour of this great Australian.

In 1994 the leasehold of the Hotel Kurrajong was purchased by the ACT Government to become the campus of the Australian International Hotel School, an innovative hotel management school. The building was refurbished at a cost of $13M.

The School was established to provide a facility that would educate the future leadership of the hospitality industry in the Australasia Pacific region and other parts of the developing world where the tourism industry was growing and the need for management ability is critical for success.

Visit the Kurrajong site.