National Trust (ACT) Open Day
3 May 2025
The Rural Fire Service's echidna chatting to HHC volunteers Peter Browning & Mardie Troth at our information stand
The National Trust (ACT) Open Day is an annual event which is held during the ACT Heritage Festival. A local heritage location is identified each year to host the event and this year it was the Tuggeranong Homestead in Richardson.
The homestead was owned by a succession of prominent pastoralists over the last century, (initially a large land grant in 1827) before it was resumed by the Government prior to WWl. The most recent local family to own the homestead was the Cunningham family, also landowners at Lanyon, who lived on the property from 1858 - 1914.
In 1919 Charles Bean was commissioned by the Government to write twelve volumes on the history of Australia's part in the The Great War. He and his team relocated from the Victoria Barracks in Melbourne to a more peaceful location at Tuggeranong Homestead, which was by this stage owned by the Government. The team remained there until 1925.
Hall Heritage Centre volunteers set up an information stand which was of considerable interest to passing visitors. It was a very successful day, with in excess of 700 participants who enjoyed the dancing, food, music, information booths and demonstations of some magical old machinery.