This unassuming little cottage near the shore of Lake Burley Griffin is a reminder of a time before the national capital was even conceived. Built around 1860, the cottage was originally part of the Campbell family’s 32,000acre ‘Duntroon’ estate and was home to tenant farm workers such as the Ginn family, the original residents of 14 years, then to the Blundell family whose home it was for 60 years.
The cottage is an historic relic and is now framed by the Parliamentary Triangle. Here visitors can enter the old cottage and enjoy a close encounter with history. Contained within Blundells Cottage are many fascinating items. Make sure to find the intriguing rabbit poisoning cart – an ingenious device to bury poisoned apples or grain to kill off the rabbits, which were often found in plague proportions in the area.
Blundells Cottage
Wendouree Drive, Campbell
Open Saturday from 11.30am-2.30pm for general visitors with two scheduled tours, one at 11.30am and one at 1pm. With numbers limited, bookings are recommended.
Phone: National Capital Exhibition (02) 6272 2902
Website: www.nationalcapital.gov.au
Disabled access is limited.
The name Canberra was associated with this area well before Lady Denman officially named the city in 1913. It was stated on the birth certificate of Gertrude Ginn, who, in 1865, was the first child born in what is now known as Blundells Cottage.
The Blundell family had eight children to feed, so in 1888 when the farmhouse was extended they included a large bread oven on the side of the building. This was quite rare for those times.
