The estate is owned by Canberra company Crace Holdings and is being rejuvenated as the community hub for an inspiring future retirement precinct built on regenerative design principles. Gazetted in the 1830s, the estate pre-dates the founding of Australia’s national capital. The Homestead's original north wing was built in 1865 by William Davis and the building was significantly extended by Edward
Kendall Crace in 1883. Listed on the Commonwealth Heritage Register, Gungahlin Homestead is a rare example of the rural estates that characterised the earliest days of Colonial Australia before Federation, ranking in significance alongside the Governor-General’s residence at Yarralumla and the Royal Military College at Duntroon. For more than 70 years, the property served as a wildlife research centre for CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, and was closed to the public. Today, Canberra has grown up around the Georgian-Victorian manor which is only minutes from the civic centre. Since taking possession of the 36-hectare site in July 2025, Canberra development company Crace Holdings has made the contemporary campus outbuildings available to the public as Crace Business Park, Canberra’s newest commercial address. Today, Crace Holdings is progressing plans to protect and revitalise Gungahlin Homestead and reimagine it as the centrepiece of a vibrant new retirement lifestyle and community. The Company’s vision will secure the future of one of the ACT's most valuable heritage assets, address the growing shortage of retirement lifestyle options, and provide an iconic destination for the whole of Canberra to enjoy.
