The transformation of Gungahlin Homestead from a scientific research facility to a thriving retirement community represents one of Canberra's most significant adaptive reuse projects. After almost 70 years as a CSIRO wildlife and ecological research facility, this remarkable site is ready for its next chapter.
Since the 1950s, the Gungahlin site has been home to groundbreaking environmental research. The original paddocks were repurposed to support scientific activities and additional buildings were erected to accommodate research needs.
Many of the trees planted during the CSIRO period display their botanical names - a living library that we are preserving as part of the site's scientific heritage.
This period of the site's history has left us with a unique collection of buildings and landscapes that tell the story of Australian scientific achievement. These now form the thriving commercial campus that is Crace Business Park.
With CSIRO's tenure ending in 2025, we are now in the planning phase of our development. Market evidence has demonstrated that there is no future demand for scientific research uses on this site, making residential development the most viable path forward for preserving the site's heritage assets.
The ACT Government has identified an existing shortfall of retirement living options that is forecast to significantly worsen over the next decade. Development of the new community will contribute much-needed retirement living choices for Canberra, particularly in the Gungahlin, Belconnen and Inner North Districts where the shortage is most acute.
By enabling residents to transition from independent to assisted living within the same community, we are creating a model that supports aging in place while maintaining connections to neighbouring North Canberra communities.
