Building Highlight - Burton & Garran Hall

Originally Burton & Garran Hall were separate residences, Burton Hall and Garran Hall. Both were constructed in 1965, from designs by architects Leith & Bartlett. 

Burton Hall was named in honour of Professor Herbert ‘Joe’ Burton, an economic historian and educationist who was the inaugural principal and chair of economic history at Canberra University College (CUC) in 1948. He oversaw the amalgamation of the CUC and the ANU and was appointed principal of the School of General Studies at the ANU, where he took a leading role in creating national undergraduate scholarships to attract the nation’s top school leavers and building residential accommodation for its many interstate students (Cornish 2007). 

Garran Hall was named in honour of Sir Robert Garran. Garran was a lawyer and very active in the Australian Federation movement before being appointed by Prime Minister Alfred Deakin as secretary of the Attorney-General's Department in 1901, making him Australia’s first public servant. Garran consistently advocated for a national university in Canberra, and he chaired the Council of Canberra University College (CUC) from 1930-53. Garran served on the Interim Council of the ANU (1946-51) and became the ANU’s very first graduate when he was awarded an honorary LL.D. in 1951.  

Both Burton Hall and Garran Hall opened in 1965 and both catered for 250 students each. Burton Hall initially consisted of two residential blocks, which were completed before the central administration, recreation and dining block. Until the dining block was completed, residents were required to take meals in the ANU Refectory located in the old Union Building (later the Pauline Griffin Building and now the site of the newly completed Research School of Social Sciences Building) (Walker 2011, p.22). 

In 1983 the two halls of residence combined to become Burton & Garran Hall.

References

Cornish, S 2007, Burton, Herbert (Joe) (1900-1983), National Centre of Biography, Australian Dictionary of Biography, accessed

Parker, R S 1981, Garran, Sir Robert Randolph (1867-1957), National Centre of Biography, Australian Dictionary of Biography, accessed

Walker, I 2021, Enriching the experience and intellectual life of the University: an overview of and reflection on the foundation and role of residential halls, colleges and lodges at the Australian National University, accessed