Opening of the Pauline Griffin Health and Wellbeing Centre

On Wednesday 30 October 2024, the University celebrated the naming of the “Pauline Griffin Health and Wellbeing Centre” in recognition of our former ANU Pro Chancellor and her contributions to the ANU. This is part of an initiative to redress the gender imbalance of building names on campus.  

The ANU Archives hold a collection of records on Pauline Griffin, including a series of papers that cover many aspects of her career and exceptional contributions to the history and legacy of ANU. Ms Griffin’s impressive career includes time as a social worker and personnel manager, and later as an industrial relations commissioner and ANU Pro-Chancellor and member of the ANU Council. Papers held by the Archives include correspondence, speeches, reports, photographs and two audiotapes of presentations. 

Did you know, this isn’t the first ANU building named about Pauline Griffin? The original Student Union Building, constructed in 1963, was renamed in honour of Pauline. However, due to workplace and safety standards, this building was demolished in 2018 to make way for the new Research School of Social Sciences Building. Prior to demolition the building and its use was documented and is available on the ANU Heritage webpage. More history of the original Pauline Griffin building is available at this exhibition highlight.   

Find out more about this occasion in the ANU Reporter article.