On this day in 1976, more than 100 people gathered to bid a farewell to the Hotel Acton. The hotel had been a home to many of them and a workplace to many others. The hotel hosted a party and many of people who had lived there returned to mark its closure.
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Hotel Acton had been the starting point for many who came in Canberra looking for a new life. Both staff members and residents stated that the Acton always had a familial atmosphere. It was viewed as a place where lasting friendships were made.
The Acton's location was also highly attractive as it was in close proximity to the city and was set beside the lake and wide grass areas. It was built in the mid-1920s and operated as a "dry" hotel.
In its nearly 50-year run, the hotel had also housed the ACT police headquarters (three cells were built there in the 1940s), a university college and the headquarters of the prices commission during World War 2. It was one of few places in Canberra that catered to newcomers with families who wanted a longer term stay.
John Brown, a resident who has been at the hostel for three years, spent 18 years in Commonwealth hostels in Canberra and stated that when he moved to the Acton "the nomad had found a home"; he felt his moving days were behind him.
Much like the other residents, Brown was disappointed that the Acton was closing and it had upset him further when he was given three weeks notice. He felt that the notice period should have been longer for residents.
Jack Walsh, who came back to Acton 18 years after first arriving in Canberra, was still friends with numerous people he met at the Acton.
Victoria Petelczyc, a staff member at the Acton, said "I worked for 20 managers and I haven't had any trouble with anybody ... I think I live here more than I do at home".
