History of Gungahlin

A brief History

There are two favoured origins of the word 'Gungahlin'. Edward Crace gave the name 'Goongarline' to the new homestead he built in 1862 (Gungahlin Homestead). The Aboriginal word is said to mean 'white man's house'. The spelling, however, evolved in stages over the years to 'Gungahlin'.

Another story is that Gungahlin derived its name from an Aboriginal woman who used to repeat the word over and over, and as far as anyone could ascertain meant 'wonderful' or 'beautiful'.

No matter which version is correct, one thing that is for sure is that the Gungahlin area is rich in Aboriginal and natural heritage. Several special sites, including five Aboriginal tool making sites, and a clay pit of archaeological significance in the Gungahlin Pond area, have been identified and are preserved and protected by the ACT Government.

Before Gungahlin was developed, much of the area was covered by farmland. The historic Gold Creek Homestead serves as a reminder of the region's history, and a tribute has been paid to the areas original inhabitants in the naming of Ngunnawal, with the suburb deriving its moniker from the Aboriginal Ngunnawal tribe. The tribe members were the first inhabitants of the Canberra region, and artifacts at a rock shelter near Birrigai (in South Canberra) date back some 20,000 years.

Crinigans' Ruin - Ginninderra Creek (near Amaroo)

John Crinigan was born in Westmeath, Ireland in 1817. Convicted in 1836 of "assaulting habitation", he was transported to Sydney at the age of 19 and was assigned to "Palmerville", a large property to the south of the Crinigans' ruin.

He is believed to have built the 3 roomed stone cottage at the time of his marriage to Maria Mansfield, in 1842, two years before being granted his ticket of leave.

The house was occupied until the mid 1870's. During this time there would have been some 40 settlers along the Ginninderra Creek.