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Bathurst is a large regional city located about 200 km from Sydney in the Central Tablelands. The Wiradjuri are the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters of the area. As the oldest inland settlement in Australia, Bathurst has a rich history. There are several museums in the area, including the Chifley Home and Education Centre. Located at 10 Busby Street, this is the former home of Ben Chifley and his wife, Elizabeth. Chifley was Australia’s 16th Prime Minister, and he served from 1945 to 1949.

My interest in Ben Chifley was piqued a couple of years ago when I listened to episodes of the Aussie History podcast (episodes 96, 97 & 98). These provided a great overview of Chifley’s life, his achievements, and shared some of the anecdotes which reflected his personality and the times in which he lived. Having access to a home once lived in by a Prime Minister is a rare gift. This was the only home shared by Ben and Elizabeth during their marriage. It had been purchased by Elizabeth’s father, who gave the tenancy to her upon her marriage to Ben in 1914, with full title gifted a few years later. The house was built in the 1880s, and consisted of a kitchen, sitting room, dining room, bedroom, and study. Initially, the kitchen was separate, but was later joined to the house with a pantry added to the space in-between. The laundry, bathroom, and toilet are outside the house.

The house contains an original collection of household furnishings, kitchenware and personal effects. There are many points of interest, including items given to Chifley during his political career. The rooms are also a reflection of the 1930s and 1940s in particular: there are ration cards, original floor coverings and kitchen utensils from this period. Additional resources and stories are available here, with a focus on what life was like in the 1940s.

The education centre has additional information available, and guides share stories about the Chifleys with visitors. For example, Chifley had a toaster and kettle in his parliamentary office in Canberra and would often close the door around midday for an hour, make a cuppa and cook some toast. When he was in parliament, working long into the night, he’d do the same for his supper. Parliamentary staff offered to stay back and cook something for him, but he didn’t like the thought of inconveniencing people.

In the introductory video in the education centre, one local spoke of how accessible Chifley was. When Chifley was back home (every second weekend during parliament) people would call around or catch him working in his vegetable patch — they’d pop their head over the fence. One man had a matter that he needed help with, and he knocked on the front door. Elizabeth answered but said that Ben wasn’t available as he was having his bath. Ben called out, asking Elizabeth who it was and what it was about. He said that the man could come through, as the matter couldn’t be resolved otherwise. Ben listened to the issue and assisted in resolving it.

Chifley died in Canberra in 1951; Elizabeth survived him and died in this home in 1962. Her estate included bequests to St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church. This included the Busby Street house; her companion, Mrs Isabel Clark, continued to live there until her death in 1969. The property was bought by Bathurst City Council, including the contents, and the Chifley Home was opened as a house museum in 1973.

Ben Chifley’s time in politics spanned decades, and his legacy includes suburbs named Chifley in Sydney and Canberra, along with Chifley Tower and Chifley Square in Sydney. One of the locomotives that was driven by Chifley when he was an engine driver is preserved on a plinth at the Bathurst railway station. Ben was 17 years old when he joined the railways; by 24 he was the youngest first class locomotive driver, which was a prestigious position. An overview of his political legacy can be found in the Australian Dictionary of Biography entry.

You can find out more about the Chifley Home and Education Centre here.

Photo: dresser in the Chifley Home, Bathurst