The Canberra community is mourning the loss of one of its most cherished living historians, Dawn Waterhouse, who passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 28, 2025. She was 102 years old, having celebrated her birthday just a fortnight earlier on December 15.
A Life Intertwined with Canberra's Story
Dawn Waterhouse spent an incredible 99 of her 102 years residing in the national capital, making her a vibrant, personal connection to the city's earliest days. She often described Canberra as feeling like "her sister," as they grew up together from infancy. Her remarkable life spanned seminal events, from the opening of the original Parliament House in 1927 and the Manuka Pool in 1931, to living through both the Great Depression and the COVID-19 pandemic in Canberra.
Born Allison Dawn Calthorpe in Queanbeyan in 1923, her family moved to 24 Mugga Way in Red Hill when she was just three years old. That home, completed in 1927, is now the public museum known as Calthorpes' House. It remains furnished with original items, offering a unique window into early Canberra life. Her mother, Della, lived there until 1979.
Family, Community, and Aerogard
Dawn's life was deeply connected to family and service. In 1944, she married entomologist Douglas Waterhouse, whom she met while both were working at the CSIRO. Douglas is famed for inventing the fly repellent that later became Aerogard, and Dawn worked alongside him on his pioneering blowfly experiments. Their wedding reception was held at her childhood home on Mugga Way.
The couple had four children: Jill, Douglas, Jonathon, and Gowrie. Dawn was a constant, supportive presence in the community, watching Lake Burley Griffin fill as the family built their home in Deakin. She was a mainstay at local school fetes, Legacy events, and Red Cross activities.
A Legacy of Preservation and Honour
Mrs Waterhouse's dedication to preserving Canberra's heritage was formally recognised on numerous occasions. In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, she received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to community history. She was awarded a plaque on the ACT Honour Walk in 2018 and was named a "local treasure" by the ACT Heritage Council back in 2006.
Her contributions were practical and enduring. She served on the Friends Management Committee for the National Museum of Australia, was a long-term friend of the Wattle Day Association, and had been a member of the Canberra and District Historical Society since 1978.
In her later years, Dawn expressed some concern over Canberra's changing landscape, feeling it was becoming overwhelmed by concrete. Yet, her foundational pride never wavered. She would, with characteristic conviction, state: "I'm so proud I'm a Canberra girl." With her passing, the city loses a direct, passionate link to its own creation story.
