Rusten House began life in 1862 as Queanbeyan’s second hospital. It accommodated 16 patients, with care provided by Matron Rusten and her husband. When a larger hospital opened nearby in the 1930s, Rusten House was converted into nurses’ quarters.

Heritage-listed, beautifully-conserved Rusten House is now a contemporary art and cultural facility. Today we attended the opening of a small but impactful exhibition of feminist posters dating from the 70s and 80s, some of which I remember from my activist youth. Lunch was served in the garden and we enjoyed the company of a friend and her daughter. I snuck away to sketch and missed the speeches.