The Glebe Estate Office, also known as the Glebe Estate Project, was created to implement Commonwealth Act No. 35 of 1974, otherwise known as the Glebe Lands (Appropriation) Act of 1974. By virtue of this Act, the Federal government decided to purchase the Glebe Estate, properties owned by the Church of England, comprised of 19 hectares of land with more or less 700 original but heavily deteriorated structures. A project office was opened in Glebe in 1974 and implementation of the rehabilitation plan started.
 
The government paid $17.5M for the land and undertook a $8.5M rehabilitation and reconstruction program which increased the housing stock in Glebe to nearly 1,000 units. The decision was made to retain a large proportion of the original dwellings as low income public housing units. The project became a joint responsibility of the Departments of Urban and Regional Development, Housing and Construction, and the Cities Commission of New South Wales.  
The objectives of the Federal government in undertaking this
pioneering urban renewal development project were:
 
 1. protecting the existing community against the disruption
 that would have followed the sale of the Church lands to
 private investors or owner-occupiers;
 
 2. preserving and enhancing the landscape and character of the area;
 
 3. maintaining a stock of low income rental housing close to the
 city centre;
 
 4. investigating and demonstrating physical, financial and
 social techniques of rehabilitation and infilling;
 
 5. developing community participation in planning; and
 
 6. upgrading the living environment and standard of urban services.
 
During the early part of the project, discussions were held to define the role of the Commonwealth Government in the rehabilitation and future management of the Glebe Estate and by l983, a proposal to transfer the administration of the Glebe Estate to the New South Wales Government was considered.
 
In the meanwhile, the project accomplished the preservation of a unique area of century-old townscape and at the same time provided housing benefits to disadvantaged sections of the community. Retention of the opportunity for low income individuals and families to live close to the city as part of a wider community was realised and displacements of existing population and disruption of community links were avoided. Social facilities and environmental conditions were also integrated into the project implementation.
 
After ten years of Federal government ownership, the responsibility for the Glebe Housing Estate was finally transferred to the New South Wales State government under the Land Exchange Agreement signed on 11 February 1985. The transfer was made for public housing purposes and the Glebe Estate was placed under the management of the NSW Housing Commission.
Historical agency address
115 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW
Legislation administered
Commonwealth Act No. 35 of 1974, Glebe Lands (Appropriation) Act 1974

Subsequent agency unregistered

11/02/1985 NSW Housing Commission

Superior agency unregistered

Cities Commission of New South Wales