Suburbs of Canberra

Suburbs

Most suburbs of the Australian Capital Territory are designed around local shops, centrally located within walking distance of the outer parts of the suburb. Consequently, they are generally smaller in size to the suburbs of other cities. A typical Australian Capital Territory suburb is bounded on all sides by major roads, and at the centre, contains local shops, or at least a local store. Some also contain a petrol station, a church, or other community facilities. Many also contain a primary school and a preschool.

As a result of these commercial and community facilities being located in the centre of suburbs, Australian Capital Territory lacks strip shopping along major roads and appears to be 'empty' to most visitors. In the older areas, major roads are lined with houses, and in the newer areas they are typically landscaped with mounds of earth and vegetation to form 'parkways'.

Districts

Australian Capital Territory's districts were developed with the intention of being semi-self-contained satellite cities with an intended population of about 80,000 people. The districts contain town centres which serve as commercial, transport and employment nodes. The districts are separated by nature reserves, and in most cases were designed according to a policy of ridges and valleys where the urban areas were located in valleys, separated by ridges, containing nature parks. There are nineteen districts in the Australian Capital Territory, each is divided into between eight and 25 suburbs, but on average about eighteen. Australian Capital Territory's Plan also contains districts located outside of the urban areas for the purposes of land administration.

Following the transfer of land from the Government of New South Wales to the Commonwealth Government in 1911, eighteen original districts were established in 1966 by the Commonwealth via the gazettal of the Districts Ordinance 1966 No. 5 (Cth) which, after the enactment of the , became the . This Act was subsequently repealed by the ACT Government and all districts and the land contained within are now administered subject to the .

In chronological order of mass development, the districts are:

City centre

Main article: City, Australian Capital Territory

Canberra's central business district, also known as Civic, is the main commercial centre in Canberra. It is larger than the town centres and contains many Australian Government department offices, large office buildings and retail outlets such as department stores and specialty stores and recreational facilities such as cinemas, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and theatres. The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly is contained within its boundaries; as is the Canberra Theatre and Playhouse, Territory Courts, and the Federal Court.

Town centres

Outside Canberra's central business district, there are five town centres within Australian Capital Territory. As well as serving as commercial nodes, town centres also serve as centres of employment. Most contain at least one major Australia government department. For example:

• Belconnen Town Centre contains the head offices of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Bureau of Statistics;
• Tuggeranong Town Centre contains the head offices of the Department of Social Services and the Executive Agency Services Australia; and
• Woden Town Centre contains the head office of the Department of Health and the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

, neither the Weston Creek Centre nor the Gungahlin Town Centre contain any substantive Australian government department head office.

Town centres also provide services such as mechanical workshops, gyms, pubs and clubs, cinemas, restaurants and fast food outlets, petrol stations and car dealerships. They also usually contain a public library, police station and a community centre. The Woden Town Centre has high rise office buildings and resembles a 'mini city centre'.

Group centres

Group Centres

Group centres are commercial and community centres smaller than town centres but larger than local shops which are designed to serve a "group" of suburbs – typically about four or five. A typical group centre contains such local commercial facilities such as a supermarket, a petrol station, specialty stores such as a pharmacy, hairdresser, butcher, baker, deli, health food store, betting agency and medical centre. Some larger group centres may also contain banks, a few restaurants and fast food outlets. They will typically also contain recreational and social facilities such as a swimming pool, church, and a tavern or club. These are intended to provide "weekly shopping" type services to the residents of adjoining suburbs.

Industrial areas

The suburbs of Mitchell, Fyshwick and Hume are Australian Capital Territory's industrial areas and are located away from suburbs. While they are the location of light industry (Australian Capital Territory has no heavy industries), they also contain a large number of retail outlets such as furniture stores, hardware stores, car dealerships, bicycle shops, camping stores and wholesale outlets.

Villages

The Australian Capital Territory also contains a number of smaller villages located outside the urban area. Historically some of these are farming or forestry villages and some were damaged or destroyed in the fires of January 2003. The village closest to the urban area is Hall which is located just past Belconnen near the New South Wales border.

Notes

References

References

1. "Archived copy".
2. (2002). "Districts Act 1966 Notes". [[AustLII]].
3. 1928. 25. {{formatnum:39438. {{Census 2001 AUS
4. {{Census 2006 AUS
5. {{Census 2011 AUS
6. {{Census 2016 AUS
7. {{Census 2021 AUS
8. {{Census 2001 AUS
9. {{Census 2006 AUS
10. {{Census 2011 AUS
11. {{Census 2016 AUS
12. {{Census 2021 AUS
13. {{Census 2001 AUS
14. {{Census 2006 AUS
15. {{Census 2011 AUS
16. {{Census 2016 AUS
17. {{Census 2021 AUS
18. {{Census 2001 AUS
19. {{Census 2006 AUS
20. {{Census 2011 AUS
21. {{Census 2016 AUS
22. {{Census 2021 AUS
23. {{Census 2001 AUS
24. {{Census 2001 AUS
25. {{Census 2001 AUS
26. {{Census 2001 AUS
27. {{Census 2001 AUS
28. {{Census 2006 AUS
29. {{Census 2006 AUS
30. {{Census 2006 AUS
31. {{Census 2006 AUS
32. {{Census 2006 AUS
33. {{Census 2011 AUS
34. {{Census 2011 AUS
35. {{Census 2011 AUS
36. {{Census 2011 AUS
37. {{Census 2011 AUS
38. {{Census 2016 AUS
39. {{Census 2016 AUS
40. {{Census 2016 AUS
41. {{Census 2016 AUS
42. {{Census 2016 AUS
43. {{Census 2021 AUS
44. {{Census 2021 AUS
45. {{Census 2021 AUS
46. {{Census 2021 AUS
47. {{Census 2021 AUS
48. {{Census 2001 AUS
49. {{Census 2001 AUS
50. {{Census 2006 AUS
51. {{Census 2006 AUS
52. {{Census 2011 AUS
53. {{Census 2011 AUS
54. {{Census 2016 AUS
55. {{Census 2016 AUS
56. {{Census 2021 AUS
57. {{Census 2021 AUS
58. {{Census 2001 AUS
59. {{Census 2006 AUS
60. {{Census 2011 AUS
61. {{Census 2016 AUS
62. {{Census 2021 AUS
63. {{Census 2001 AUS
64. {{Census 2006 AUS
65. {{Census 2011 AUS
66. {{Census 2016 AUS
67. {{Census 2021 AUS
68. {{Census 2001 AUS
69. {{Census 2006 AUS
70. {{Census 2011 AUS
71. {{Census 2016 AUS
72. {{Census 2021 AUS
73. {{Census 2001 AUS
74. {{Census 2006 AUS
75. {{Census 2011 AUS
76. {{Census 2016 AUS
77. {{Census 2021 AUS
78. {{Census 2001 AUS
79. {{Census 2006 AUS
80. {{Census 2011 AUS
81. {{Census 2016 AUS
82. {{Census 2021 AUS
83. {{Census 2001 AUS
84. {{Census 2006 AUS
85. {{Census 2011 AUS
86. {{Census 2016 AUS
87. {{Census 2021 AUS
88. {{Census 2001 AUS
89. {{Census 2006 AUS
90. {{Census 2011 AUS
91. {{Census 2016 AUS
92. {{Census 2016 AUS
93. {{Census 2021 AUS
94. {{Census 2021 AUS
95. {{Census 2016 AUS
96. {{Census 2016 AUS
97. {{Census 2021 AUS
98. {{Census 2021 AUS
99. {{Census 2016 AUS
100. {{Census 2021 AUS
101. {{Census 2016 AUS
102. {{Census 2021 AUS
103. {{Census 2016 AUS
104. {{Census 2021 AUS
105. (4 December 2013). "Search for street and suburb names: Molonglo Valley". [[Government of the Australian Capital Territory.
106. {{Census 2011 AUS
107. {{Census 2016 AUS
108. {{Census 2021 AUS