South Canberra

Understand

Unlike other Australian cities where most of their important attractions and points of interests are in the CBD, Canberra's museums and points of interests are not, but in this subdistrict. That's because South Canberra is one of the oldest areas of Canberra and nearly all government buildings are in South Canberra. Civic (i.e. the CBD) developed more in a way that it functions as a shopping district and has plenty of places to eat, while South Canberra has more museums, government buildings, and perhaps one of the most important destinations to visit in Australia. South Canberra is where the first modern development in Canberra saw light. All neighbourhoods in South Canberra but Narrabundah were built between the years of 1922 and 1928, while Narrabundah was built in 1947 which, although relatively recent compared to the rest of the world, is still very old by Canberra standards. Unlike other Canberra districts which are separated from each other by nature and bushland, South Canberra is only separated from North Canberra by Lake Burley Griffin. However, South Canberra isn't a district of its own, but one of Canberra Central's two subdistricts.

Getting there

By car If you are coming from Civic or North Canberra, there are two roads that you can use. If you're coming from Civic, Reid, Acton, Dickson or anywhere north of the city, use the A23 Northbourne Avenue which turns into Commonwealth Drive south. Once you've crossed Lake Burley Griffin, you've arrived at South Canberra. If you are coming from Campbell or Russell, use Kings Avenue southwest and you'd have arrived at South Canberra. From Woden, use the Yarra Glen which is a freeway up northeast which later changes its name into Adelaide Avenue. Once the road name has changed, you've essentially arrived at South Canberra while if you're coming from Weston, use Cotter Road east until you enter Adelaide Avenue and from there, you've arrived at South Canberra. From Adelaide Avenue, to get to places like Parliamentary Triangle and Capital Hill, continue northeast on the freeway until State Circle, which is essentially the outer loop of Capital Hill.

By bus Being near the centre of the city, South Canberra has several ACTION rapid buses that run through it and it can get confusing. The routes R4, 5, 7 and 10 all come from the city and all head southwest past Capital Hill. R2 and 6 both also come from the city, but go via Parkes, Barton and Kingston where the lines split up. R2 goes to Fyshwick, while goes via Griffith and Red Hill and terminates back up at Woden Interchange. From the south near Tuggeranong, use the R4 and R5 lines north.

By train If you're visiting Canberra by train, Canberra Railway Station is in Burke Crescent, Kingston and all trains that come to Canberra come here, making it the only part of Canberra to have a railway station. See Canberra § By train for details on how to get here by train.

See

If you only had a few hours to spend in Canberra (yes, the city as a whole, not just South Canberra), spending the few hours in Capital Hill and Parliamentary Triangle is probably the best way to explore the capital's main points of interests. If you've got slightly longer, then you could veer towards the Royal Mint and some other important government buildings such as The Lodge or Government House.

In Parliamentary Triangle

1 High Court of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes. M–F 9:45AM–4:30PM excluding public holidays. This vast building is the home of Australia's highest court and contains a vast lobby and three main courtrooms that are open to the public. Tours are available, though restricted when the court is sitting. The building also has a cafeteria. As a matter of etiquette, when you enter or leave a courtroom in session, remember to bow. (updated Feb 2017) 2 National Archives of Australia, Kings Avenue, ☏ +61 2 6212 3600. The renovated National Archives building has excellent public galleries. It has two permanent exhibitions and holds others from time to time. The staff are most helpful if you have a personal archival query 📍3 National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes (by Lake Burley Griffin), ☏ +61 2 6240-6502. 10AM–5PM. This modern structure is one of the country's largest, and best, art galleries. It has a vast collection of paintings and sculptures collected from Australia and the rest of the world and has excellent Aboriginal artwork. A nice gift store and a large bookstore on the upper level. Free except for special exhibits. The Gallery offers free public one-hour tours: Australian and International art at 11AM and 2PM daily, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art at 11AM on Thursdays and Sundays. Allow at least half a day and possibly more.There are two sections of the sculpture garden, one section in front of the building and the other section at the rear. Both sections are open 24 hours a day and fun to wander around in the eveni

Do

1 Axxe (Axxe - Urban Axe Throwing), 4/1 Lyell St, Fyshwick, ☏ +61 422 142 263, [email protected]. It's a rather niche thing that you probably wouldn't usually think of doing daily, learn to throw steel axes onto wooden targets. Over 18s only, and bookings highly recommended. (updated Jun 2022) 2 Jerrabomberra Wetland Nature Reserve, Dairy Rd, Fyshwick. Daily 8AM–6PM. The wetlands and the area surrounding this wetlands are an important spot due to the large array of different wildlife. There are many bushwalking trails and if you're into fishing, it's surprisingly permitted (though you're not allowed to catch certain fish). (updated Feb 2022) 3 Manuka Oval, Manuka Cct, Griffith. The Manuka Oval hosts the Prime Minister's XI match, an annual match where a team consisting Australian cricketers picked by the country's prime minister plays against an overseas touring team. Since 2008, Manuka has held international cricket matches sporadically. Has a capacity of 13,500. (updated Dec 2018) 4 Royal Canberra Golf Club, 71 Bentham St, Yarralumla, ☏ +61 2 6282 7000, fax: +61 2 6285 2742, [email protected]. Originally known as Canberra Golf Club, the Royal Canberra Golf Club was formed in 1926, making it one of the oldest golf clubs in Canberra. Its original grounds were behind the Hotel Canberra on the river flats on both sides of the Molonglo River. (updated May 2022) Golf Shop: ☏ +61 2 6240 2250, [email protected]

Buy

There are plenty of places to shop in South Canberra, but these are the ones that are particularly important:

Fyshwick – Canberra's "red-light" district and the place to shop for appliances, technical stuff, furniture, and homewares with many antique shops and several second hand bookshops and is home to the Outlet Centre. Manuka and Kingston are two nearby suburbs that has boutiques and restaurants. Millers of Manuka boutique sells leading women's fashion brands like Max Mara and others. For less expensive women's clothing try Witchery. Booklovers would do well to check out Paperchain bookstore. 1 Canberra Outlet Centre, 337 Canberra Ave