Charnwood, Australian Capital Territory
| Charnwood Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
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| Population: | 3,017 (2006 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1973 | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 2615 | ||||||||||||
| District: | Belconnen | ||||||||||||
| Assembly Electorate: | Ginninderra | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Fraser | ||||||||||||
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Charnwood is a suburb in the Belconnen district of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.
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[edit] Design
Charnwood's design was based on the Radburn town planning principle. Under this design, houses were to face common parkland, with the suburb's streets servicing garages situated at the rear of the houses. The design failed in its application, however, as home owners built fences around the "park side" of their blocks, effectively screening the houses away from the common parkland. This created long, narrow, fenced walkways, with poor lighting and no neighbourhood surveillance. The network of pathways ensures that it is possible to walk from any point in the suburb to any other without directly crossing a road; pedestrian bridges can be used to cross the few major streets within the suburb.
Charnwood is the location of the Charnwood centre shopping area which serves surrounding suburbs. The shopping centre is well known as the location of the Greater Indian International Restaurant, Canberra Martial Arts Academy, Woolworths, McDonalds, Ginninderra Labor Club, Charcoal Chicken take-away, Charnwood Chemist, Bernie's at the Bay Fish and Chip shop, Charnwood Newsagency and Prime Cut Butchers.
Charnwood is home to Charnwood-Dunlop Primary School, Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and Charnwood High School (now closed and housing the Canberra Christian Life Centre).
[edit] Naming
According to the Act Planning and Land Authority website [1] the suburb is named after: "[a] former homestead in the Belconnen District; Henry Hall obtained a grant of 3,492 acres (14.13 km2) of land which he named 'Charnwood', 1833; named after the Forest of Charnwood in England."
Street names in Charnwood are named after New South Wales pioneers and the suburb name 'Charnwood' was gazetted on 9 September 1971.
[edit] Interests
Each year, Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Charnwood-Dunlop Primary School and Mount Rogers Scout Group hold the 'Charny Carny', a unique event which is held as the schools' joint fête. This carnival has the purpose of building community spirit and raising funds for both the schools and the Scout Group.
[edit] Geology
Rocks in Charnwood are from the Silurian age. Deakin Volcanics purple rhyodacite is found in most of Charnwood. The Deakin Fault passes in the north west direction on the north east edge of the Deakin Volcanics, The fault dropped down the Deakin Volcanics and raised up the south west side. Hawkins Volcanics green-grey dacite and quartz andesite are in the north east on the other side of Deakin Fault.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Charnwood (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC81076&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
