Braddon, Australian Capital Territory
| Braddon Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 3574 (2006 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1928 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2612 | ||||||||||||||
| District | North Canberra | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Fraser | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Braddon (postcode: 2612) is an inner north suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Located north of the Canberra CBD, Braddon contains a commercial area centred on Mort and Lonsdale streets, which run parallel to Northbourne Avenue. The area includes several small art galleries, car rental agencies, a few mid-market restaurants, cafes and bars, trendy gift and clothes shops, as well as several sprawling car dealerships, liquor stores, a video store and a Centrelink office. The most popular predominantly working-class pub in and around the city area, The Civic Pub, is also located in Braddon. There are also a number of low-rise office blocks in the suburb, including the Canberra offices of News Corporation and Colmar Brunton and the headquarters of the ACT division of the Australian Labor Party.
Away from the commercial areas, much of the previously suburban housing in Braddon has been replaced with apartment buildings that are popular due to their relatively close proximity to the City. Fenner Hall, a residence of the Australian National University, is located along Northbourne Avenue. The suburb is socially mixed with its population including many younger professionals and students, along with some recipients of public housing assistance. Some traditional single-family homes do remain where the suburb borders Ainslie and Dickson.
History
Braddon is one of the oldest suburbs in Canberra which was settled in 1922. Braddon was originally a light industrial area and included The Canberra Times printer. Ainslie school is located in Braddon. Opened in 1927, it is one of the oldest schools in Canberra. There is also a major sports oval, a clay-court tennis club and a bowling club in the suburb. Merici College is also located in Braddon.
Braddon is named after Sir Edward Braddon, a Federalist, legislator and a participant in the writing of the Australian Constitution. Streets in Braddon are named after various things including aboriginal words, legislators and pioneers. [2]
Geology
Calcareous shales from the Canberra Formation are overlain by Quaternary alluvium. This rock is the limestone of the original title of Canberra "Limestone Plains".
Trees and vegetation
Braddon’s vegetation is predominantly exotic, belonging to the cedar, ash, oak and pine varieties, although there are a significant number of eucalypts which are planted mainly around the perimeter of the suburb (Northbourne Avenue, Limestone Avenue, Ainslie Avenue) and within Haig Park. Most of the neighbourhood’s streets are lined with avenues of mature exotic trees. Torrens Street, planted with oak (Quercus palustris), is a particularly fine example of a ‘garden city’ streetscape. Haig Park has mixed plantings including cedar, eucalypt, pine, cyprus, ash and oak (Cedrus deodara, Eucalyptus cinerea, Pinus radiata, Cupressus sempervirens, Fraxinus velutina and Quercus palustris respectively).[3]
Landmarks
Lonsdale Street
The commercial centre of Braddon is centred around Lonsdale Street. It is where you will find original Canberra designers, stylish Australian fashions, imported designer shoes and unusual handcrafted gifts and homewares amongst an eclectic mix of restaurants, bike shops, camping shops, car yards, and hairdressing salons.
Historically an industrical area comprising car yards and factories, Lonsdale Street has transformed into one of Canberra's most lively cultural centres.
Haig Park
Haig Park is a plantation of densely planted predominantly exotic trees on the northern edge of the Civic Centre. It's strongly formal design consisting of trees planted in parallel rows renders it unique in Australian park design and this has led to classification by the National Trust. It is a very accessible forested park for a range of recreational pursuits.[4]
Gorman House Arts Centre
The Gorman House Arts Centre is a significant heritage complex that has been adapted for arts use. It is occupied by some of the ACTs key arts organisations, smaller arts groups and individual artists.
The centre accommodates intimate performance spaces, dance studios and workshops, a gallery, artists’ studios, small offices for arts business, meeting rooms and a weekend art, craft and second-hand market. [5]
Ainslie School
Ainslie School is one of Canberra's oldest schools. It was opened in 1927 by Prime Minister Stanley Bruce.
Culture
Places of Worship
- St Patrick’s Catholic Church
- St Columbus Uniting Church
- Salvation Army Temple – Canberra City
- St Mary’s Catholic Church
- Sisters of Mercy
- Australian Episcopal Conference
Theatres and Galleries
- Bogong Theatre
- Canberra Contemporary Art Space
- Canberra Contemporary Art Space Galleries 1 and 2
- Canberra Youth Theatre
- Currong Theatre Studio
- Gorman House
- Ralph Wilson Theatre
- Vis a Vis Theatre
- Clarrys Arts Centre
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Braddon (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
- ^ "Suburb Name search results". ACT Planning & Land Authority. Retrieved 23 January 2009. [dead link]
- ^ http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2510/braddon-anp.pdf
- ^ http://www.tams.act.gov.au/play/pcl/parks_reserves_and_open_places/parkslakesandponds/urbanparks/districtparks/haigpark
- ^ http://www.arts.act.gov.au/pages/page23.asp
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2008) |