Downer, Australian Capital Territory
Encyclopedia
Downer is a suburb of Canberra
, Australia, in the city's inner north. The suburb is bounded by Northbourne Avenue, Antill Street and Philip Avenue.
The suburb was gazetted in 1960 and named after Sir John Downer
(1844 - 1915) Premier of South Australia and a member of the first Australian Senate
in 1901. There is no specific theme for street names.
The buildings which make up the Downer community centre and former shops, were built for the CSIRO in 1930s, and the area now comprising Downer was an agricultural research facility for the CSIRO. The area now comprising the suburb was used between 1939-45 as a plantation for the growth of opium poppy to provide a source for medications in the unavailability of imported supplies. The large pine and gum trees which surround the block around the shops were planted in this time as a wind break for the CSIRO building. Large trees (Camden Woolybutts) along Swinden street were also planted then, as Swinden street was the driveway for the CSIRO building, where it connected to Northbourne Avenue. With the development of the suburb the trees became diseased during the 1980s and a program is underway to replace them with more amenable local varieties of gum. As of September 2008, all but two or three of the older Swinden Street gums have been removed.
Downer has a local oval between Frencham, Melba, Bonython and Bradfield streets, with a shopping centre. However in 2005 the shopping centre was vacant due partly to the poor location of the centre away from major roads.
Nearby, the Canberra Business Centre occupies the site of the former Downer Primary School. The school closed in 1988.
s from the Canberra Formation is overlain by Quaternary alluvium.
This rock is the limestone of the original title of Canberra "Limestone Plains".
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia, in the city's inner north. The suburb is bounded by Northbourne Avenue, Antill Street and Philip Avenue.
The suburb was gazetted in 1960 and named after Sir John Downer
John Downer
Sir John William Downer, KCMG was the Premier of South Australia from 16 June 1885 until 11 June 1887 and again from 1892 to 1893. He was the first of three Australian politicians from the Downer family dynasty.-Early life:...
(1844 - 1915) Premier of South Australia and a member of the first Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
in 1901. There is no specific theme for street names.
The buildings which make up the Downer community centre and former shops, were built for the CSIRO in 1930s, and the area now comprising Downer was an agricultural research facility for the CSIRO. The area now comprising the suburb was used between 1939-45 as a plantation for the growth of opium poppy to provide a source for medications in the unavailability of imported supplies. The large pine and gum trees which surround the block around the shops were planted in this time as a wind break for the CSIRO building. Large trees (Camden Woolybutts) along Swinden street were also planted then, as Swinden street was the driveway for the CSIRO building, where it connected to Northbourne Avenue. With the development of the suburb the trees became diseased during the 1980s and a program is underway to replace them with more amenable local varieties of gum. As of September 2008, all but two or three of the older Swinden Street gums have been removed.
Downer has a local oval between Frencham, Melba, Bonython and Bradfield streets, with a shopping centre. However in 2005 the shopping centre was vacant due partly to the poor location of the centre away from major roads.
Nearby, the Canberra Business Centre occupies the site of the former Downer Primary School. The school closed in 1988.
Geology
Calcareous shaleShale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
s from the Canberra Formation is overlain by Quaternary alluvium.
This rock is the limestone of the original title of Canberra "Limestone Plains".