Ngunnawal, Australian Capital Territory
Encyclopedia
Ngunnawal is a suburb in the district of Gungahlin
in Canberra
, Australia
. The suburb is named in tribute to the Ngunnawal people
, the original inhabitants of the area. The suburb was gazetted on 18 October 1991. Ngunnawal is adjacent to the suburbs of Nicholls
, Casey
and Amaroo
and Taylor
. It is bounded by Gungahlin Drive, Horse Park Drive, Gundaroo Drive and Mirrabei Drive.Ginninderra Creek
is situated near Ngunnawal's eastern boundary. The suburb is located approximately 4 km from the Gungahlin Town Centre
and about 13 km from the centre of Canberra
.
an Australian Rules player. Jabanungga Avenue, one of the suburb's connector roads, bears the name of Bobby Jabanungga
, a local Aboriginal dancer and musician. The language
of the Ngunnawal people is celebrated through the naming of some of Ngunnawal's streets such as Yerra Court (yerra means swim), Bural Court (bural means day), Mundawari Circuit (mundawari means bandicoot) and Bargang Crescent(bargang means yellow box gum).
A hilltop reserve, the most prominent natural feature in the suburb commands views of the Gungahlin Town Centre
to the east and the historic Gold Creek Homestead to the west. Gold Creek Homestead was at one time at the centre of 'Gold Creek' a sprawling 1,594 hectare (3,940 acre) rural property, the largest in the Ginninderra district. Portions of the former property are or will be also occupied by parts of the suburbs of Nicholls
, Harcourt Hill, Moncrieff
, Casey
, Kinlyside, Jacka
and Taylor
.
The historic 'Tea Gardens' Homestead settled by Anthony Rolfe in 1857 is also located in Ngunnawal. The thoroughfare Anthony Rolfe Drive near to the Gungahlin Town Centre is named in his honour.
which has expanded greatly over the past 10 years since its inception and now offers a variety of retail and food shops.
For smaller daily shops local residents can drop into the Ngunnawal shopping centre located at the corner of Wanganeen Avenue and Jabanungga Avenue
.
The shops include a:
age. The area was studied in more detail than many other parts of Canberra by J P Ceplecha from the ANU
in 1971.
Most of Ngunnawal is based on slaty shale
and mudstone
. In the North West corner is found dacite
and quartz
andesite
. A layer of tuff
is formed into a Vee shaped surface exposure in the western half of the suburb. A smaller N shaped outcrop of tuff is found in the east corner. A crook shaped outcrop of ashstone is exposed just to the east of the Vee.
The structure of the rock has been determined by folding
. The folds are aligned north-north east and plunge to the south south west. An anticline determines the point of the Vee pointing south south west. Another anticline determines the end of the crook shape. A syncline determines the top of the crook. The Deakin Fault runs roughly parallel to the fold axes on the south east side along Ginninderra Creek.
Gungahlin
Gungahlin is a name of a district and the northernmost town centre of Canberra, Australia. Gungahlin is situated 10 km north of Canberra's city centre and is one of five satellites of Canberra including Woden, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and Belconnen. Currently Gungahlin comprises 11 suburbs,...
in Canberra
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
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The suburb is named in tribute to the Ngunnawal people
Ngunnawal people
The Ngunnawal people are the Indigenous Australian inhabitants whose traditional lands encompass much of the area now occupied by the city of Canberra, Australia and the surrounding Australian Capital Territory...
, the original inhabitants of the area. The suburb was gazetted on 18 October 1991. Ngunnawal is adjacent to the suburbs of Nicholls
Nicholls, Australian Capital Territory
Nicholls is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Gungahlin is named after Sir Douglas Nicholls , a former Governor of South Australia. It was gazetted on 18 October 1991. Streets are named after sportsmen and sportswomen....
, Casey
Casey, Australian Capital Territory
Casey is a suburb in Canberra, Australia , approximately 4 km from the Gungahlin Town Centre and about 13 km from the centre of Canberra. The suburb is named after Richard Casey, Baron Casey an Australian politician, diplomat and later the 16th Governor-General of Australia. It is bound...
and Amaroo
Amaroo, Australian Capital Territory
Amaroo is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Gungahlin and was gazetted on 18 October 1991. Amaroo – which means ‘a beautiful place’ in one of the local Aboriginal dialects. Place names in Amaroo such as Shoalhaven Avenue are named after Australian rivers and lakes. Amaroo is adjacent...
and Taylor
Taylor, Australian Capital Territory
Taylor is a designated suburb in Gungahlin, Canberra though the first land release is yet to be announced. The suburb is named after magazine publisher Florence Taylor OBE, who was editor of and writer for several Australian building industry journals including the influential 'Building' magazine...
. It is bounded by Gungahlin Drive, Horse Park Drive, Gundaroo Drive and Mirrabei Drive.Ginninderra Creek
Ginninderra Creek
Ginninderra Creek is a water course that flows across the Ginninderra Plain through the Gungahlin and Belconnen regions in Canberra, Australia....
is situated near Ngunnawal's eastern boundary. The suburb is located approximately 4 km from the Gungahlin Town Centre
Gungahlin
Gungahlin is a name of a district and the northernmost town centre of Canberra, Australia. Gungahlin is situated 10 km north of Canberra's city centre and is one of five satellites of Canberra including Woden, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and Belconnen. Currently Gungahlin comprises 11 suburbs,...
and about 13 km from the centre of Canberra
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...
.
Place names
Ngunnawal's place names like the name of the suburb itself is a celebration of the national and local Aboriginal heritage. Wanganeen Ave is named after Gavin WanganeenGavin Wanganeen
Gavin Adrian Wanganeen is a retired Australian rules footballer, playing in two Australian Football League premierships with Essendon and Port Adelaide. Wanganeen is a Brownlow Medallist and is considered one of the finest indigenous players ever...
an Australian Rules player. Jabanungga Avenue, one of the suburb's connector roads, bears the name of Bobby Jabanungga
Robert Jabanungga
Robert Mellor Granites Jabanungga AKA Robert Kantilla, Robert Japanangka, Robert Japananga, Robert Jabanunga Kantilla was a TV actor, Aboriginal dancer and musician best known for playing the didgeridoo at many Canberra festivals as well as national and international events. Jabanungga Avenue in...
, a local Aboriginal dancer and musician. The language
Ngunnawal language
Ngunnawal or Ngunawal is an Australian Aboriginal language, the traditional language of the Ngunawal people.-Classification:Ngunawal is currently classified as a sub-tribe of the larger Ngarigu/Ngarigo dialect area that covers the limestone plains of Monaro/Maneroo in NSW to ACT across the Monaro...
of the Ngunnawal people is celebrated through the naming of some of Ngunnawal's streets such as Yerra Court (yerra means swim), Bural Court (bural means day), Mundawari Circuit (mundawari means bandicoot) and Bargang Crescent(bargang means yellow box gum).
A hilltop reserve, the most prominent natural feature in the suburb commands views of the Gungahlin Town Centre
Gungahlin
Gungahlin is a name of a district and the northernmost town centre of Canberra, Australia. Gungahlin is situated 10 km north of Canberra's city centre and is one of five satellites of Canberra including Woden, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and Belconnen. Currently Gungahlin comprises 11 suburbs,...
to the east and the historic Gold Creek Homestead to the west. Gold Creek Homestead was at one time at the centre of 'Gold Creek' a sprawling 1,594 hectare (3,940 acre) rural property, the largest in the Ginninderra district. Portions of the former property are or will be also occupied by parts of the suburbs of Nicholls
Nicholls, Australian Capital Territory
Nicholls is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Gungahlin is named after Sir Douglas Nicholls , a former Governor of South Australia. It was gazetted on 18 October 1991. Streets are named after sportsmen and sportswomen....
, Harcourt Hill, Moncrieff
Moncrieff, Australian Capital Territory
Moncrieff is a designated suburb of Gungahlin, Canberra, the National Capital of Australia. The name was gazetted in April 1991 though no official announcement has to be made about the first land release. It is named after Gladys Moncrieff, an Australian singer of the 1920-30s musical era who was...
, Casey
Casey, Australian Capital Territory
Casey is a suburb in Canberra, Australia , approximately 4 km from the Gungahlin Town Centre and about 13 km from the centre of Canberra. The suburb is named after Richard Casey, Baron Casey an Australian politician, diplomat and later the 16th Governor-General of Australia. It is bound...
, Kinlyside, Jacka
Jacka, Australian Capital Territory
Jacka is a designated suburb of Gungahlin, Canberra, the National Capital of Australia. The suburb was gazetted in April 1991 though an official announcement is yet to be made about the first land release...
and Taylor
Taylor, Australian Capital Territory
Taylor is a designated suburb in Gungahlin, Canberra though the first land release is yet to be announced. The suburb is named after magazine publisher Florence Taylor OBE, who was editor of and writer for several Australian building industry journals including the influential 'Building' magazine...
.
The historic 'Tea Gardens' Homestead settled by Anthony Rolfe in 1857 is also located in Ngunnawal. The thoroughfare Anthony Rolfe Drive near to the Gungahlin Town Centre is named in his honour.
Future development
A planning study is underway on the north-west of Ngunnawal, the last remaining parcel of land in Ngunnawal. The land is bound by the future alignment of Horse Park Drive, a tributary of Ginninderra Creek and existing residential dwellings in the established parts of Ngunnawal. The site comprises approximately 44 ha of which 33.03ha is appropriate for development. The ACT Planning and Land Authority is expected to begin development on the infrastructure for Ngunnawal 2C in the next few years.Community facilities
Young families moving to Ngunnawal have a number of excellent schools to choose from. Ngunnawal Primary School is complemented by the nearby Gold Creek School (Primary and High School) and Holy Spirit Primary (Catholic). Ngunnawal is about 10 minutes by car from the Gungahlin Town centreGungahlin
Gungahlin is a name of a district and the northernmost town centre of Canberra, Australia. Gungahlin is situated 10 km north of Canberra's city centre and is one of five satellites of Canberra including Woden, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and Belconnen. Currently Gungahlin comprises 11 suburbs,...
which has expanded greatly over the past 10 years since its inception and now offers a variety of retail and food shops.
For smaller daily shops local residents can drop into the Ngunnawal shopping centre located at the corner of Wanganeen Avenue and Jabanungga Avenue
Robert Jabanungga
Robert Mellor Granites Jabanungga AKA Robert Kantilla, Robert Japanangka, Robert Japananga, Robert Jabanunga Kantilla was a TV actor, Aboriginal dancer and musician best known for playing the didgeridoo at many Canberra festivals as well as national and international events. Jabanungga Avenue in...
.
The shops include a:
- Supermarket
- Bakery
- Takeaway
- Hairdresser
- Chemist shop
- Medical practice
- Dental practice
- Physiotherapist
Geology
The Ngunnawal suburb is sited on the Canberra Formation and bedrock laided down during the late middle SilurianSilurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
age. The area was studied in more detail than many other parts of Canberra by J P Ceplecha from the ANU
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in 1971.
Most of Ngunnawal is based on slaty shale
Shale
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...
and mudstone
Mudstone
Mudstone is a fine grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Grain size is up to 0.0625 mm with individual grains too small to be distinguished without a microscope. With increased pressure over time the platey clay minerals may become aligned, with the...
. In the North West corner is found dacite
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
and quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
. A layer of tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
is formed into a Vee shaped surface exposure in the western half of the suburb. A smaller N shaped outcrop of tuff is found in the east corner. A crook shaped outcrop of ashstone is exposed just to the east of the Vee.
The structure of the rock has been determined by folding
Fold (geology)
The term fold is used in geology when one or a stack of originally flat and planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, are bent or curved as a result of permanent deformation. Synsedimentary folds are those due to slumping of sedimentary material before it is lithified. Folds in rocks vary in...
. The folds are aligned north-north east and plunge to the south south west. An anticline determines the point of the Vee pointing south south west. Another anticline determines the end of the crook shape. A syncline determines the top of the crook. The Deakin Fault runs roughly parallel to the fold axes on the south east side along Ginninderra Creek.