Weston Creek
Encyclopedia
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...
, Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, 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...
, situated to the west of the Woden Valley
Woden Valley
Woden Valley is a district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Its name is taken from the name of a nearby homestead owned by Dr James Murray who named the homestead after the Old English god Woden in October 1837. He named it this as he was to spend his life in the pursuit of wisdom and...
district and approximately 13 km southwest of the 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...
city centre. The district was previously situated adjacent to the large Stromlo Forest pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
until the forest was destroyed by bushfires in 2001 and 2003.
History
Weston Creek was named after Captain George Edward WestonEdward Weston (pastoralist)
Captain George Edward Nicholas Weston was a former officer of the East India Company who arrived in Australia in 1825 and was granted land in the Weston Creek area in 1831, previously held by James Martin, who had built a house, grazed sheep and cattle and cleared and planted...
, a former officer of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
who arrived in 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...
in 1829 and was granted land in the Weston Creek area in 1831. The 'four-square mile' (2560 acre) grant to George Weston at the 'Yarrow-Lumla plains' was completed on 31 October 1831. The land was originally settled by James Martin, a former soldier in the NSW Corps, who in August 1827 applied to the government for permission to rent 2000 acres (8.1 km²) of land on which he had already built a dwelling and barn, was grazing cattle and sheep, and had sown 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) with wheat. Martin's claim, however, was not successful.
Along with the adjacent Woden Valley
Woden Valley
Woden Valley is a district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Its name is taken from the name of a nearby homestead owned by Dr James Murray who named the homestead after the Old English god Woden in October 1837. He named it this as he was to spend his life in the pursuit of wisdom and...
, the area later became part of the 40000 acres (161.9 km²) Yarralumla
Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory
Yarralumla is a large inner south suburb of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Located approximately south-west of the city, Yarralumla extends along the south-west bank of Lake Burley Griffin...
Station owned by Frederick Campbell until it was resumed in 1913 as part of a land acquisition scheme after the Federal Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
was declared in 1911. In 1920, over 9000 acres (36.4 km²) were then subdivided for soldier settlement leases.
The earliest homesteads in the valley were Weston (in the present suburb of Holder), Cooleman (on the southern edge of Chapman), The Rivers (corner of Uriarra Rd and Coppins Crossing Rd), Blundell's Homestead (off of Coppins Crossing Rd, near the large bend in the Molonglo River), and Taylor's Hill (between present day Warramanga and Pearce). The homesteads of Illoura (present suburb of North Weston) and Avondale (present day Holder) were also built in the 1920s.
John and Ellen Fox were amongst the first settlers in the Weston valley, living at the Weston homestead from about the 1860s. Several of their nine children were born at Weston, and their son David Fox and his wife Margaret later took over the property. A 1914 map of Canberra shows D. Fox residing at the property, located between what is now Dixon Drive and Hellyer Street, Holder. Later electoral rolls show Margaret continuing to reside at the property following David's death at age 49 in 1926. The Avondale homestead was further to the east, closer to the centre of current day Holder. David's brother, Owen Fox, is shown on the 1914 map as residing at Taylor's Hill.
The Weston and Taylor's Hill leases were purchased by a Mr Dent in October 1932, and used for mixed farming and grazing. The Weston lease was then purchased in 1937 by Rudolph and Eileen De Salis. Rudolph was born at Cuppacumalong homestead near Tharwa, and had lived at 'Bondo' near Cooma and 'Yarrawa' near Adaminaby before moving to Weston. Rudolph remained at Weston until he died in February 1957, aged 70. Members of the De Salis family continued to live at Weston up until the late-1960s. Cooleman was farmed by Heather and Philip Champion from about 1932.
Early roads and landmarks
In 1914, the two main road running into the Weston Creek district were Uriarra Road (now Cotter Road) from the northeast and Long Gully Road from the southeast (through present day WaramangaWaramanga, Australian Capital Territory
Waramanga is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia located in the district of Weston Creek.Waramanga was established in the late 1960s and was named after the Aboriginal tribe of Central Australia, also known as the Warumungu people.-History:The Weston Creek district was...
). Uriarra Road followed the current day Cotter Road from Weston Creek past the Yarralumla
Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory
Yarralumla is a large inner south suburb of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Located approximately south-west of the city, Yarralumla extends along the south-west bank of Lake Burley Griffin...
Woolshed and then across through present day Kingston
Kingston, Australian Capital Territory
Kingston is the oldest and most densely populated suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The suburb is named after Charles Cameron Kingston, the former Premier of South Australia and minister in the first Australian Commonwealth Government. It is adjacent to the suburbs of...
to Queanbeyan, passing just south of where Parliament House
Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...
now sits. Cotter River
Cotter River
The Cotter River is a fresh water river in the Australian Capital Territory. It is a tributary of the Murrumbidgee River and part of Murray-Darling Basin. The Cotter River is one of two rivers—the Queanbeyan River is the other—that meet the water supply needs of the Canberra and...
Road branched off of Uriarra Road near the present day RSPCA site. Long Gully Road came into the valley through present day Waramanga
Waramanga, Australian Capital Territory
Waramanga is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia located in the district of Weston Creek.Waramanga was established in the late 1960s and was named after the Aboriginal tribe of Central Australia, also known as the Warumungu people.-History:The Weston Creek district was...
and ran to the west to what is now the corner of Streeton Dr and Darwinia Tce, between Stirling and Rivett. The route of the original road is still easily discernable on present day maps, as it followed what is now green space between Nagara St and Nemarang Cres in Waramanga
Waramanga, Australian Capital Territory
Waramanga is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia located in the district of Weston Creek.Waramanga was established in the late 1960s and was named after the Aboriginal tribe of Central Australia, also known as the Warumungu people.-History:The Weston Creek district was...
, then across the playing fields to Namatjira Dr, and then along the green space over Fremantle Dr to the corner of Streeton Dr and Darwinia Tce. The road then connected with Uriarra Road to the north, passing through present day Rivett
Rivett, Australian Capital Territory
Rivett is a residential suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, established in the late 1960s. On Census night 2006, Rivett had a population of 3,069 people...
to the corner of Dixon Dr and Hindmarsh Dr, Holder
Holder, Australian Capital Territory
The suburb of Holder is a part of the Weston Creek District of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, and is located 13 km to the southwest of the Canberra city centre...
, and then directly through the suburb of Holder
Holder, Australian Capital Territory
The suburb of Holder is a part of the Weston Creek District of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, and is located 13 km to the southwest of the Canberra city centre...
, connecting with Uriarra Rd north of present day Dixon Drive (near Counsel St). A bitumen stretch of the original road is still clearly visible oppostite 134 Dixon Drive.
Early landmarks in the district were Narrabundah Hill (still Narrabundah Hill, west of Duffy
Duffy, Australian Capital Territory
Duffy is a suburb in the Canberra district of Weston Creek. On Census night 2006, Duffy had a population of 2,942 people. Duffy was named in honour of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, KCMG the 8th Premier of Victoria. Streets in the suburb of Duffy are named after Australian dams and reservoirs...
), Dawson Hill (now Calder Pl, Holder
Holder, Australian Capital Territory
The suburb of Holder is a part of the Weston Creek District of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, and is located 13 km to the southwest of the Canberra city centre...
), Mount Stromlo
Mount Stromlo
Mount Stromlo is situated a short drive west of the centre of Canberra, Australia, near the district of Weston Creek. Its peak is at approximately 770m AHD....
to the north west, and Taylor's Hill to the southeast (now Mt Taylor). Western Creek (later known as Weston Creek) followed the course of the present day stormwater drain just to the east of Weston Creek Centre, then along present day Streeton Drive and into the Molonglo River
Molonglo River
The Molonglo River rises on the western side of the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia in the state of New South Wales. Its source is on the other side of the mountain range from where the Shoalhaven River rises, in Tallaganda state forest at ~1200 metres altitude...
(where present day Weston Creek still terminates).
Sewerage treatment plant
Weston Creek was the site of Canberra's main sewerage treatment plant from the early days of Canberra's settlement up until the late-1970s. Located by the river down the hill from the present day RSPCA site, the plant was proposed as early as 1915. Following several studies, it was approved for construction by the Federal Capital Advisory Committee in January 1924, and commenced operating in 1927. Sewerage from the fledgling city of CanberraCanberra
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...
was pumped to the site through an underground pipe from the vicinity of the Canberra Hotel, through the Yarralumla
Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory
Yarralumla is a large inner south suburb of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Located approximately south-west of the city, Yarralumla extends along the south-west bank of Lake Burley Griffin...
area. In the late-1960s, odours from the plant became a problem in the expanding residential areas of Woden and Weston Creek, and also at nearby Government House
Government House
Government House is the name of many of the residences of Governors-General, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. It serves as the venue for the Governor's official business, as well as the many receptions and functions hosted by...
. Several refinements were made to the plant, and the sludge drying beds were abandoned. The plant was closed in August 1978 and replaced by the new Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre.
In December 2010, during excavation work to construct the North Weston Pond as part of the new Molonglo Valley
Molonglo Valley
Molonglo Valley is the newest district of Canberra. The district is planned to consist of 13 suburbs containing 33,000 dwellings with an expected population of 73,000....
development, 90,000 tonnes of asbestos-contaminated waste were discovered buried near the former sewerage treatment plant site. The contaminated soil contained asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
sheets and pipes that were dumped at the site by builders from around Canberra during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Residential development
Weston Creek was established as a residential district in the late-1960s as an offshoot of Canberra's first satellite city in the adjacent Woden ValleyWoden Valley
Woden Valley is a district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Its name is taken from the name of a nearby homestead owned by Dr James Murray who named the homestead after the Old English god Woden in October 1837. He named it this as he was to spend his life in the pursuit of wisdom and...
. Construction of Weston Creek's eight suburbs commenced with Waramanga
Waramanga, Australian Capital Territory
Waramanga is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia located in the district of Weston Creek.Waramanga was established in the late 1960s and was named after the Aboriginal tribe of Central Australia, also known as the Warumungu people.-History:The Weston Creek district was...
and Fisher
Fisher, Australian Capital Territory
Fisher is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia located in the district of Weston Creek. Fisher was named after Andrew Fisher , coal miner, founding member of the federal parliamentary Labor Party and Prime Minister of Australia for three terms between 1908 and 1915...
in 1968, and was followed by Weston
Weston, Australian Capital Territory
Weston is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. On Census night 2006, Weston had a population of 3,176 people....
and Rivett
Rivett, Australian Capital Territory
Rivett is a residential suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, established in the late 1960s. On Census night 2006, Rivett had a population of 3,069 people...
in 1969, Duffy
Duffy, Australian Capital Territory
Duffy is a suburb in the Canberra district of Weston Creek. On Census night 2006, Duffy had a population of 2,942 people. Duffy was named in honour of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, KCMG the 8th Premier of Victoria. Streets in the suburb of Duffy are named after Australian dams and reservoirs...
and Holder
Holder, Australian Capital Territory
The suburb of Holder is a part of the Weston Creek District of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, and is located 13 km to the southwest of the Canberra city centre...
in 1970, and Chapman
Chapman, Australian Capital Territory
Chapman is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It is located in the Weston Creek area.The suburb is named after Sir Austin Chapman , Member for Eden-Monaro...
and Stirling
Stirling, Australian Capital Territory
Stirling is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It is located in the Weston Creek district.The suburb is named after Sir James Stirling who was the first Governor of Western Australia between 1829–1839 and established settlements at Perth and Fremantle in 1829...
in 1972. Each suburb has its own local shops, and they all share the larger district centre of Cooleman Court situated in Weston. Each suburb is named after a notable Australian, and the street names in each suburb follow a specific theme such as Australian rivers, native flowers, or names of surveyors.
Bushfires
Situated on Canberra's western edge adjacent to open farmland and formerly large pine plantations, the Weston Creek district has been affected by several serious bushfires. The more notable fires have been:- Feb 1952. Several observatory buildings and equipment were damaged and more than 100,000 pine trees destroyed when a bushfire swept across Mount Stromlo and into the Weston valley on 5 February 1952.
- Dec 2001. Fire swept through the Stromlo Pine Forest adjacent to Weston Creek on 24 Dec 2001, threatening the suburbs of Duffy, Holder, Weston, Curtin and Yarralumla. It burnt areas of the National Zoo & Aquarium and Government House, and reached Adelaide Avenue, Deakin, before being contained.
- Jan 2003. Weston Creek was hard hit by the 18 January 2003 Canberra bushfires, with nearly 500 homes destroyed and four people killed. Duffy bore the brunt of the bushfires with 219 homes destroyed, while parts of Chapman, Holder, Rivett and Weston also suffered significant damage. A Bushfire Memorial was established in nearby Stromlo and opened on 18 January 2005.
Demographics
The population of the Weston Creek district in 2006 was 22,717. The median age was 39, and 27.1% of the population were aged 55 and over compared with the national figure of 24.3%. Over 92% of residents were Australian citizens, compared with the national figure of 86.1%, although 21% were born overseas. The unemployment rate in 2006 of 2.9% was well below the national figure of 5.2%, and the median individual income was $737 compared with the national average of $466. Not surprisingly for a district of Canberra, nearly 24% of the workforce were Commonwealth public service or Defence, compared with the national figure of 2%.Community
Local sports teams include the Royals (Rugby UnionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
), Weston Creek Lions (Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
), Weston Creek Indians (Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
), Weston Creek Soccer Club, a men's and women's Lawn Bowls team and Weston Creek Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club. Established in 1976, notable players in the cricket club include Greg Irvine (from 1979), Michael Bevan (1985), Huntley Armstrong (1985) and even star rugby player George Gregan (1990). There is also a Weston Creek netball competition, called Arawang, comprising several teams.
The district is currently unique for having only one public high school. Named Stromlo, the school is located in the suburb of Waramanga
Waramanga, Australian Capital Territory
Waramanga is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia located in the district of Weston Creek.Waramanga was established in the late 1960s and was named after the Aboriginal tribe of Central Australia, also known as the Warumungu people.-History:The Weston Creek district was...
. Until the 1990s there were two public high schools — Stromlo High School, originally called Weston Creek High School, and Holder High School, located in Holder
Holder, Australian Capital Territory
The suburb of Holder is a part of the Weston Creek District of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, and is located 13 km to the southwest of the Canberra city centre...
. Holder High School was closed in 1991 and the two schools merged to become Stromlo High.
A Community Council, known as the Weston Creek Community Council (WCCC), provides the residents of the district with a forum to convey concerns to government, and lobbies government and bureaucrats for services and facilities for Weston Creek. It was established due to concern amongst district residents that they lacked a political voice in the legislative process in Canberra, with the closure of Holder High School in 1991 the initial catalyst for bringing residents together.
Australian Defence College
The Australian Defence CollegeAustralian Defence College
The Australian Defence College comprises three tri-service educational organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory:* the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies ,...
's Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS) and Australian Command and Staff College (ACSC) are both located at Weston Creek.
Notable residents
- Former Australia national rugby union teamAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
Captain, George GreganGeorge GreganGeorge Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....
, grew up in Weston Creek. - Former Australian representative cricketer, Michael BevanMichael BevanMichael Gwyl Bevan is a former Australian left-handed cricket batsman and a slow left arm chinaman bowler. He played 232 ODI matches for Australia, and was a part of the 1999 and 2003 teams that won the World Cup...
, grew up in Weston Creek. - Author and ABC radio host Helen RazerHelen RazerHelen Razer is a Melbourne-born and Canberra-raised radio presenter and writer. She is the author of four non-fiction books and a columnist with the Australian version of The Big Issue, Melbourne newspaper The Age, and contributor to monthly magazine, Cherrie .-Media work:Razer was a prominent...
grew up in Weston Creek. - Former marathon runner Robert de CastellaRobert de CastellaRobert Francois de Castella, MBE is an Australian former world champion marathon runner. He is widely known as "Deek" or "Deeks" to the Australian public, and "Tree" to his competitors due to his thick legs and inner calm...
lives in Weston Creek.
External links
- Canberra region map - Weston Creek district
- Canberra History
- Satellite image from Google Maps