Manuka, Australian Capital Territory
Encyclopedia
Manuka is an area in the Inner South
district of Canberra
, Australia
covering parts of the suburbs of Griffith
and Forrest
. Manuka Shops, Manuka Oval
, Manuka Swimming Pool, and Manuka Circle take their name from the park in the area.
The precinct is named after Manuka Circle, the street which forms the northern boundary of the precinct. Manuka Circle was on Walter Burley Griffin
's original plan for Canberra and named after the New Zealand tea tree Leptospermum scoparium
. The name Manuka is somewhat peculiar in that it is pronounced by local Canberrans differently from the tree from which it gets its name: ˈ (locally ˈmɐːnəkɐː) compared to /mɑːˈnuːkə/ ([mɐːˈnʉːkə]) for the tree.
When Griffin drew up his plans in 1912, there was still some optimism that New Zealand might join the Federation of Australia
. Griffin's plans included eight avenues radiating out from Capital Hill named after the capitals of the six states, the capital of the Northern Territory and the capital of New Zealand. Before the name Wellington Avenue was gazetted it was realised that New Zealand was not going to become part of a federation of Australasia and the name was replaced by Canberra Avenue. Griffin planned that the state capital city avenues were terminated with a park named after the generic botanical name for a native plant from that particular site; for example, Telopea Park
is named after the waratah, the floral emblem of New South Wales, and is at the end of Sydney Avenue, named after the capital of New South Wales. Another remnant of Griffin's nomenclature was the Wellington Hotel, formerly on the corner of Canberra Avenue and National Circuit which was demolished and replaced by the hotel known in 2005 as "Rydges Capital Hill Canberra".
and other local swimming holes at the Cotter
and Murrumbidgee River
s. Canberra's first pool was built on the south side as it was closer to more Canberra residents than any northside location. The pool was officially opened on 26 January 1931.
.
. The Reverend Father Patrick Haydon was appointed as parish priest of the new Saint Christopher's Parish at Manuka in 1928. He oversaw the building of a convent and school, opened in 1928, and the first stage of Saint Christopher's Pro Cathedral which was completed in 1939. The Catholic community had intended to build a full cathedral on Commonwealth Avenue but their plans were never realised as the depression took away the ability to raise funds for the project and the impetus was never regained.
St Christopher's was finally extended to its present size in 1973, when it became the co-cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, and more recently the sole cathedral when the former cathedral in Goulburn ceased to be a cathedral of the archdiocese.
Members of the Parliament of Australia
often have their year opening prayers at St Christopher's or St. Paul's, usually in February during the first sitting period. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s485645.htm. St Christopher's also hosts significant national and diocesan services for the national capital. These include major ecumenical services, because St Chistopher's is the largest church in the national capital of any Christian denomination.
The Manuka site behind the Church is proposed as the site for the ACT Government's Braddon housing redevelopment. The Church and the Government are currently in negotiations.
at Reid
provided a church hall on the southside of Canberra at Eastlake (later renamed Kingston
), close to the residential development. The hall was much used in the 1920s and a regular congregation gathered there each Sunday with a Sunday school. In the 1930s there was an active choir, football and cricket teams associated with the congregation. In 1933 a building fund was commenced for a new site and permanent church. However as this was during the depression, progress was slow. The foundation stone for the new church was laid by the Governor-General
, Baron Gowrie
, on 11 December 1938. The church was dedicated on 6 August 1939, five days after the 25th anniversary of the holding of the first Anglican service in the St Paul's Hall at Kingston. It was the first Anglican church to be built in the district since the 1840s. Initially St Paul's was part of the parish of St John's; the parish of St Paul, Canberra, was proclaimed formally on 26 March 1950.
The church is built in a distinctive style that blends art deco and gothic, and has been enlarged twice. The original structure included only the nave. In 1956 a new sanctuary and unusual bell tower were added. In 2001 two more bays were added to the nave, making it the largest Anglican church in Canberra. Its size and location, and the absence of an Anglican cathedral in the national capital, mean that it is often called upon to host major diocesan and national services as well as its parish functions.
The tower contains the only full peal of bells in the Australian Capital Territory. The 8 bells came from a variety of sources including several cast especially in England.
The church also boasts the first major combination (or hybrid) organ in Australia, in which the 3 manual pipe organ has been substantially augmented by custom digital electronic ranks.
92.7 MHz. ArtSound moved to premises in the ACT Arts Centre (formerly the Jazz Campus of the School of Music) in early 2007.
ArtSound plays a mix of Jazz
, Classical
, Roots
, Blues
, Folk
and world music
. It was established in the early 1980s under the name Canberra Stereo Public Radio and previously broadcast out of studios in Curtin
.
in Canberra in 1928. The theatre was later bulldozed in 1980 and the present Greater Union
cinema built on the site. The decision to destroy such an important building of Canberra's heritage was controversial at the time and since.http://www.library.act.gov.au/heritagelibrary/reflectionscd/reflect/actv/td1/td1_6.htm
South Canberra
South Canberra or the Inner South is a central district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia.South Canberra is located to the south of Canberra's city centre, on the south bank of Lake Burley Griffin....
district 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...
, 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...
covering parts of the suburbs of Griffith
Griffith, Australian Capital Territory
Griffith is an early inner-south suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Griffith is named after Sir Samuel Griffith, who was chosen in 1903 as the first Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and retained his position until retirement in 1919...
and Forrest
Forrest, Australian Capital Territory
Forrest is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Forrest is named after Sir John Forrest, an explorer, legislator, Federalist, premier of Western Australia, and one of the fathers of the Australian Constitution...
. Manuka Shops, Manuka Oval
Manuka Oval
Manuka Oval is a 13,550 capacity ground located in the suburb of Griffith, adjacent to Manuka, a business district of Canberra, Australia's capital....
, Manuka Swimming Pool, and Manuka Circle take their name from the park in the area.
Origin of name
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
's original plan for Canberra and named after the New Zealand tea tree Leptospermum scoparium
Leptospermum scoparium
Leptospermum scoparium is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand and southeast Australia. Evidence suggests that L. scoparium originated in Australia before the onset of the Miocene aridity and dispersed relatively recently from Eastern Australia to New Zealand. It is likely that on arrival...
. The name Manuka is somewhat peculiar in that it is pronounced by local Canberrans differently from the tree from which it gets its name: ˈ (locally ˈmɐːnəkɐː) compared to /mɑːˈnuːkə/ ([mɐːˈnʉːkə]) for the tree.
When Griffin drew up his plans in 1912, there was still some optimism that New Zealand might join the Federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
. Griffin's plans included eight avenues radiating out from Capital Hill named after the capitals of the six states, the capital of the Northern Territory and the capital of New Zealand. Before the name Wellington Avenue was gazetted it was realised that New Zealand was not going to become part of a federation of Australasia and the name was replaced by Canberra Avenue. Griffin planned that the state capital city avenues were terminated with a park named after the generic botanical name for a native plant from that particular site; for example, Telopea Park
Telopea Park, Canberra
Telopea Park is one of the oldest parks in Canberra, Australia. The name of the park is from Walter Burley Griffin's original plan for Canberra where he planned Telopea Park at the end of Sydney Avenue. The park is named after the floral emblem of New South Wales, also known as the Waratah...
is named after the waratah, the floral emblem of New South Wales, and is at the end of Sydney Avenue, named after the capital of New South Wales. Another remnant of Griffin's nomenclature was the Wellington Hotel, formerly on the corner of Canberra Avenue and National Circuit which was demolished and replaced by the hotel known in 2005 as "Rydges Capital Hill Canberra".
History
Business allotments for Manuka were included in the first auction of city leases in December 1924. At the same time leases were sold in the city, Braddon, Kingston, Forrest and Red Hill. Lessees were required to erect buildings of approved design on the blocks within three years. The decision to develop business centres at both Kingston (then called Eastlake) and Manuka, which were within half a mile of each other had been made in the absence of Sir John Sulman, the chair of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee. He later recorded his disapproval of the decision. Sulman had designed Manuka and it was intended to be the principal commercial centre on the south side. The decision to allow the development of Eastlake meant that in Manuka investment lagged and building was slow. Eastlake was preferred by residents as a business centre because of the bigger shops and closer proximity to more homes as well as being closer to the previously only substantial shop in the Territory which had been near the Kingston railway station. The opening of the Capitol Theatre and the convent school associated with St Christopher's Catholic cathedral allowed the Manuka businesses to develop competitively.Shops
Shops were first built in Manuka between 1925 and 1930. In recent years a collection of outdoor cafes has taken over the more utilitarian shops that dominated the area up to the late 1970s. In the 1960s the precinct included a hardware shop, two supermarkets, a large delicatessen, two butchers, a fishmongers, at least one green grocer, several florists, a boot shop and repairer, clothes shops, home wares and furniture shops, several shoe shops, chemists, newsagents, several barbers and hairdressers, a shop selling church candles, ... . Manuka is now known for its restaurants and for some nightclubs.Manuka Pool
Building work commenced on the pool in July 1930. It was the first swimming pool to be built for the city. Before its completion, Canberrans swam in the Molonglo RiverMolonglo 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...
and other local swimming holes at the Cotter
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...
and Murrumbidgee River
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
s. Canberra's first pool was built on the south side as it was closer to more Canberra residents than any northside location. The pool was officially opened on 26 January 1931.
Manuka Oval
See separate article on the Manuka OvalManuka Oval
Manuka Oval is a 13,550 capacity ground located in the suburb of Griffith, adjacent to Manuka, a business district of Canberra, Australia's capital....
.
St Christopher's Cathedral
St Christopher's Cathedral is adjacent to the shopping district, and is technically located in the suburb of ForrestForrest, Australian Capital Territory
Forrest is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Forrest is named after Sir John Forrest, an explorer, legislator, Federalist, premier of Western Australia, and one of the fathers of the Australian Constitution...
. The Reverend Father Patrick Haydon was appointed as parish priest of the new Saint Christopher's Parish at Manuka in 1928. He oversaw the building of a convent and school, opened in 1928, and the first stage of Saint Christopher's Pro Cathedral which was completed in 1939. The Catholic community had intended to build a full cathedral on Commonwealth Avenue but their plans were never realised as the depression took away the ability to raise funds for the project and the impetus was never regained.
St Christopher's was finally extended to its present size in 1973, when it became the co-cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, and more recently the sole cathedral when the former cathedral in Goulburn ceased to be a cathedral of the archdiocese.
Members of the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
often have their year opening prayers at St Christopher's or St. Paul's, usually in February during the first sitting period. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s485645.htm. St Christopher's also hosts significant national and diocesan services for the national capital. These include major ecumenical services, because St Chistopher's is the largest church in the national capital of any Christian denomination.
The Manuka site behind the Church is proposed as the site for the ACT Government's Braddon housing redevelopment. The Church and the Government are currently in negotiations.
St Paul's Church, Manuka
The Anglican parish of St John the Baptist ChurchSt John the Baptist Church, Reid
St John the Baptist Church is the oldest church in Canberra, Australia, and also the oldest building within Canberra's city precinct. It is sited at the corner of ANZAC Parade and Constitution Avenue in the suburb of Reid.-Construction:...
at Reid
Reid, Australian Capital Territory
Reid is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Located directly next to Canberra City, Reid is one of the oldest suburbs in Canberra....
provided a church hall on the southside of Canberra at Eastlake (later renamed 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...
), close to the residential development. The hall was much used in the 1920s and a regular congregation gathered there each Sunday with a Sunday school. In the 1930s there was an active choir, football and cricket teams associated with the congregation. In 1933 a building fund was commenced for a new site and permanent church. However as this was during the depression, progress was slow. The foundation stone for the new church was laid by the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, Baron Gowrie
Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC was a British soldier and colonial governor and the tenth Governor-General of Australia. Serving for 9 years and 7 days, he is the longest serving Governor-General in Australia's history...
, on 11 December 1938. The church was dedicated on 6 August 1939, five days after the 25th anniversary of the holding of the first Anglican service in the St Paul's Hall at Kingston. It was the first Anglican church to be built in the district since the 1840s. Initially St Paul's was part of the parish of St John's; the parish of St Paul, Canberra, was proclaimed formally on 26 March 1950.
The church is built in a distinctive style that blends art deco and gothic, and has been enlarged twice. The original structure included only the nave. In 1956 a new sanctuary and unusual bell tower were added. In 2001 two more bays were added to the nave, making it the largest Anglican church in Canberra. Its size and location, and the absence of an Anglican cathedral in the national capital, mean that it is often called upon to host major diocesan and national services as well as its parish functions.
The tower contains the only full peal of bells in the Australian Capital Territory. The 8 bells came from a variety of sources including several cast especially in England.
The church also boasts the first major combination (or hybrid) organ in Australia, in which the 3 manual pipe organ has been substantially augmented by custom digital electronic ranks.
ArtSound FM 92.7
Manuka is now the home of radio station ArtSound FMArtSound FM
ArtSound FM is a community radio station broadcasting to Canberra from studios in the suburb of Manuka. Its format is fine music and arts programming....
92.7 MHz. ArtSound moved to premises in the ACT Arts Centre (formerly the Jazz Campus of the School of Music) in early 2007.
ArtSound plays a mix of Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, Roots
Roots revival
A roots revival is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly-composed songs with socially and politically aware lyrics, as well as a general modernization of the folk sound.After an...
, Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, Folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
. It was established in the early 1980s under the name Canberra Stereo Public Radio and previously broadcast out of studios in Curtin
Curtin, Australian Capital Territory
Curtin is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Woden. The postcode is 2605.It is next to the suburbs of Yarralumla, Deakin, Hughes, Lyons and Weston...
.
Capitol Theatre
The Capitol Theatre was one of Canberra's most important centres for entertainment in the early life of the city, with many plays and films. The design was to the requirements of the theatre impresario J.C. Williamson. It was opened in 1927 and hosted a reception for the arrival of aviator Bert HinklerBert Hinkler
Herbert John Louis Hinkler AFC DSM , better known as Bert Hinkler, was a pioneer Australian aviator and inventor. He designed and built early aircraft before being the first person to fly solo from England to Australia, and the first person to fly solo across the Southern Atlantic Ocean...
in Canberra in 1928. The theatre was later bulldozed in 1980 and the present Greater Union
Greater Union
Greater Union, Birch Carroll and Coyle, Event Cinemas, Skycity Cinemas and Damodar Village Cinemas together form a chain of cinema multiplexes across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji...
cinema built on the site. The decision to destroy such an important building of Canberra's heritage was controversial at the time and since.http://www.library.act.gov.au/heritagelibrary/reflectionscd/reflect/actv/td1/td1_6.htm