Canberra is renowned for its laid-back and country-like lifestyle which also has the sophistication of quality hotels and restaurants, as well as excellent learning centres, schools and tertiary institutions, and national institutions including Parliament House and the National Gallery of Australia. Among Canberra’s sought-after suburbs are those in Weston Creek. Established in 1968 and named after Captain Edward Weston from Sydney’s Hyde Park Convict Barracks, this precinct is often dubbed by residents as ‘a well-kept secret’, with well-priced housing, in a compact setting of undulating hills and wide-open green spaces.
The area has many walking/cycling paths lending themselves to outdoor activities and is as well served as the larger community centres when it comes to great cafes and eateries, shopping, schools, clubs, churches and health facilities. And accessibility to other parts of Canberra is a key attraction. The precinct’s eight suburbs are themed: Chapman – film industry; Duffy – Australian dams and reservoirs; Fisher – Australian mines and mining towns; Holder – surveyors; Rivett – Australian flora; Stirling – Western Australian pioneers; Waramanga – names of Aboriginal tribal units; Weston – artists.
Weston Creek residents have ready access to some of Canberra’s iconic outdoor spots such as Kambah Pool and Casuarina Sands (swimming holes along the Murrumbidgee River), as well as Forest Park cycling complex. Very popular with cyclists, equestrians and walkers, the Canberra Centenary Trail takes in scenic Cooleman Ridge, skirting Duffy and Chapman as it tracks from Stromlo Forest Park to the Kambah Pool Road, with many places along the way providing superb views of central Canberra and glimpses of innovative architecture in some of the capital’s prestigious suburbs.
Brierly Street and Cooleman Court comprise the Weston Creek CBD, offering a variety of bakeries, cafes and restaurants, and other services including a florist, hairdressers, dentists, doctors, chiropractors, podiatrists, accountants and lawyers. Highly-qualified therapists at Brierly Street’s Therapeutic Massage Centre provide various types of massage including cupping, remedial or relaxation massage, and lymphatic drainage. And tucked away in Weston Arcade, Beyond Q bookshop and cafe offers good coffee, quality second-hand books across many genres, including Penguin classics and rare editions, and on some nights, hosts live comedy and music.