Belconnen
Belconnen Federal division(s) | |||||||||||||||
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Belconnen (/ˈbɛlkɒnɪn/) is a district in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. The district is subdivided into 27 divisions (suburbs), sections and blocks. As at the 2021 census, the district had a population of 106,061 people;[1] and was the most populous district within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
Belconnen is situated approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to the north-west of the
Establishment and governance
Following the transfer of land from the
History
Belconnen was previously occupied by Ginninderra, the former agricultural lands that corresponds with the watershed of Ginninderra Creek. The Belconnen district is named after one of the earliest land grants made in the district during colonial times. Belconnen a land grant totalling 800 hectares (2,000 acres) was made to explorer Charles Sturt who eventually sold the property to Robert Campbell who owned the nearby Duntroon Estate.[7]
A stone plaque located at the sport fields in Aranda, Belconnen's first suburb, commemorates the commencement of urban development of the Belconnen district, inscribed:
"This tablet marks the inauguration of development of the district of Belconnen by the Minister of State for the Interior The Honourable J. D. Anthony, M.P. 23rd June 1966"
The nearby Jamison Centre, the first commercial centre in the district, opened in 1969. The Belconnen Town Centre located on the shore of Lake Ginninderra opened in the late 1970s.
Political representation
For the purposes of Australian federal elections for the House of Representatives, the District of Belconnen is contained within the electoral divisions of Fenner and Canberra.[8][9]
For the purposes of Australian Capital Territory elections for the ACT Legislative Assembly, most of Belconnen is within the Ginninderra electorate, but the suburbs of Giralang and Kaleen are in Yerrabi.[10]
Location and urban structure
The Belconnen district is a set of 27
Residential and industrial development
The majority of the residential suburbs are predominantly characterised by detached single family homes on suburban blocks, with pockets of
Within the district of Belconnen, there is almost no 'heavy' industry; however there is some light industry and manufacturing, including automotive repair, plumbing, electrical, building, and similar services as well as small arts and crafts manufacturing and sales outlets. A variety of medical practitioners and veterinarians also service the region. There is an established artistic community which includes aspiring performing musicians, theatre groups and visual artists. A recycling industry, involving organic as well as plastic and metals collection takes place at the Parkwood Road Recycling Estate, on the outermost western boundary of the district, within the suburb of Holt.
Retail and commercial development
The predominant shopping centre of the district is
Within the Belconnen Town Centre is a number of
The Calvary Hospital is a privately operated public hospital, located in the suburb of Bruce. Also in the suburb of Bruce are a number of sporting and education facilities including the University of Canberra (UC), the Canberra Institute of Technology (or CIT), the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), and Canberra Stadium.
Demographics
At the
Population growth in the Belconnen district between the 2001 census and the
At the 2021 census, the proportion of residents in the Belconnen district who stated their ancestry as Australian or English was 65.5 per cent of all residents (national average was 62.9 per cent). Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Belconnen district had a marginally higher than average proportion (26.6 per cent) where a non-English language was used (national average was 24.8 per cent); and a similar proportion (72.4 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 72.0 per cent).[1]
Selected historical census data for the Belconnen district | |||||||
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Census year | 2001[14] | 2006[16] | 2011[15] | 2016[17] | 2021[1] | ||
Population | Estimated residents on census night | 81,701 | 84,382 | 92,444 | 96,049 | 106,061 | |
District rank in terms of size within the Australian Capital Territory | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||
Percentage of the Australian Capital Territory population | 25.9% | 24.2% | 23.4% | ||||
Percentage of the Australian population | 0.44% | 0.42% | 0.43% | 0.41% | 0.42% | ||
Cultural and language diversity | |||||||
Ancestry, top responses |
Australian | 26.9% | 23.7% | 32.8% | |||
English | 32.7% | 24.1% | 24.1% | ||||
Irish | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.7% | ||||
Scottish | 7.0% | 7.3% | 10.2% | ||||
Chinese | 3.3% | 4.4% | 5.9% | ||||
Language, top responses (other than English) |
Mandarin | 1.4% | 2.2% | 3.7% | 3.4% | ||
Vietnamese | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.5% | ||
Nepali | 1.3% | ||||||
Spanish | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.1% | ||
Punjabi | 1.0% | ||||||
Italian | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.9% | |||
Cantonese | n/c | n/c | 0.9% | 0.9% | |||
Religious affiliation | |||||||
Religious affiliation, top responses |
No Religion | 19.2% | 23.3% | 28.9% | 37.1% | 44.5% | |
Catholic |
28.8% | 27.6% | 25.3% | 21.7% | 18.9% | ||
Anglican | 18.0% | 16.3% | 14.3% | 10.7% | 8.1% | ||
Hinduism | 3.8% | ||||||
Uniting Church |
4.9% | 4.4% | 3.7% | 2.7% | |||
Buddhism | 2.4% | ||||||
weekly incomes |
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Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$680 | A$858 | A$919 | A$1,102 | ||
Percentage of Australian median income | 145.9% | 148.7% | 138.8% | 136.9% | |||
Family income | Median weekly family income | A$1,662 | A$2,120 | A$2,285 | A$2,628 | ||
Percentage of Australian median income | 141.9% | 143.1% | 131.8% | 124.0% | |||
Household income | Median weekly household income | A$1,440 | A$1,802 | A$1,915 | A$2,227 | ||
Percentage of Australian median income | 140.2% | 146.0% | 133.2% | 127.5% | |||
Dwelling structure | |||||||
Type | Separate house | 81.3% | 82.0% | 77.0% | 72.4% | 69.4% | |
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc. | 13.1% | 12.3% | 14.8% | 16.7% | 17.3% | ||
Flat, unit or apartment | 5.1% | 5.6% | 8.1% | 10.7% | 13.2% |
List of suburbs
- Emu Ridge, often considered a suburb, has not since been gazetted, and is a housing estate, within the suburb of Belconnen.
- Fern Hill Park, often considered a suburb, has not since been gazetted, and is a business and residential estate, within the suburb of Bruce.
Transport
The primary mode of transport within the District is by private vehicle. The District of Belconnen was planned in the 1960s and was guided by a philosophy of reliance on private personal transport and an abundance of roads. [citation needed] Public buses serve the district with local and express services; the primary interchange is off Benjamin Way in the town centre.
Roads
Belconnen is well served by a network of near-freeway-quality roads located between suburbs and intersecting the district. The main roads between suburbs are typically landscaped with mounds of earth and vegetation to form 'parkways'.
The main roads connecting the district with
Public transport
The ACTION bus service which provides public transport throughout Canberra is the only form of regularly scheduled public transport in Belconnen. Services from the various suburbs generally pass through a bus interchange at
The bus interchange is spread across the Belconnen town centre in three different locations. The previous interchange, which is now one of those locations, was connected by footbridge to large shopping centre and to office buildings occupied by major Government departments. It was an ageing facility which was criticised for being unsafe, particularly at night, and for being dirty and prone to vandalism. For these reasons it was subject to major renovations.
The ACT Government plans to construct a busway to connect the Belconnen Town centre with the hospital and
Cycling
The Belconnen Bikeway goes through the district.
Places of note and interest
- The Westfield, surrounded by government and private offices, and a light industrial area. Belconnen Mall was opened to the public in February 1978.[18]
- Belconnen Fresh Food Markets is home to the Giant Mushroom playground, featuring a six-metre high pink, yellow and blue mushroom.[19]
- Cameron Offices, Belconnen, a partially demolished example of Brutalist architecture immediately south of the Belconnen Bus Interchange on Chandler Street. First building to be built in the town centre.
- Government offices headquartered in Belconnen include the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), ComSuper and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
- In the suburb of Bruce are:
- The Royal Australian Navy established a very low and high frequency radio transmitting station in Belconnen in the 1930s, as part of the naval communications base HMAS Harman. Belconnen Naval Transmitting Station operated until 2005, with its transmitter towers felled in 2006, and part of the site marked for the new suburb of Lawson.
Education
The University of Canberra is located in the suburb of Bruce and has a student population of approximately 10,000. A Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) campus is also in Bruce.
The Australian Capital Territory Government operates 23 Preschools, 19 Primary Schools, 5 High Schools and 3 Colleges (Senior Secondary Schools) within the District of Belconnen. There are also 8 religious schools and one Government special school for students with disabilities. Prominent High schools include Radford College and Canberra High. Belconnen is also the home to the ACT's only government operated Year 7–12 school, with the dual campus Melba Copland Secondary School located in the North-Eastern suburb of Melba.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Belconnen (SA3)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- ^ "Districts Ordinance 1966 No. 5 (ACT)" (PDF).
- ^ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- ^ Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 (Cth)
- ^ Districts Act 1966 (ACT).
- ^ Districts Act 2002 (ACT).
- ISBN 0-86417-049-1.
- ^ "Profile of the electoral division of Fenner (ACT)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "Profile of the electoral division of Canberra". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "Electorates 2020 election". Elections ACT. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ UniGardens Canberra University student accommodation, official website
- Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate. ACT Government. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
- Territory and Municipal Services Directorate. ACT Government. 15 May 2013. Archived from the originalon 6 September 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Belconnen (SSD)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Belconnen (SA3)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Belconnen (SSD)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Belconnen (SA3)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ Chronology of the ACT, Canberra & District Historical Society, archived from the original on 12 September 2013
- ^ "Giant Mushroom, The". Australian Capital Tourism. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012.
External links
Media related to Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory at Wikimedia Commons
- ACTMAPi – the ACT Government's interactive mapping service
- Brian Rhynehart (27 February 2008). "Belconnen's History". Belconnen Community Services. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013.
- Video of Belconnen Naval Transmitting Towers being felled (20 December 2006):
- Tower 1 (72s) on YouTube
- Towers 2&3 (63s) on YouTube