16 June 2009

North vs. South—friendly rivalry or blood feud?

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I had an interstate guest stay with me recently, who was rather puzzled by my response when asked if I would consider moving closer to work. (I am currently living very, very North, and working very, very South. ) My response?

“No way! I would NEVER become a Southsider. I’d rather travel 45 minutes to get to work every day than move Southside.”

When asked to explain what was so bad about the South, I became a little stumped. While I always have been, and always will be, a north side girl at heart (I’m saving up for my 2913 tattoo) at the end of the day, I don’t actually dislike our southern Canberra brethren or their end of town.

I’ve had Southside friends, Southside colleagues, hell, I’ve even dated a Southsider before. I currently travel there every day for work. However that hasn’t stopped me from declaring that, “the further South you drive in Canberra the lower the IQs drop” and other such North vs. South statements. (Where, of course, North always comes out on top.)

This bemused my Adelaide friend, who assumed my aversion to the southern end of our fair city was just a personal quirk.

So I had to explain that it’s not just me—most Canberrans are prejudiced against their compass counterpoints, but they really don’t mean anything by it, it’s a friendly rivalry thing. Kind of like Australia vs. New Zealand. We make jokes about sheep-shaggers, but when push comes to shove, we actually do enjoy the company of those funny-accented fellows.

But then that got me thinking, if we are one united Canberra community, why all the jokes? Is it really just a friendly rivalry? Or is there something more sinister at play?

And why, after typing “I don’t actually dislike our southern Canberra brethren or their end of town” do I suddenly feel horridly squeamish, like I’ve betrayed generations of staunch Northies?

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“I’m saving up for my 2913 tattoo”

I think that says it all

Canberra is an amazing place, regardless of which side of the Mawson-Dickson line you live.

farnarkler said :

Ah yes. I was there at Knights when John got arrested for dealing drugs there and I was outside that classy establishment the Hungry Horse when Greg whacked a Jenta scone with a baseball bat.

A lovely pair they were. Small fry in reality though.

nice to bring up knights. only remember going there on whatever the night was for scantily clad women dancing. Come to think of it, that was most nights, really. The hintons and i have been in the same bar a couple of times in my youth, they bought me a round, and i returned the shout. Never had an issue with them. There were small fish trying to break into the big time in both belco and tuggers, but I never had a problem with any of them.

Cletus 2 said :

Please people, please. Can’t we grow up and focus on more important things?

Nobody enjoys the company of New Zealanders except sheep.

sheep don’t enjoy new zealanders; they tolerate them under duress (and velcro gloves)… ; )

and is it still ‘canberra’ when you cross those bridges over the lake? wow, things ya learn…

I was thinking how in Aranda I don’t quite get the North South thing, and now how when the Aranda Paddock is full of sheep, I wonder what country we are supposed to be the capital of.

Please people, please. Can’t we grow up and focus on more important things?

Nobody enjoys the company of New Zealanders except sheep.

motleychick said :

… the sight of pregger teenages pushing prams always makes me feel so well off.

I see more pregnant teenagers on the Northside than I do on the South.

True that, I made the rare trip to the monstrosity they call Westfield Belconnen last year during the day (happened to be working in the area) and it was like a walking high school nursery, exceeding the likes of the Hyperdome. It was truly like they were generating the next uneducated generation there.

farnarkler said :

Read the police wrap for 16 June; a Monash man, guns in Calwell and a Kambah man punches a dog. All South of Mount Taylor.

I think you will find the dog got punched near Lady Denman Drive, which side of Canberra it was on would be debatable depending on the exact location.

Everything that is Canberra is on the south side, all the decent suburbs, parliament house etc. The darkside has.. Charnwood? Oh and the Masseys.

Anyway, any person that has their postcode tattooed on their body is a bogan, no matter where they come from.

Tuggeranong used to be The Disgrace of Canberra, but then they built Gunghalin.

It happens everywhere. I lived in South London for ten years and a friend lived in North London all his life. He hated South London for no other reason that it wasn’t where he grew up. I’m sure Sydneysiders are the same; those from Coogee Bay, Bondi, etc dislike the Northern beaches, Manly, etc.

I wrote the original post tongue firmly in cheek (for the record I’m not getting my post code tattooed!) but I find many of the comments interesting as they seem to indicate a rivalry does exists in the minds of some people – or are we all just having a laugh?

IgglePiggle, I agree with you – it certainly seems to be a local’s game. One of which I’m even guilty. I wonder why we do it?

Toriness I think you have a point where you say that every city does it, but from my (fairly limited) experience of other cities, no one seems to take it to the ridiculous lengths that dear old Canby does.

We don’t seem to have a strong socio-economic difference between the two sides of town that would help explain the phenomenon. North or South, there are some ‘dodgy’ areas in both sections of town in which I would avoid living.

Having never posted here before it’s been fun reading all y’all’s thoughts anyways. Cheers!

Ah yes. I was there at Knights when John got arrested for dealing drugs there and I was outside that classy establishment the Hungry Horse when Greg whacked a Jenta scone with a baseball bat.

A lovely pair they were. Small fry in reality though.

farnarkler said :

Read the police wrap for 16 June; a Monash man, guns in Calwell and a Kambah man punches a dog. All South of Mount Taylor.

Yea, but the Northside had the Hinton’s!

Seriously though, having lived 19 years in Flynn, 10 in Holt and the past 7 years in Kambah (except some time away in the Forces), I feel qualified to wade into the debate. Basically, the whole North v South debate is myth created to make people feel better about themselves. I love Canberra pure and simple. ‘Wherever I lay my hat, that’s my home’:)

Read the police wrap for 16 June; a Monash man, guns in Calwell and a Kambah man punches a dog. All South of Mount Taylor.

Inner North and inner South are fine (I’ve lived in both) but Gungahlin and Tuggeranong really are hideous.

Having lived on both the northside, and the south, I prefer the south. Many of the people I know who lived on the northside have moved down south. Paradoxically, many of the people i know who lived on the southside have moved to gungahlin. maybe the north is the new south and the south the new north?

Clown Killer4:47 pm 16 Jun 09

… the sight of pregger teenages pushing prams always makes me feel so well off.

It’s true that with greater economic freedom comes a lower birth rate. But I believe that teenage pregnancy is more to do with stupidity and poor parenting skills. I doubt that either north or south has a franchise on stupidity and poor parenting.

motleychick said :

… the sight of pregger teenages pushing prams always makes me feel so well off.

I see more pregnant teenagers on the Northside than I do on the South.

well if you include kippax that is fair

motleychick said :

… the sight of pregger teenages pushing prams always makes me feel so well off.

I see more pregnant teenagers on the Northside than I do on the South.

we don’t let ours out to wander the streets in the southside…

… the sight of pregger teenages pushing prams always makes me feel so well off.

I see more pregnant teenagers on the Northside than I do on the South.

I awlays enjoy going to deep south tuggers, the sound of dualling bangos on my ear the smell of burning rubber in my nose and the sight of pregger teenages pushing prams always makes me feel so well off.

Peewee Slasher3:00 pm 16 Jun 09

Thanks for your responses.

Actually, PTaker, it was the Queanbeyan forefathers who fought for Canberra to be where it is. So, sort of makes it a Queanbeyan subdivision.

There is only one thing that Southsiders and Northsiders agree on:

We are both better than Queanbeyan.

I disagree. Queanbeyan knows they have nothing in this argument, so they dont try. I like that.

Northsiders still think they can argue though. Just plain annoying. Your never going to win.

And South may be North Cooma but North is South Yass….blech!

Clown Killer2:49 pm 16 Jun 09

Why don’t we call Queanbeyan the Eastern suburbs?

Because it’s on the wrong side of the railway tracks.

Where I live is better than where you do! End of statement.

peterh said :

Peewee Slasher said :

That reminds me. Sydneysiders with their Westies and Eastern suburbs. Why don’t we call Queanbeyan the Eastern suburbs? I look forward to your answers on this one.

Canberra lacks distinct age between suburbs that reflect architectural differences, which does happen in older cities. (Possible exception = Ainslie & obviously Queenbeyan is older).

All I see is homogenous society.

peewee, maybe we would call it the eastern suburbs if queanbeyan was a suburb of the ACT. It isn’t.

There is only one thing that Southsiders and Northsiders agree on:

We are both better than Queanbeyan.

Peewee Slasher said :

This thread is killing me.

I came to Canberra 20 years ago and couldn’t tell the difference between the northside and southside suburbs, they were all equally bland. Made friends with a person living in Charnwood. He started paying out on me. If he came to my house in Calwell (North Cooma – huu, huh, he retorted in a neanderthal chant), he’d have to pack a cut lunch. I asked him what would happen if I visited him. Would I have to pack a cut lunch? He couldn’t deal with the basic logic of the rhetorical question.

There are people on this thread arguing about “which shop is better”. Get a life. Shops are shops. You buy things from them. You don’t form a tribal allegiance to them.

“It only take 20 minutes to get anywhere in Canberra” espoused by many locals. (Is the correct spelling, Canberran or Canberrean?). I must trade my car in, because it can’t get from Calwell to Gungahlin in 20 minutes. Thanks for that advice.

“We only get two hot days a year”. Really! Go and get a job working outside and then tell me how hot it gets?

Gee, it’ll be good when Molonglo is built. Then we can target those “Westies”.

That reminds me. Sydneysiders with their Westies and Eastern suburbs. Why don’t we call Queanbeyan the Eastern suburbs? I look forward to your answers on this one.

Canberra lacks distinct age between suburbs that reflect architectural differences, which does happen in older cities. (Possible exception = Ainslie & obviously Queenbeyan is older).

All I see is homogenous society.

peewee, maybe we would call it the eastern suburbs if queanbeyan was a suburb of the ACT. It isn’t.

Peewee Slasher1:52 pm 16 Jun 09

This thread is killing me.

I came to Canberra 20 years ago and couldn’t tell the difference between the northside and southside suburbs, they were all equally bland. Made friends with a person living in Charnwood. He started paying out on me. If he came to my house in Calwell (North Cooma – huu, huh, he retorted in a neanderthal chant), he’d have to pack a cut lunch. I asked him what would happen if I visited him. Would I have to pack a cut lunch? He couldn’t deal with the basic logic of the rhetorical question.

There are people on this thread arguing about “which shop is better”. Get a life. Shops are shops. You buy things from them. You don’t form a tribal allegiance to them.

“It only take 20 minutes to get anywhere in Canberra” espoused by many locals. (Is the correct spelling, Canberran or Canberrean?). I must trade my car in, because it can’t get from Calwell to Gungahlin in 20 minutes. Thanks for that advice.

“We only get two hot days a year”. Really! Go and get a job working outside and then tell me how hot it gets?

Gee, it’ll be good when Molonglo is built. Then we can target those “Westies”.

That reminds me. Sydneysiders with their Westies and Eastern suburbs. Why don’t we call Queanbeyan the Eastern suburbs? I look forward to your answers on this one.

Canberra lacks distinct age between suburbs that reflect architectural differences, which does happen in older cities. (Possible exception = Ainslie & obviously Queenbeyan is older).

All I see is homogenous society.

Only the northside would have a bus lane that isn’t even as long as a bus. Certainly not an articulated bus.

I moved to Canberra from Sydney 7 years ago and always found the north vs south comment hilarious. When you can drive from Amaroo to Banks quicker than it used to take me to get to the local Woolies, I still don’t reckon Canberra is big enough to have sides that are significantly different! And the only players in the game seem to be those who grew up here…..

There’s nothing quite like driving home from work south along Drakeford Drive late afternoon, particularly in the colder months, and watching the Brindies unfold in, usually, spectatular light. That’s what makes the south so much more liveable than the north.

Clown Killer12:41 pm 16 Jun 09

The difference is the South Side is as crappy as it’s going to get whereas the north side keeps growing in crappiness every day.

Gold!

Kambah.

I will see your kambah and raise you a charnwood. come on thumper, it hasn’t got much better than it was, it has only gained the up market puppies (next gen yuppies) in dunlop… charnwood was a nasty place to live, it still is. In comparison, never had any trouble in kambah, most of the people are really friendly. I would stay in kambah if I could, but my house is too small.

The difference is the South Side is as crappy as it’s going to get whereas the north side keeps growing in crappiness every day.

However that hasn’t stopped me from declaring that, “the further South you drive in Canberra the lower the IQs drop” and other such North vs. South statements. (Where, of course, North always comes out on top.)

I imagine the south variation goes something like ‘the further North you drive in Canberra, the deeper the stick up the arse’.

But I suspect north/south rivalry, if it exists, is for those who eat road kill and shoot people who challenge them for their sister.

Clown Killer11:43 am 16 Jun 09

I moved from my inner North cottage just a short stroll down the hill to Lyneham shops to Kambah. Fcuk me if I thought my world was going to end! It was a big move and I’ll admit that for the fiorst couple of weeks I sort of missed Tilleys (the Front wasn’t there yet) and the occasional pint at All Bar.

But it didn’t take long to get used to the extra space, the sweeping views of the mountains, quiet neighbours and spending time in a garden almost three times the size of our old place.

Sure there’s some stuff you should avoid – Kambah Village generally and the Tavern and Woolies there in particular. I don’t really shop so I wouldn’t know if Tuggeranong is any worse than Belconnen, Woden or the Canberra Centre.

I meant booner, not bonner… My bad.

I grew up in Kambah – and while it did have a ‘booner’ reputation then, there was nothing like all the ‘booney’ parties! They were always a blast!

They still are!! There’s a still a bonner rep, but I grew up there and I still live there and I love it!

motleychick said :

What’s wrong with Kambah? Kambah’s the best.

I grew up in Kambah – and while it did have a ‘booner’ reputation then, there was nothing like all the ‘booney’ parties! They were always a blast!

if you are 2913, my back shed is more than likely bigger than your whole block…

What’s wrong with Kambah? Kambah’s the best.

Holden Caulfield11:17 am 16 Jun 09

ahappychappy said :

It’s ok, you northsiders decided you’d better have an equivalent to our Bunnings and propped up a Magnet Mart instead.

Magnet Mart’s so rubbish the one down south never made it!

Are you kidding! The Magnet Mart store in Gungahlin craps over anything Bunnings has ever offered in this town. It’s layout is immeasurably better than the Bunnings outlets in Fyshwick or Belconnen. And it doesn’t come with dim-witted staff, as evidenced by Bunnings’ increasingly banal TVCs.

Although, it pains me to say that Bunnings is usually cheaper.

PBO said :

threepaws said :

These comments prove that Northside is truly the ‘darkside’. Ew.

Let’s not forget that Belconnen Mall was recently in the running for Canberra’s biggest eyesore. I think there was an error there, it should have been the whole of Belconnen, not just the Mall.

Well lets not forget that this used to be the biggest shopping centre in the southern hemishpere once (A very short lived title).

But back to the point. Northside is better because we are not a bunch of dirty mouth breathers. In fact, I wear a condom when i drive through that area just in case.

I think that all the Frangipani southern cross displaying, fuchsia coloured, Hyundai excel driving single mums should stay in Nappy valley and not taint the goodness that is the North. (Look what happened to Charnwood and Dunlop, if you sneeze too hard out there someone gets pregnant)

*rolls eyes*

Inappropriate said :

Kambah, ’nuff said.

I must note here that parts of Kambah (Gleneagles estate etc…) have some of the most beautiful (and expensive!) homes in Canberra.

Meh. Extremely happy to live in a beautiful part of Tuggeranong, with gorgeous views, excellent primary schools, decent blocks of land/big backyards, houses with character, lovely rural aspect (roos grazing nearby), 7 kms from Woden, 7 kms from Tuggers, and close to the Monaro for quick access everywhere (snow, waterskiing etc…). Also love the distinct lack of: McMansions, big houses crammed onto tiny blocks, dusty undeveloped building sites, treeless streetscapes, overcrowding etc… that is prevalent in the newer suburbs up North.

threepaws said :

These comments prove that Northside is truly the ‘darkside’. Ew.

Let’s not forget that Belconnen Mall was recently in the running for Canberra’s biggest eyesore. I think there was an error there, it should have been the whole of Belconnen, not just the Mall.

Well lets not forget that this used to be the biggest shopping centre in the southern hemishpere once (A very short lived title).

But back to the point. Northside is better because we are not a bunch of dirty mouth breathers. In fact, I wear a condom when i drive through that area just in case.

I think that all the Frangipani southern cross displaying, fuchsia coloured, Hyundai excel driving single mums should stay in Nappy valley and not taint the goodness that is the North. (Look what happened to Charnwood and Dunlop, if you sneeze too hard out there someone gets pregnant)

jessieduck said :

I extend my prejudice and hatred towards anything outside the Inner North and Inner South

+1 – inner south

I extend my prejudice and hatred towards anything outside the Inner North and Inner South

These comments prove that Northside is truly the ‘darkside’. Ew.

Let’s not forget that Belconnen Mall was recently in the running for Canberra’s biggest eyesore. I think there was an error there, it should have been the whole of Belconnen, not just the Mall.

Inappropriate10:17 am 16 Jun 09

Kambah, ’nuff said.

Having lived southside all my life (Woden, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong, Inner South), even I would have to agree with Pot Holes. Everyone does hate Tuggeranong. But I would lump Belconnen and Gungahlin in with Tuggers too……

i didnt think they were jokes ?

ahappychappy10:06 am 16 Jun 09

It’s ok, you northsiders decided you’d better have an equivalent to our Bunnings and propped up a Magnet Mart instead.

Magnet Mart’s so rubbish the one down south never made it!

Rabble rabble rabble rabble southside pride rabble rabble rabble.
We also invented the wheel much quicker than you did… HA!

Hence why no-one really knows why there is such a rivalry, we just take it as it is 😉

Now, lets everyone bag out Quangers and the associated region towards Bungendore/Captains Flat! Everyone unite against them!

Tuggeranong eighth natural wonder of the world. A hole above ground!

Rubbish thread ~

It’s easy really, everyone hates Tuggeranong.

What I hate is the grief I get from the border guards every time I have to venture south of LBG—I’ve grown a beard since my passport photo was taken.

in tasmania there is a north of the state vs south of the state mentality – centred mainly around beer, boags (north) vs cascade (south). being from the south myself, i am loathe to drink boags by choice – or if i do/have because i haven’t had the choice of cascade i will not admit to liking boags!

northside is the best. northsiders know it – as do southsiders but they refuse to admit it. ha!

geographical rivalry exists in every city (and between cities!) doesn’t it??? certainly from my experience it does.

captainwhorebags9:20 am 16 Jun 09

You’re saving up to get a postcode tattoo?

I guess it’ll be easy for Aus Post to send you home if you ever get lost.

Northside iz da best! |\|

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