The Causeway behind the railway... Does it exist???

Funnily enough I rode past the edge of the Causeway today. On my way I went past two buildings of interest: one had something to do with forensic medicine (it looked shut) and another was the measurement office for the Department of Fair Trade. Both buildings were on the edge that was closest to the lake/wetlands.

I also rode past a tubby young mum pushing a pram and smoking a durrie.

I work on my car wherever it happens to break down. I’m never generally anywhere near Charnwood though.

I used to like the ‘Gypsy’ impulse fragrance. It was my signature cheap perfume. It combined deliciously well with the Winnie Blue scent from my cigarettes.

The girls smelt of rotting tadpoles?

Delish said :

I tend to think that was westie look of the 80’s… Western suburbs of Sydney or simply out west from Sydney.

With the winnies tucked under the sleeve of the t-shirt if I remember, you knew most words to Cold Chisel and or Billy Idol songs and never missed countdown. Girls smelt of tanning oil and impulse and the boys had mullets or crew cuts (that shaved head thing).

at charnie, if you smelt of any oil, it was from sliding under the car and working on it in the driveway. girls smelt of all sorts of things, not tanning oil….

I tend to think that was westie look of the 80’s… Western suburbs of Sydney or simply out west from Sydney.

With the winnies tucked under the sleeve of the t-shirt if I remember, you knew most words to Cold Chisel and or Billy Idol songs and never missed countdown. Girls smelt of tanning oil and impulse and the boys had mullets or crew cuts (that shaved head thing).

grunge_hippy said :

but, i must say, some very lovely people too…

just in case they have access to the internet, eh?

a lot of residents in the causeway work hard to get outta there. and some succeed. it is a typical Public housing estate. many friends live there, and they don’t have the front garden displays of plastic broken chairs or burnt out cars….

oh and delish, slum slang drops the can. Berra.
Slum attire was flannies, jeans, thongs. winnie blue was the smoke of choice.

There are a few dressed like that in the causeway, but not as many as in oaks estate.

I was asked if i wanted to move to the oaks, by act govt housing. turned them down.

No got it, but will refrain from using it on this site…

I do not want people to ‘shutter’, get upset, or at the worst think that I am south of the boader down Melbourne way… I love the thoughts, comments and quick come back on this forum!

la mente torbida said :

Grew up in Kingston, went to Griffith primary….let me tell you my friends that lived in Causeway were far less threatening than the thugs at St Eddies.

Damn Straight! RUCK EM EDDIES!

“Canberrian” makes me shudder…I’m a “Canberran”. I think you’re missing that point Delish. We are Can-ber-ans, not Can-ber-i-ans. It’s the extra “i” that is the problem. Kinda like saying we are Australianies.

grunge_hippy said :

ohhh the stories i could tell you about the goings on in the causeway.

Well, go on then!

hahahahhaa hahahhahaha wait hahahahahaha – oh okay hahahahhahahahaha

Oh please Melbourne – that was original!

And no I do not live in Charnie or Kambah for your next quick come back….

I think that we are saying it different – I am pronouncing it can-berri-an not can-berra-an…. I think it sounds to slang slum for me…Makes me think that I need a packet of winnies on me trip to tha Berra…!

but, i must say, some very lovely people too…

ohhh the stories i could tell you about the goings on in the causeway. as someone who knows the community quite well, there are some stories that would make your toes curl…

a very dodgy place.

I am pretty certain that the ACT government sees future potential to sell the land to developers for millions. Otherwise they would have sold off the vacant blocks to take some of the apparent pressure off the low cost housing market that we always hear about.

Most certainly. There was a few newspaper articles about it last year because the Causeway residents were upset at the prospect of moving house – some of them had been there for 30 years.

Delish must be a Melburnan.

Delish it’s pronnounced CanberrAN not CanberrIAN

…..but I vote for Canberranite!

Delish, not sure if you’re a new Canberran or not, but you have to lose the i … it is NOT Canberrian. Clear?!

Not sure what you mean by the ‘I’….

Was not aware there was ‘rules’ to being Canberrian…?

What about was it Bernie Flats in Woden I thought that the government was suppose to replace those old flats with 50 / 50 meaning half private and the other half government.

Causeway the new nudist hotspot… Good call

I am pretty certain that the ACT government sees future potential to sell the land to developers for millions. Otherwise they would have sold off the vacant blocks to take some of the apparent pressure off the low cost housing market that we always hear about.

You heard it here first, Causeway is the new gay nudist hotspot.

Go on fellas, get your gear off.

Madman said :

Funny, Me and JB were discussing this the other day.

I was under the impression it was the new gay nudist beach. But only just recently, like not in 20 years ago… Things change man!!!!

Whoops – wrong tab!! I was talking about Kambah Pool!!!!

Grew up in Kingston, went to Griffith primary….let me tell you my friends that lived in Causeway were far less threatening than the thugs at St Eddies.

Funny, Me and JB were discussing this the other day.

I was under the impression it was the new gay nudist beach. But only just recently, like not in 20 years ago… Things change man!!!!

At least the Causeway kinda sounds dodgy, unlike Oaks Estate which sounds like it should be off Mugga Way, haha.

Delish, not sure if you’re a new Canberran or not, but you have to lose the i … it is NOT Canberrian. Clear?!

My connections with The Causeway go way back. My mother used to live there in the 1920’s.

I went there once with a friend to visit his family many years ago. I too had never known of its existence. I felt really uncomfortable there and was quick to switch on the central locking (lots of decay, burnt-out cars, etc).

I believe it is all Govt housing – and not likely to be bulldozed anytime soon, going by how the ACT Govt has kept the Red Hill public housing slum going (despite the place not being maintained and left in a state of disrepair).

I think it’s appalling how this Govt treats those who find themselves having to live in public housing. I don’t think a lot of them have much choice about where they can live. The sooner they get rid of slum housing projects, the better.

astrojax said :

no, the causeway doesn’t exist – it is just a [sub]urban myth… ; )

been to some great parties in that mythical place, then.

no, the causeway doesn’t exist – it is just a [sub]urban myth… ; )

jakez said :

It definitely exists and buses do go there. The bus from Civic to Fyshwick and back again goes through the Causeway.
quote]
You just beat me to it!

The buses do go there- I had no idea that suburb existed until I had to catch a bus to Symonston and had to go through Canberra’s version of Appalachia. Sorry to mix my US geographical references, but the song from Deliverance just popped into my head as we went through it. Scary scary suburb.

It definitely exists and buses do go there. The bus from Civic to Fyshwick and back again goes through the Causeway.

I had no idea it existed until I started catching the bus to work.

It’s…weird.

As quiet as Stabwood.

Sorry Thumper.

What opposed to quick-knifed community!

Basically, its like charnwood, but its a tight-knit community. 🙂

Drove in there once out of curiosity, spotted some kid on his front porch playing a banjo, then proceeded to smoke both tyres in making my escape.

It was originally built as government temporary housing – late ’40s I think, but possibly pre World War 2. It developed a strong local identity, even had its own community hall (which is still there). Rents were cheap, which was also part of the attraction. The temporary housing got pretty dilapidated by the early 70s (it was rumoured that Eastlake Football Club used to send pressgangs there to gather recruits for its junior ranks). Government wanted to knock it all down and move residents to other parts of Canberra, but the locals put up a fight, and the Feds (this was pre-self government IIRC) eventually and reluctantly agreed to rebuild some of the houses- this why the lower part has streets but no houses.

hmm…go out there after dark when the wife beaters swing into action….i spend a bit of time there for work and it aint all that rosy,,,having said that it is only a handful of residents causing all the ruckus……

I think you will find it is safe and quite. People like living there. Its not a slum.

Some of you really should get out more.

I rode past it while doing a full lap of the lake a while back – it’s an odd little part of town… Newcastle street does extend into it, but the two parts of the road don’t actually meet.

I heard they gave up on the suburb part way through after an outbreak of mosquito borne disease from the nearby swamp in the 60s

I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing is bulldozed to extend the Kingston Foreshore development.

If you check the older pictures of Canberra the Causeway used to be all prefab fibro houses, that got knocked down in the early / mid 70s. what is left is a number (under 100) brick houses that were built in the 70s / 80. And yes most are govie houses.

Just next door is the Canberra railway museum and the Canberra Society of Scale Model Engineers. Both are worth a visit, but check the scale model engineers web site to see if they have any scale model trains operating that day.

Soon to be knocked down and overun by the Kingston Foreshore development no doubt.

It exists. Dunno about how much truth there is to being a rough no go area though. Looks rough but poverty often does.

That whole area, Kingston Foreshore, Jerrabombera Wetlands, had workers cottages etc in the early sixties when Canberra was being built. Was quite a built up area.

It is a contemptible dump – a couple of blocks of isolated, nasty public housing.

Even the thickest public sector planner must have realised that depositing public housing tenants between rail yards and a wasteland would create a slum, but they went and did it.

Google has been there. It doesn’t look that bad on street view, although looking at the satelite photos shows that the “suburb” was only ever half built, and is somewhat isolated from the rest of society.

The map shows Newcastle street actually crossing a causeway, something that never quite got built…