Malcom from Weston Creek Fitness at Fisher shops, used to work in mental health, but is now a personal trainer. He specialises in helping people with disabilities and mental health issues. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
The Weston Creek suburb of Fisher is small and quiet – and that’s certainly not a bad thing. The streets are lined with mature gumtrees, the blocks are large (though many of the original homes are being knocked down and replaced with larger or duplex homes), and nature is right on the doorstep.
With increasing demand for properties in nearby areas including Chifley and Chapman, homebuyers have been turning to Fisher for value-for-money. And word must be getting out about the quiet suburb, with Fisher’s sales record quietly broken in April 2020 with a $1.23 million sale in elevated Cobar Place.
In recent years Fisher has welcomed an influx of younger families, and there’s a slightly more even ratio of walking frames to baby strollers than in the past.
Thinking about visiting or moving to Fisher? Here’s what you need to know.
Prabin says that the Fisher takeaway is famous for their giant schnitzel tower burger and house made scallops. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
History
Fisher was established in 1970 and is named after founding member of the federal parliamentary Labor Party and former Australian Prime Minister Andrew Fisher. Its streets are named after Australian mines and mining towns.
The Canberra Nature Park borders Fisher along with the suburbs of Waramanga, Chapman and Chifley.
If you’re interested in architecture, the Fisher Government Housing Group in Pilbara Place is listed on the ACT Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects Register of Significant Twentieth Century Architecture. The medium density development on a relatively small site exemplifies the Radburn principles of urban planning and was awarded the C S Daley Medal in 1971 by the ACT Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Shops
Fisher has a small local shopping centre in Kalgoorlie Crescent with a convenience store and post office, hair salon, a GP and allied health practice. Fisher Car Mechanical is more than just somewhere to get your car fixed, while Pups 4 Fun doggy daycare and adventure centre is popular with clients and their owners from all around Canberra.
If you’re feeling peckish and don’t want to go too far from home, there’s a takeaway shop with a very loyal clientele (as the crowds that gather on a Friday night waiting to grab their fish & chips will attest) and a Vietnamese takeaway at the shopping centre.
If you’re up for a more substantial shop, or wider variety of cafes and restaurants to choose from, Waramanga Shops and Cooleman Court are a short drive away.
Places of interest and things to do
Mt Taylor is just over the Tuggeranong Parkway and offers a number of walking and bike trails. Photo: Region Media.
- Say hi to the cows in the parkland at the back of the Tuggeranong BMX Park. A lot of people don’t know that the ACT Government introduces cows to the parkland at the back of the BMX Park over summer as part of its bushfire hazard reduction strategy. Be careful of snakes as the grass around the tracks can get quite long between mows.
- Get back to nature. With Mount Taylor just over Tuggeranong Parkway on one side and Cooleman Ridge on the other (across Namatjira Drive), Fisher residents are spoiled for choice when it comes to walking trails, bike paths and enjoying the local flora and fauna.
Fisher is a great suburb for leisurely strolls. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Parks and playgrounds
There’s a playground just behind the shops that’s especially good to visit in the cooler months because it is sunny and bright, and it also has barbecue facilities and is next to an oval which has plenty of space for the kids to run around. Access the play area via Araluen Street. There are smaller parks with basic play equipment dotted around the suburb.
Fisher Parkland is a lovely area to explore. It’s the area within the southern boundary of Fisher, the Tuggeranong Parkway, Namatjira Drive and Sulwood Drive. It is part of Canberra’s Urban Parks and Places, designated as semi-natural open space. A walk through the area’s walking trails often brings glimpses of many varieties of native birds, and it’s not unusual to spot kangaroos, reptiles and other wildlife. The dam is a habitat for ducks, frogs and yabbies.
Find your next read at the community library on the streets of Fisher. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Getting around
When it comes to getting around, Fisher residents have it easy. Transport Canberra bus 63 travels to and from Woden, while routes 70 and 71 travel between Tuggeranong and Woden.
There’s a cycle path that runs along the edge of Fisher, parallel to the Tuggeranong Parkway, which connects through to the Tuggeranong Town Centre in one direction, and Woden and beyond in the other.
Fisher has easy access to major arterial roads the Tuggeranong Parkway and Hindmarsh Drive.
And the best thing? Fisher is pretty much under 15 minutes drive to most parts of Canberra. You can be in the city in no time, and in Woden in just a few minutes.
Bradley St dining precinct in Woden is just a short drive away. Photo: George Tsotsos.
Schools
Fisher used to have a primary school, but that was many, many years ago. Nearby schools include Mount Stromlo High School, Arawang Primary School and St John Vianney’s Primary School – all in neighbouring Waramanga.
Why the locals love it
“Fisher is a little pocket of peace and tranquillity. It’s not on the way to anywhere, so there’s little through traffic. The views in the hillier parts of the suburb are to die for, and we see some spectacular sunsets from our balcony. There’s bushland, parkland and space galore. It feels like our own private oasis here.” – Michael, long-term Fisher resident.
Weston Creek Fitness. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Quick facts
- Median age: 39 years
- Median weekly household income: $1929
- Median weekly rent: $346
- Houses vs. apartments: 82.5% houses
- Suburb sales record (excludes land sales): $1.2 million in 2013
Source: 2016 Census.
Want to find the latest real estate listings for sale and rent in Fisher? Zango can help you find them:
Do you live, or have you previously lived, in Fisher? What are your favourite things about the suburb? What advice would you give to people considering moving there? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Community libraries on the streets of Fisher, a small and quiet suburb that the locals love. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
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