When I first moved to Canberra I made a friend that lived just near Swinger Hill. The first time I drove past on the way to her house I screamed with laughter at the name of this suburb. Just under five years later and I’m much more restrained, but I still manage a bit of a giggle.
I was in conversation once about suburbs being named after politicians and it was suggested that Swinger Hill was in fact named for Craig Thomson or Peter Slipper, but alas, this is not the case. This suburb was named after Louis Walter Henry Swinger, a surveyor that surveyed the surrounding land in the late 1930s.
Swinger Hill is a little like Manuka or Kippax in that it’s not really an actual suburb, but rather a development that’s part of Phillip. It was built in the 1970s and is mostly townhouses. This area was regarded as an experiment in medium-density housing by the National Capital Development Commission, A collection of townhouses, the first 39 homes in Barnet Close, were listed on the ACT Heritage Register in 2011.
Swinger Hill has a small set of shops which includes an IGA express, a liquor store, a Vietnamese restaurant, an Italian restaurant and an Indian restaurant. Although the shops didn’t seem that busy when I was there, the carpark was completely full aside from the strip directly in front of the IGA… perhaps there is a neighbouring office building that has paid parking?
Swinger Hill is a pretty nice area. Lots of trees, wide roads, some awesome views from different spots. I think it would be a pretty nice place to live, but if it were me I’d probably giggle all day long.
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