ED – The below extract has been ‘Sourced’ form the this story in the SMH and brought to our attention by Chop71. Although not massively Canberra focused and we don’t encourage wholesale cut and pasting of other media’s content (link to it people!) it does include an interesting insight to some of canberra’s planning history…
There’s a lively part of Canberra – at least at night – just a trot from Parliament House.
It is Manuka, ringed by restaurants, bars and cafes.
Many Australians may well think the suburb’s name has Aboriginal origins. No. It’s named after a small New Zealand shrub that gives a clue as to why Canberra Avenue, which leads to it, is the only one of the national capital’s radial roads not named after an Australian state capital.
It was to be Wellington Avenue, named after New Zealand’s capital city – when Australia confidently anticipated that New Zealand would join the Australian Federation when it was formed in 1901.
Of course, the Kiwis decided against it and Canberra was the stand in name given to the avenue.
It’s a slot still open to be renamed Wellington – and the Australian Constitution still holds open the door for New Zealand to join up and become an Australian state.
ED – the remainder of this article by BERNARD LAGAN
can be located on the SMH website here.
Loading ...
