Omar, owner of Locale Pizzeria and Doubleshot are places for the community to gather for delicious meals. Both are family and business friendly. Photo: Daniella Jukic, We Are Found.
If you live in the prestige residential location of Deakin, you’ll share an address with the official residence of the Prime Minister and the Royal Australian Mint, with the Governor-General’s house just over the road in Yarralumla. (With neighbours like that, it’s no surprise Deakin’s median house price is $1.33 million!)
Stretching from Capital Hill to the edges of the Woden Valley, Deakin backs onto Canberra Nature Park, which offers picturesque walking trails, resident kangaroos and spectacular views from Red Hill.
Thinking about visiting or moving to Deakin? Here’s what you need to know.
History
Deakin is named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia. Development began in the 1920s, but most of the suburb wasn’t built until after 1945.
As one of Canberra’s older suburbs, several places in Deakin are listed as ACT Heritage Places. These include Macgregor Street’s historic timber bus shelter and the Canberra Girls Grammar School Boarding House.
Shops and eateries
Sissa Sorella offers unique women’s shoes and accessories. Photo: Daniella Jukic, We Are Found.
Deakin’s compact shopping centre on Hopetoun Circuit might be small, but it has plenty to offer those who love indulging in both retail therapy and good food.
A visit to boutique women’s shoes and accessories store Sissa Sorella is an experience in itself, with luxurious textiles, polished concrete floors and natural wood and gold features.
Deakin IGA sells liquor, groceries, fresh food and has an in-house butcher. After a coffee or brunch fix? Head to Doubleshot, a cool and friendly café with trendy dishes like miso salmon bowls and zoodle salads, or try one of the tried-and-true pre-designed sandwiches on offer at Cafe D’Lish (we recommend The Argentinian: steak, fried tomato, egg, onion and bacon, chrisp lettuce, melted cheese and your choice of sauces).
EQ Cafe and Lounge is located in Deakin’s Equinox Business Park. Photo: Region Media.
EQ Cafe and Lounge on Kent Street also serves coffee, breakfast and lunch to hungry crowds of office workers and health professionals daily.
Looking for something for dinner? Run by the same people who run Doubleshot, Locale Pizzeria serves up handmade, wood-fired pizzas that are cooked with love.
Places of interest and things to do
Locals love visiting Doubleshot in Deakin for their regular coffee catch-ups. Photo: Daniella Jukic, We Are Found.
- Explore the local embassies. Take a stroll through Deakin’s tree-lined streets and take a look at the embassies of Italy, Bosnia, Hungary and Afghanistan and the High Commissions of Brunei, Cyprus, Fiji, Mauritius and Solomon Islands.
- Watch money being made at the Royal Australian Mint. It’s the only place in the nation that produces Australian currency. Interactive touchscreens explain the coin making process, you can take a walk through the galleries of rare and significant coins, and visitors can make their very own coins.
- Visit Canberra’s largest privately owned commercial gallery. Beaver Galleries exhibits the work of established and emerging Australian artists. Stroll through its three spacious galleries and print room to discover artworks in disciplines including painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics and glass. There’s also a sculpture garden, gallery shop and cafe.
Playgrounds and parks
Popular green spaces to enjoy in Deakin include:
- La Trobe Park (access via Stonehaven Circuit, Gawler Crescent and Bedford Street). This is a small community park with a playground, barbecue facilities and picnic tables. The playground isn’t huge, but there’s plenty of open space to run around and explore.
- Red Hill Nature Reserve (access via Buxton Street, Strickland Crescent, Galway Place, Beauchamp Street and Kent Street). Red Hill boasts sweeping views of Canberra, lots of walking trails and a population of regionally declining woodland birds.
- Deakin Anticline (access via Hannah Place). The Deakin Anticline is a geological feature between the Deakin Oval and MacGregor Street, and was exposed during quarrying for brick clay for the Yarralumla Brickworks in the 1940s and 1950s. There’s also a shaded playground suited to primary school-aged children and a half basketball court nearby.
Interstate visitor popping in for a coffee and a raw treat to Doubleshot. Photo: Daniella Jukic, We Are Found.
Getting around
A survey by the ACT Planning and Land Authority indicates 71 percent of Deakin residents believe the suburb has sufficient cycle and footpaths. It’s an easy cycle to Woden (about ten minutes), the shores of Lake Burley Griffin (15 minutes) and to Civic (20 minutes).
Deakin runs alongside major transport corridor Adelaide Avenue. Driving to Woden, Civic or beyond is convenient and hassle-free.
Transport Canberra bus routes 57 and 58 service Deakin.
Schools
Schools in Deakin include Alfred Deakin High School, Canberra Girls Grammar School, and Woden School, which caters for students in years 7 to 12 with an intellectual disability and/or autism.
Primary aged students in Deakin are in-area for neighbouring Forrest Primary or Yarralumla Primary. Telopea High School, which provides bilingual education in English and French for Kindergarten to Year 10 students, is also nearby. Year 11 and 12 students are zoned for Narrabundah College.
Locale Pizzeria’s wood-fired pizzas are packed with flavour. Photo: Daniella Jukic, We Are Found.
Why the locals love it
Deakin’s strengths can be summed up by the ACT Planning and Land Authority’s vision for the suburb, as outlined in its Deakin Neighbourhood Plan:
“Deakin in the future will continue to be a unique and diverse neighbourhood comprising a mix of both residential and commercial development, a vibrant shopping centre, educational centres, highest standard of specialist health care and key historical sites. It will be a safe, peaceful and liveable environment.”
Quick facts
- Median age: 45 years
- Median weekly household income: $2,582
- Median weekly rent: $490
- Houses vs. apartments: 66.3% houses; 17.1% apartments
- Suburb sales record (excludes land sales): $5,750,000 in 2018
- Source: 2016 Census.
Want to find the latest real estate listings for sale and rent in Deakin? Zango can help you find them:
Do you live, or have you previously lived, in Deakin? 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.
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