Hayden manning the coffee machine at the Stand By Me cafe at Lyons shops. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Lyons has all the important features of a much-loved suburb: a central location – it’s around 8km from the city, local shops and cafes, walking and cycling paths and plenty of open space.
The Woden Valley suburb is an ideal location for anyone who wants to live close to essential services, sporting facilities and public transport, as well as those who seek a fast commute to Woden’s government offices.
With its proximity to Woden Town Centre and major transport corridors including Hindmarsh Drive and Adelaide Avenue, Lyons offers an enviable location for its residents.
Thinking about visiting or moving to Lyons? Here’s what you need to know.
History
Lyons is a hilly suburb surrounded by nature reserves. Established in 1966, it is named after Joseph Lyons, the tenth Prime Minister of Australia. The streets are named after locations in Tasmania: Joseph Lyons was Premier of Tasmania before he became PM.
The family-friendly suburb is known for its neat and tidy appearance and strong community feel. It’s currently experiencing something of a building boom, with knock-down-rebuild projects making the most of large, established blocks and several apartment complexes springing up around the suburb in recent years.
Shops and eateries
Lyons has a small local shopping centre with an IGA and the popular Stand By Me café.
Just over the road, and adjacent to the suburb, is the Woden Town Centre. It’s a major shopping centre with a Westfield and an array of supermarkets, retailers, eateries and entertainment venues.
Woden’s dining scene was rejuvenated in 2019 with the launch of Westfield’s Bradley Street dining precinct, featuring several new places to eat, including as Fenway Public House. Westfield Woden is also a great spot for enjoying international cuisine – from zucchini balls at Turkish Pide House to beef madras at Flavours of India. Space Kitchen is a favourite breakfast destination as well as a cake shop and patisserie. And the best thing? All of these venues and many more are just a short stroll from most parts of Lyons.
Fenway Public House, down the road in Woden, offers a great range of meals for lunch and dinner. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Places of interest and things to do
- Enjoy breakfast or lunch at Stand By Me. The family-owned business at Lyons Shops offers excellent coffee, warm atmosphere, trendy style and friendly service. As well as serving up delicious, artistic and beautifully presented food, the cafe’s owners are taking a stand for animal welfare.
- Check out the public art at the front of the local shopping centre. The bronze sculpture by Anne Ross is called “On the Road Again”.
On the Road Again by Anne Ross is on display at the local shopping centre. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
- Get your skates on at Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre. It’s the home of Canberra’s Australian Ice Hockey League team, CBR Brave, but you don’t need to be an ice skating pro to take to the ice at Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre. The skating rink is open year-round with public skating sessions daily.
- Head down to the Southside Farmers Market, which is held at Canberra College in Phillip each from 8:00am to 11:30am every Sunday morning and is just a three-minute drive or 15-minute walk from Lyons shops. The markets feature fresh produce from the Canberra region including beef, free range eggs, organic vegetables, fresh bread, coffee and more.
Pick up some fresh vegetables and fruit from the Southside Farmers Market on Sunday mornings. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Playgrounds and parks
- Oakey Hill Nature Reserve is a 65-hectare nature reserve in Lyons that is popular for walking, mountain biking and horse riding. It offers great views of southern Canberra and is dog-friendly (on leash). The views from the summit are impressive, and take in Red Hill, Isaacs Ridge, Scrivener Dam, Mt Painter and across to the sweeping vistas of Mt Ainslie, Mt Majura, Cooleman Ridge and the Brindabellas.
- There are play areas, reserves and green spaces dotted throughout the suburb and local ovals next to Lyons Primary School.
Local parks and play areas are dotted around Lyons, making it very family friendly. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Getting around
Whether your preferred mode of transport is car, bus, bike or your own two feet, chances are you’ll have no trouble getting around if you live in Lyons.
Transport Canberra buses run through Lyons, including routes R4, R5, 58, 62 and 66. Woden Interchange is a short stroll from most parts of the suburb, and from there, regular services run to all parts of Canberra, including the major centres of Tuggeranong, Civic and Belconnen.
Bike enthusiasts can take advantage of the area’s bike paths and on-road bike lanes to access many of Canberra’s popular routes.
Locals love to ride to the local shops at Lyons. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Schools
Lyons Early Childhood School is one of six ACT schools that apply an innovative early childhood school model, catering for children from infancy to Year 2 with its childcare and educational programs.
Other nearby schools include:
- Holy Trinity Primary School, a Catholic school for kindergarten to Year 6 students located in Curtin.
- Curtin Primary School, a public school in Curtin for preschool to Year 6 students.
- Alfred Deakin High School in Deakin, for students in Years 7 to 10.
- Canberra College, a public secondary college for Year 11 and 12 students located in Phillip.
- Marist College Canberra (a Catholic boys school for Years 4 to 12), is in Pearce.
Enjoy an outdoor stroll in Canberra Nature Park. Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Why the locals love it
“Lyons has always been popular but is becoming increasingly so,” says Mark Wolens, from Independent Property Group Woden and Weston Creek. “Its appeal is growing, especially with the revitalisation of Woden, including the new bar and restaurant precinct.”
Why do you love Lyons? Photo: Daniella Jukic.
Quick facts
- Median age: 37 years
- Median weekly household income: $1,488
- Median weekly rent: $315
- Houses vs. apartments: 50.6% houses, 15.2% townhouses, 34% apartments
- Suburb sales record (excludes land sales): $1.85 million in 2020
Source: 2016 Census.
Want to find the latest real estate listings for sale and rent in Lyons? Zango can help you find them:
Do you live, or have you previously lived, in Lyons? 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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