Two new Molonglo suburbs named after prominent Australians

Two new suburbs to be built in the Molonglo Valley have been named in honour of prominent Australians Faith Bandler and Sir John Sulman.

Planning Minister Chris Steel said the new suburbs would sit within the Molonglo Valley 3 East development, which is the next significant stage of suburban development in the area. This will bring the number of suburbs in the district to seven.

Mr Steel said Bandler would be the first suburb developed, located east of Whitlam across John Gorton Drive.

“Naming suburbs and other places in Canberra is a great opportunity to commemorate influential people from all backgrounds and their significant contributions to our community,” Mr Steel said.

“Each suburb in the ACT has a theme that is used to help name the streets within them. For Bandler, the theme will be ‘Australian Social and Cultural Life’, and in Sulman, it will be ‘Humanities and Social Sciences’.”

Ida Lessing Faith Bandler was a human rights activist, social justice advocate and author who helped raise public awareness and understanding of the cultural heritage of South Sea Islanders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as women’s issues.

Sir John Sulman was an architect and town planner who helped shape Canberra in its early development and influenced the design of the city. He was appointed Knight Bachelor of the British Empire in 1924 in recognition of his influence and contributions to architecture.

Ms Bandler’s daughter, Associate Professor Lilon Bandler, said her mother dedicated her life to fighting for equality and justice.

“She had an unwavering commitment to civil rights and social reform that has left an indelible mark on our history,” she said.

“It is deeply moving to see her legacy honoured through the naming of this new suburb in Canberra, a city she visited many, many times.

“As her daughter, I find it particularly fitting that the Division of Bandler will be located next to the Division of Whitlam. My mother often spoke of the importance of visionary leadership in creating social change.

“This naming is a tribute to her lifelong dedication to creating a more just and inclusive world.”

Sir John’s great-grandson Emeritus Professor David Carment said members of the extended Sulman family were delighted that he was so very appropriately honoured.

“He deserves this recognition for his significant contributions to Australia as an architect, patron of the arts, town planner and writer, and particularly for his vital role in Canberra’s development,” he said.

“He was the unpaid but energetic chairman of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee between 1921 and 1924. The committee’s plan was adopted as the pattern for the national capital’s growth that still shapes the city today. Sulman was also closely involved in the design of the Mediterranean-style Civic Centre buildings.”

Mr Steel said there was another as yet suburb planned for Molonglo.

He said the district’s growing population warranted the reclassification of the commercial centre of Molonglo as a Town Centre.

“This is currently under consideration by the NCA,” he said.

The ACT Place Names Advisory Committee welcomes suggestions of names and feedback from the Canberra community.

More information about how places are named and how to provide feedback is available on the Place Names page at ACT Planning.