Corinna’s Canberra: Parkes 2600, ACT
Following on from our last featured suburb of Barton we move further into the inner south of Canberra as we take a quick look at the suburb of Parkes.
Parkes, located south-east of the Canberra central business district, shares the same postcode as its neighbouring suburbs of Barton, Civic, Yarralumla, and Capital Hill.
Image from Census
This suburb contains the so-called Parliamentary Triangle—a ceremonial precinct of Canberra that houses some of Australia’s most significant buildings as well as national monuments.
What’s In A Name
Parkes was named after Sir Henry Parkes (1815-1896) who was a legislator, Federalist and one of the founders of the Constitution. The suburb was gazetted on 20 September 1928.
Street Names In The Suburb
Streets in Parkes are named after monarchs or have constitutional references.
- Anzac Parade is named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
- Flynn Place is named after John Flynn, a Presbyterian minister and missionary who was responsible for the formation of the Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service in 1928
- King George Terrace is named after King George V and King George VI, reigning monarchs during first 50 years of Federation
- Queen Victoria Terrace is named after the reigning monarch at the time of Federation in 1901, Queen Victoria.
- Newlands Street is named after John Newlands, president of the Senate at the time of the opening of Parliament House in Camberra in 1927
Who Lives There
Being part of the Parliamentary Triangle, the suburb has no residential area. In 2006, however, Census reported that there were 4 people living in the suburb.
Features Of Parkes
The following are the government institutions and attractions of national significance located in Parkes:
- Magna Carta Place – Located in Langton Crescent, the monument was designed to look like an excavated burial mound revealing the treasure within, the Magna Carta. It features a copper dome and recycled ironbark columns with bronze panels suitable for brass rubbing.
- Treasury Building is located in Langton Crescent
- Old Parliament House Gardens, created in the 1930s, have been restored to their former glory and were enhanced with the introduction of features such as seating pavilions, pergolas, rose arbours, pathways, gateways and the refurbishment of the tennis courts and bowling green.
- The National Library of Australia, the largest reference library in Australia, is located in Parkes Place
- The National Archives of Australia, located in Queen Victoria Terrace, has a Federation Gallery, where you will find the ‘birth certificates’ of our nation
Our Deakin practice is the nearest of our three locations to the suburb of Parkes- just 6 kms via Adelaide Avenue.
Resources
ACT Environment and Planning Directorate place names database