Suburb #106 Ainslie

So now that I don't have to work weekends anymore, I may actually be able to finish this blog project and start my new one in the new year :) To re-start with a bang, I decided to go to Ainslie before it was too late to see all the early spring blossoms.

Ainslie is named after James Ainslie, a veteran of the Battle Of Waterloo (should have worn by skirt for this adventure :p) and the  first overseer of Duntroon station. The streets are named after pioneers and legislators.

Alas Ainslie is one of those sign less suburbs :( so this will just have to do...

Ainslie was constructed first between 1925 and 1927 to accommodate tradesman for the construction of the city, and then after that for lower income public servants. Alas no more low incomes allowed around here anymore....

I started my wanderings at the  gorgeous All Saints Anglican Church which was apparently originally built as a railway station for Rookwood Cemetery in NSW, but was then moved to Canberra in the 1950s. I had never been inside the Church before but was lucky enough to find it open and get to see the stained glass windows from England on the inside...

Then it was past the street sign that has been decorated with flowers for as long as I can remember...so gorgeous despite the sad memories they no doubt represent...

Then it was off to find some blossoms....

Past a local sword fight (as you do...)...

And some cheerier decorations :)

 Ainslie is still gorgeous, but it is sad to see so many of the beautiful old homes being torn down...

And replaced with some interesting architectural choices...

Luckily the old bus stops which partly inspired this blog in the first place are still there though :)

This one makes me smile so much and gives me hope that one day I will find my fairytale here :)

But of course one can't leave Ainslie without a visit to the local shops..

After all here is one of the most important attractions in Ainslie....the epic cheese selection at the IGA...

With the amazing wine collection at the local bottle shop not far away either....

But the shops is also a place to meet new friends...

Or pick up something new to read...

Before perhaps a wander with some friends of a more mobile kind :p

Thank you Ainslie :)

Suburb #105 Isabella Plains

So it was time to explore the one and only remaining suburb in Tuggeranong.....suburb no. 105 Isabella Plains.

This is the first suburb I have explored that is described as being 'indirectly' named after someone, and someone who doesn't appear to be famous for anything and doesn't even have their own Wikipedia page :p It is named after Isabella Maria Brisbane, the daughter of Sir Thomas Brisbane, a colonial Governor of NSW. In the early 1820s, It appears that the local white settlers in fact called the whole Tuggeranong area "Isabella's Plain" in the then baby Isabella's honour. I wonder what became of this lady?

So it was a lovely Canberra day as we headed down to the 'deep South' for the last time....and you know I always try to find something positive about every suburb I visit, but I must admit I struggled a little bit at first with this one - apologies Plainsians.

I blame my school uniform which has caused me to have an enduring hatred of anything brown...and there is a lot of brown here...a mission brown theme even. The houses are brown....the fences brown and I was flabbergasted to find that all the houses almost still have the same brown awnings that the original houses were obviously originally built with.

The local shops also seem to be a little depressing to be honest...apparently the IGA is regularly broken into...perhaps they should make their liquor sign a little smaller?

But even here there are some of my standard Canberra favourites...

And of course some great open spaces and amazing gardens...

I think the local art work could use some  further consideration...

And perhaps the vineyard :p

But I did eventually find a house that was not brown....

And clearly everyone here is happy - so that is the main thing :)

Suburb #104 Moncrieff

Gosh its been a long time without a suburb visit...I will get to the end of this project albeit four years later that intended! So next stop was Moncrieff in Gungahlin.

Moncrieff is named after the singer Gladys Moncrieff, known as 'Australia's Queen of Song'.

The streets here are named after Australian musicians - so yes you can live in Amphlett St or Bon Scott Crescent if you so choose.

This suburb felt a long long way away....and it kind of is. Its 16 km from the centre of Canberra. I won't say it grabbed me initially....though there were a lot of very impressive very deliberately placed rocks everywhere and some interesting views..

It also had a very annoying bird

And some less annoying peaceful birds

Mum didnt seem too impressed either..

But then I discovered what you really come to Moncrieff for - playgrounds...

I thought the one named after Smokey Dawson was pretty good. Love a modern playground with an actual see saw! :)

But then I found the holy grail...move@moncrieff...half the suburb seemed to be here and I quickly understood why. What a bloody brilliant idea. A wonderful outside area full of play things for the kids, as well as exercise equipment for adults and basketball courts for teenagers. Absolute plus points for slides wide enough for old people who refuse to grow up!

That reminds me I so need to buy a ping pong table when I get back from overseas! Goths playing ping pong is hysterical :)