Deakin, Australian Capital Territory

Deakin (postcode: 2600) is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Development began in the 1920s, although the vast majority of the suburb was built after 1945. It is a largely residential suburb. It includes The Lodge (the official residence of the Prime Minister), and the Royal Australian Mint.

Deakin Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Robe Street in autumn
Deakin
Coordinates	35.316°S 149.107°E / -35.316; 149.107
Population	3,124 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	872.6/km2 (2,260/sq mi)
Established	1928
Gazetted	20 September 1928
Postcode(s)	2600
Elevation	593 m (1,946 ft)
Area	3.58 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
Location	6 km (4 mi) SSW of Canberra CBD 13 km (8 mi) W of Queanbeyan 98 km (61 mi) SW of Goulburn 295 km (183 mi) SW of Sydney
District	South Canberra
Territory electorate(s)	Murrumbidgee
Federal division(s)	Canberra
Suburbs around Deakin: Stromlo Forest Yarralumla Capital Hill Curtin Deakin Forrest Hughes Garran Red Hill

History

Deakin was gazetted in 1928 and is named after Alfred Deakin, second prime minister of Australia. Streets in Deakin are named after Governors, Governors-General and diplomats.^[2]

Deakin includes several items that are listed by the ACT Heritage Council:

• Canberra Girls' Grammar School Boarding House on Melbourne Avenue, which was the original school building with school rooms on the lower floor and boarders on the upper floor. Construction began on 8 May 1927 and was finished in 1928. It is a two-storey building with an attic room designed in the Interwar Tudor Revival style. The Heritage Council says it is significant as a "fine example of Interwar Old English style architecture and one of the very few in Canberra."^[3]
• 10 Gawler Crescent, a Post-War International style residence designed by Alex Jelinek in 1956.^[4]
• 70 Dominion Circuit, which is seen by the Heritage Council as demonstrating "a way of life that is no longer practised. The house and garage remain in original condition, demonstrating the character of a block and dwelling occupied by early middle to upper ranking Canberra public servants from the immediate pre to the immediate post World War 2 period."^[5]
• The Deakin Anticline (see Geology).^[6]

The Lodge^[7] and the Royal Australian Mint are listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List.

Suburb amenities

A local shopping centre is located on Hopetoun Circuit and contains an IGA supermarket, service station, newsagent, chemist, and restaurants. The Deakin Health Spa, adjacent to the shops, has recently been taken over and rebadged as the local Fitness First facility. The Canberra Deakin Soccer Club is also located near by. The Embassy Hotel/Motel was also adjacent to the shops, but has since been demolished.

The suburb from Red Hill looking across the Girls' Grammar School to Yarralumla and Lake Burley Griffin

The Equinox area found in Deakin. Contains the EQ cafe, and various medical facilities and clinics.

Education

Schools in the suburb of Deakin include Alfred Deakin High School (originally Deakin High), Canberra Girls' Grammar School and the erroneously named Woden School, which has always been situated within the South Canberra district of Canberra, not the Woden Valley district.

Deakin residents get preference for:^[8]

• Depending on the address: Forrest Primary or Yarralumla Primary
• Depending on the address: Deakin High School or Telopea Park School (for high school)
• Narrabundah College

The Canberra Japanese Supplementary School Inc., a Japanese weekend educational programme, holds its classes at Deakin High School, while it has its school office in Yarralumla. It was established on 1 August 1988.^[9]

Notable places

Embassies

Deakin contains the embassies of Afghanistan, Bosnia, Hungary and Italy and the high commissions of Brunei, Cyprus, Fiji, Mauritius and Solomon Islands

The Lodge

Main article: The Lodge

Located on Adelaide Avenue the Lodge is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Australia.

The Royal Australian Mint

Main article: Royal Australian Mint

Officially opened by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on 22 February 1965, the Royal Australian Mint was commissioned to produce Australia's decimal coinage, which came into effect on 14 February 1966.

Demographics

At the 2021 census, the population of Deakin was 3,124; 1.3% were Indigenous, 69.3% were born in Australia and 5.1% were born in England. 78.4% of people only spoke English at home. 67.9% of dwellings were separate houses (compared to the Australian average of 72.3%), 18.0% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses (Australian average: 12.8%) and 13.9% were flats, units or apartments (Australian average: 14.2%). 43.8% of the population were professionals, compared to the Australian average of 24.0%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 41.7%, Catholic 19.9% and Anglican 13.4%.^[1]

Politics

2022 Federal Election[10]   Labor 39.30%   Liberal 38.88%   Greens 14.68%   Independent 4.55% 2020 ACT Election[11]   Liberal 43.0%   Labor 28.4%   Greens 12.8%   Independent 5.5%

Deakin is located within the federal electorate of Canberra, which is currently represented by Alicia Payne in the House of Representatives. In the ACT Legislative Assembly, Deakin is part of the electorate of Murrumbidgee, which elects five members on the basis of proportional representation; as of 2020, the members are two Labor, two Liberal and one Greens.^[12] Polling place statistics are shown to the right for the Deakin polling place at Canberra Girls' Grammar School Junior School, Grey St in the 2022 federal^[10] and 2020 ACT^[11] elections.

Geology

See also: Geology of the Australian Capital Territory

The west of the suburb exposes Yarralumla Formation calcareous shale, sandstone, tuff and hornfels. The east of the suburb exposes Mount Painter Volcanics dark grey to green grey dacitic crystal tuff and agglomerate. A patch of cream rhyolite, tuff and ashstone is found in the mid east near Empire Circuit.^[13]

The Deakin Fault does not actually pass through Deakin. The Deakin Fault is a major fault in Canberra running North-west to south-east passing through state circle very close to Deakin. It extends from the hills to the east of Jerrabomberra via Narrabundah, Griffith, Forest, Yarralumla, then across the Molonglo River to Cook, then turns north east in Macquarie where it turns around to the north west again via Belconnen, Evatt, Melba, Flynn, Charnwood, Dunlop and out the north west of the ACT. It continues to the east end of Lake Burrunjuck near Yass. The block on the north east side was elevated and the south west side lowered.^[13]

The Deakin Anticline is a geological monument located between the Deakin Oval and the Grange Retirement Village. It is in the Yarralumla Formation in Tuffacious sandstone and siltstone. Access is from Hannah Place.

Embassies and High Commissions in Deakin
Afghanistan	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Brunei	Cambodia	Cyprus	Fiji
Hungary	Italy	Mauritius	Solomon Islands

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Deakin". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
2. "Suburb Name search results". ACT Environment and Sustainable Development. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
3. "Heritage (Decision about Registration of Canberra Girls Grammar School Boarding House, Deakin) Notice 2008 (No 1)" (PDF). ACT Heritage Council. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
4. "20111. 10 Gawler Crescent (Entry to the ACT Heritage Register)" (PDF). ACT Heritage Council. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
5. "Heritage (Decision about Registration for 70 Dominion Circuit, Deakin) Notice 2011" (PDF). ACT Heritage Council. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
6. "20082. Deakin Anticline (Entry to the ACT Heritage Register)" (PDF). ACT Heritage Council. 21 December 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
7. "The Lodge, 5 Adelaide Av, Deakin, ACT, Australia". Department of the Environment. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
8. "Priority Enrolment Areas 2015 by Suburb" (Archive). Education Directorate, Australian Capital Territory. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
9. "学校概要" (Archive). Canberra Japanese Supplementary School Inc. Retrieved 7 April 2015. "借用校 Alfred Deakin High School (Denison St., Deakin, 2600, Act ディーキンハイスクール（写真）校舎・2Fにて授業を実施" and "日本大使館領事部：112 Empire Circuit, Yarraluma, Act 2600, Australia"
10. "Federal Election 2022 - Deakin Polling Place". Australian Electoral Commission. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
11. "2020 Results for Murrumbidgee Candidates at Deakin Polling Place". ACT Electoral Commission. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
12. "Members of the Assembly". ACT Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
13. Henderson G A M and Matveev G, Geology of Canberra, Queanbeyan and Environs 1:50000 1980.