Neighbourhood

Have it all!

Shops, boutiques, restaurants, cafes and culture are what life here in the cosmopolitan heart of Canberra is all about. And at the centre of that beating heart is your new apartment at Quayside.

Quayside is just a short walk from Kingston and minutes from Manuka, putting two of Canberra’s most fashionable eating and shopping hubs within easy reach. Feel like eating at home? Stock up with fresh food at Fyshwick market, just a few streets away.

Right on your doorstep you’ll find the foods and crafts of the Old Bus Depot Markets, as well as a glimpse into the world of practising artists at The Canberra Glassworks in the heritage Kingston Powerhouse building. Also within walking distance are cultural icons like the National Gallery of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery, with their ever-changing exhibitions. Just across the road from Quayside will be direct access to the promenade and boat harbour, soon to be home to an exciting mix of cafés, restaurants, bars and specialty shops. And, of course, there’s nothing quite like a walk by the lake to remind you of life’s simple pleasures.

There’s also plenty of open space around you. Turn left for the lake shore or right for Norgrove Park, with its Eco Pond and Common. Pedestrian and cycling networks link you to Kingston Foreshore’s cultural precinct, the parliamentary triangle and even the city. Public transport is an easy option, with a constant flow of buses servicing the area.

If you plan on going even further afield, your new home at Quayside is conveniently located just minutes from Canberra airport and is next-door to Canberra railway station.

Yesterday and tomorrow

Although Quayside is as modern as tomorrow, it occupies a site that’s steeped in the history of Canberra. Nearby, the historic Kingston Powerhouse building, now the Canberra Glassworks, is the oldest public building in the ACT. From 1913 until 1994, the area surrounding the Powerhouse was a hive of industry with the bus and transport depot, Government Printing Office and other businesses and workshops. The lake, although part of Walter Burley Griffin’s original plan for Canberra, didn’t exist until 1963 when the Scrivener Dam was completed.

The suburb of Kingston, established in 1922 was originally called “Eastlake”, a name that is commemorated in the name of Kingston Foreshore’s main boulevard. Part of the original suburb was designed as accommodation for workers who built Canberra. In 1995, thanks to a land swap with the federal government, the ACT Government began the process of developing Kingston Foreshore into a modern community, combining homes, businesses and the unique cultural precinct. The centerpiece of the Foreshore, Kingston Harbour, took its final shape in late 2008 and will soon be a new social and recreational hub for the city.

Public places and streets in Kingston are named after Australian explorers and local pioneers. Norgrove Park, which adjoins the Quayside site, is named after Kingston pioneers, Cecil and Ethel Norgrove and their family. The Norgroves were among the first new residents in the area, arriving prior to 1920.