Downer » North Canberra Community Council

Downer community meeting – redevelopment of the Downer Local Centre

Jan 272012

A meeting will be held for all Downer residents, from 6.30pm-9.30pm on Thursday 9 February 2012 at the Downer Community Centre, to develop a concept design for the Downer local centre precinct. Continue reading »

DOWNER Development Application: 201221068 Address: 87 ANTILL STREET Block: 31 Section: 39

Development Applications, Downer No Responses »

Jan 202012

Proposal: MULTI RESIDENTIAL – LEASE VARIATION – 8 UNIT DEVELOPMENT. Proposed demolition of existing residence and construction of 8 two storey units with basement parking. Lease Variation – please see application for full description. Period for representations closes: 13/02/2012
Click here to view the plans

Downer Community Meeting – Redevelopment of the Downer Local Centre

Downer No Responses »

Dec 092011

Downer Opportunities and Constraints

A meeting will be held for all Downer residents, at 7pm on Wednesday 14 December at the Downer Community Centre, to discuss the redevelopment of the Downer local centre precinct.

Letters of invitation were delivered to all Downer residents on 8 December 2011.
More information is available on the EDD website http://www.economicdevelopment.act.gov.au or telephone enquiries may be directed to Mr Ross McKay on 6205 0675.

DOWNER Development Application: 201120788 Address: 24 BONYTHON STREET Block: 15 Section: 63

Development Applications, Downer No Responses »

Oct 282011

Proposal: MULTI DWELLING – LEASE VARIATION – 1 NEW DWELLING – Please see application for full details of the lease variation; retain and extend existing house and construction of a new residence to the rear and courtyard walls, driveway and associated landscaping. Period for representations closes: 18/11/2011
Click here to view the plans

DOWNER Development Application: 201120402 Address: BONYTHON STREET Block: 2 Section: 73

Development Applications, Downer No Responses »

Oct 072011

Proposal: COMMNUNITY FACILITY-DOWNER RUGBY FIELDS-LIGHTING. Proposal to provide training level lighting to two fields via four new twenty two metre tall pylons each fitted with three 2kw metal halide flood lights to provide average luminance of approximately 60 lux in accordance with the Australian Standards. Period for representations closes: 19/10/2011
Click here to view the plans

Downer's 50th Birthday Celebration (27 March 2010)

Announcements, Community, Downer No Responses »

Mar 092010

Downer (Source: DCA)

The Community is invited to Downer’s 50th Birthday Celebration!

Time: 10 am to 3pm
Date: Saturday 27 March 2010
Venue: Downer Community Centre and Oval Frencham Place Downer

Activities for everyone: exhibitions, stalls, choirs, bands, drummers, jugglers, and lots of good food.
Deputy Chief Minister Katy Gallagher will open the Heritage Walk.
Downer resident Senator Kate Lundy will launch new book on the history of the suburb.

For more information please contact Chris Paterson ph: 62628454 email: paterson2@webone.com.au

Older Entries

Downer - the suburb

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Downer is a suburb in Canberra Australia, in the Inner North. The suburb is bounded by Northbourne Avenue, Antill Street and Philip Avenue.

The suburb was gazetted in 1960 and named after Sir John Downer (1844 - 1915) Premier of South Australia and a member of the first Australian Senate in 1901. There is no specific theme for street names.

The buildings which make up the Downer community centre and former shops, were built for the CSIRO in 1930s, and the area now comprising Downer was an agricultural research facility for the CSIRO. The area now comprising the suburb was used between 1939-45 as a plantation for the growth of opium poppy to provide a source for medications in the unavailability of imported supplies. The large pine and gum trees which surround the block around the shops were planted in this time as a wind break for the CSIRO building. Large trees (Camden Woolybutts) along Swinden street were also planted then, as Swinden street was the driveway for the CSIRO building, where it connected to Northbourne Avenue. With the development of the suburb the trees became diseased during the 1980s and a program is underway to replace them with more amenable local varieties of gum. As of September 2008, all but two or three of the older Swinden Street gums have been removed.

Downer has a local oval between Frencham, Melba, Bonython and Bradfield streets, with a shopping centre. However in 2005 the shopping centre was vacant due partly to the poor location of the centre away from major roads. There is also the Canberra Business Centre nearby, which at one time was a school. The Downer Club, which has an observatory, is nearby, although not technically in Downer, on the Dickson side of Antill Street.

Local Groups:

Downer Community Association

Welcome

The North Canberra Community Council (NCCC) is an incorporated, voluntary, not for profit, community based association operating within the North Canberra Districts of the Australian Capital Territory. NCCC is formally recognised as the peak community representative body in North Canberra representing the interests of the local residents and the communities within North Canberra. NCCC receives partial funding from the ACT Government as the peak community representative body in the North Canberra District.
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