Weetangera, Australian Capital Territory

Weetangera is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Belconnen covering an area of approximately 158 hectares. Located approximately 10 km north-west of the city, Weetangera is bounded by Springvale Drive to the south and west, Coulter Drive to the east and Belconnen Way to the north. The Pinnacle Nature Reserve, a Canberra Nature Park is adjacent to the south of the suburb, across Springvale Drive.

Europeans first settled the area in the 1800s, and it was named Weetangera after the property "Spring Vale", which in turn had been given a name of Aboriginal origin (it is also called Weetangerra and Weetangara in early documents). A school was first built in the area in 1875.

The modern suburb of Weetangera was officially gazetted by the ACT Government in 1968, with a street theme: 'Pioneers of the Australian Capital Territory'. After the gazetting, the first modern settlers moved into the suburb in 1970 and the first students moved into the Weetangera Primary School, located about a kilometre from the old Weetangera Primary School, in 1973. Today, the suburb is home to over 2500 people.

Name
Weetangera is named after the property "Spring Vale", which in turn had been given a name of Aboriginal origin. Samuel Shumack lived at "Spring Vale" between 1866 and 1915. Shumack and his father had taken up the land for farming when Samuel was eight years old. Samuel Shumack lived on the property with his family until it was claimed as land for the nation's capital in 1915.

Weetangera was also the name for the Weetangera parish, which included the land from Ginninderra Creek to the Molonglo River. The Southwell family were significant to this property, and various members of the family are buried in the Weetangera Cemetery and former Methodist Church now sited to the west of the adjoining suburb, Hawker.

Federal and territory representation
Weetangera is in the federal electorate of Fraser and the ACT electorate of Ginninderra.

Demographics
People who live in Weetangera are called Weetangerans. On Census night 2011, Weetangera had a population of 2,608 people. The census shows that Weetangera residents have a median age of 40 which is slightly older compared to an ACT median of 34 and an Australian median of 37. The median weekly household income was $2446, $526 more than the ACT median and nearly double the median Australian household income of $1234.

Weetangera's population is predominantly Australian-born; 73.5 per cent on census night 2011. The second most common birthplace was England at 5.1 per cent. The most common religion is 'no religion', with nearly a third of the population reporting they were not religious.

In Weetangera 32.0 per cent of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 34.0 per cent were in primary school, 22.0 per cent in secondary school and 27.6 per cent in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of occupied private dwellings in Weetangera, 48.1 per cent were owned outright, 36.1 per cent were owned with a mortgage and 14.0 per cent were rented.

Suburb amenities
Weetangera has a small shopping centre containing a bakery, beauty salon, jewellery shop and a publishing company.

The suburb is also home to the Weetangera Neighbourhood Oval. The ACT Government announced restoration plans for the oval in June 2012, committing $4 million to three ovals, including the Weetangera oval, over a three-year period. The money is for the installation of irrigation systems, synthetic cricket wickets and practice nets, floodlights and a small pavilion and toilet block.

Educational institutions
Weetangera is home to two educational institutions, both on Southwell Street:
 * Weetangera Primary School; and
 * Weetangera Preschool.

Street names
The street names in Weetangera are predominantly named for ACT Pioneers:

A–L

 * Abernethy Street. Named for James Abernethy (1830 - 1920). Abernethy was an overseer and later superintendent of `Yarralumla Station', 1857-63. He was the schoolmaster and clerk at St John the Baptist Church, 1863-80.
 * Bambridge Street. Named for Edwin Elijah Bambridge (1815 - 1879), who planted some of the first willow trees along the Molonglo River.
 * Belconnen Way. "Belconnen" was originally the name of a pioneer's homestead and later of a rural district of the ACT.
 * Coppin Place. Named for John Coppin (born circa 1840). Coppins Crossing, across the lower Molonglo River, is also named for John Coppin.
 * Coulter Drive. Named for Robert Charles Coulter (1864 - 1956). Coulter was an architect and landscape painter and the co-designer of an award-winning plan in the competition for a Design for the National Capital held in 1911.
 * Crace Street. Named for Edward Kendall Crace (1844 - 1892). Crace was one of the original settlers in the Gungahlin area becoming one of the largest landholders in the district; purchased the `Gungahlin' and `Ginninderra' properties from William Davis in 1877 and also acquired `Charnwood'.
 * Darmody Street. Named for John Darmody (1817 - 1877). Darmody was employed at 'Duntroon Station' in 1858.
 * Davis Street. Named for William Davis, senior (1821 - 1876). Davis arrived in the colony from England on 6 March 1842 on the Palestine with his wife, Jane Elizabeth (née Weston) and several of their children; went to `Lanyon', home of his daughter and son-in-law; the family moved to Booroomba, where they remained until the early 1860s; sold the property to Charles McKeahnie; Davis then moved to Ginninderra Cottage where he remained until the early 1870s after which he moved to Goulburn; he died in 1876 and his wife died in 1888.
 * De Salis Street. Named for Leopold Fabius Dietegen Fane de Salis (1816 - 1898). De Salis was a pioneer pastoralist and politician. He purchased Cuppacumbalong Station in 1856; De Salis was an MLA, Queanbeyan, 1864–69 and an MLC, New South Wales, 1874-98.
 * Gibbes Place. Named for Augustus Onslow Manby Gibbes (1828 - 1897). Gibbes owned Yarralumla sheep station between 1858 and 1881, purchased from Sir Terence Aubrey Murray and sold to Frederick Campbell.
 * Gillespie Street. Named for John Gillespie (1809 - 1889). Gillespie owned `Horse Park Station', Ginninderra, 1856-89.
 * Harcourt Street. Named for George Harcourt (died 1893), a storekeeper in Ginninderra for many years. The George Harcourt Inn in Nicholls is also named after him.
 * Jones Place. Named for Thomas Jones (1812 - 1887). Jones arrived in the district in 1825; carpenter and farmer; held land at Rocky Gully near Mulligan's Flat, Gungahlin District.
 * Kilby Crescent. Named for William Kilby (1811 - 1902). Kilby settled at 'Lands End' in Weetangera.
 * Kinleyside Crescent. Named for George Kinleyside (1820 - 1886). Kinleyside was a blacksmith and the Postmaster at Ainslie Post Office between 1884 and 1886.
 * Line Place. Named for Thomas Harrington Line (1828 - 1878). Line was a schoolteacher at Canberra, 1858-60; Superintendent of `Duntroon Station', 1860; also worked the `Glebe Farm', 1859.

M–Z

 * Mathieson Crescent. Named for William Mathieson (1837 - 1882). Mathieson was a shepherd on `Ginninderra Station' from 1860-1882.
 * Mayo Street. Named for Alfred William Mayo (1856 - 1936), a pioneering farmer of the Majura area.
 * McKeahnie Street. Named for Charles McKeahnie (1809 - 1903). McKeahnie was the owner, at various times, of properties in Boboyan, Gudgenby, Orroral and Booroomba areas.  He and his wife Elizabeth came to Australia from Scotland in 1838.  They were the grandparents of Charlie McKeahnie, who some historians believe to be the inspiration for the poem 'The Man from Snowy River' by Banjo Paterson.
 * McLachlan Crescent. Named for Allan McLachlan (1835 - 1878). McLachlan was the manager of "Duntroon Station" in 1876.
 * Morton Street. Named for Andrew Morton (1812 - 1881), a pioneer medical practitioner and coroner in the Queanbeyan district.
 * Mowle Place. Named for Stewart Majoribanks Mowle (1822 - 1908). Mowle was employed at `Yarralumla Station' between 1838 and 1845.
 * O'Rourke Street. Named for Terence O'Rourke (1831 - 1896). O'Rourke was employed on `Duntroon Station' during the 1850s.
 * Packer Street. Named for William James Packer (1793 - 1881). Packer was the first settler at Gundaroo in 1824. He owned `Esthermead Estate'.
 * Plummer Street. Named for Levi Plummer (1822 - 1876). Plummer settled at Weetangera in the early 1870s; died after falling from a horse in 1876; his wife, Frances (nee Guthridge), died in 1891.
 * Shumack Street. Named for Richard Shumack (1817 - 1887), father of Samuel Shumack. Richard Shumack was employed at `Duntroon Station' between 1856 and 1858 and later with his son, Samuel, established `Springvale Station' at Weetangera.
 * Smith Street, Named for ACT pioneer clergymen.
 * Southwell Street. Named for Thomas Southwell (1813 - 1881). Southwell was the owner of "Parkwood" station from 1854. Southwell was responsible for the introduction of Methodism into the Weetangera area.
 * Springvale Drive. Named for a homestead in the Weetangera area established by Samuel Shumack and his father Richard Shumack in 1866.
 * Vest Place. Named for Richard Vest (1855 - 1922). Vest was overseer at `Yarralumla Station', 1897-1911.
 * Webb Place. Named for George Solomon Webb (1783 - 1868). Webb was a pioneer settler in the Tidbinbilla area, 1833; married to Sarah Rolfe, the step-daughter of Timothy Beard. Their eldest daughter Eliza Webb married John McDonald, the son of the original settlers at Uriarra. Mount Eliza in Tidbinbilla is believed to be named in her honour.
 * Weetangera Place. Named for the locality. The name has been associated with the area since the days of the early settlers.