Macarthur, Australian Capital Territory

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Macarthur
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Population:

1,589 (2001 census)

Established:

1983

Postcode:

2904

Property Value:

AUD AU$375,000 (2005)[1]

LGA:

Tuggeranong

Assembly Electorate:

Brindabella

Federal Division:

Canberra

Suburbs around Macarthur:
Fadden
Gilmore	Macarthur	Fadden
Chisholm	Gilmore	Gilmore

Macarthur (postcode 2904) is a suburb in the Canberra district of Tuggeranong. The suburb is named after John Macarthur, one of the founders of Australia's Merino wool industry. It was gazetted on 22 March 1982 and first settled in 1983. The wool industry is the theme for street names. The suburb has an area of 1.27 km². It is next to the suburbs of Fadden and Gilmore, and is located north of Isabella Drive.

Macarthur seen from Tuggeranong Hill. Note the Canberra tip in the top right.

1 Demographics
2 Suburb amenities
3 Sport
4 Politics
5 Geology
6 References

[edit] Demographics

There were 1589 people living in Macarthur on Census night 2001. The median age of people in Macarthur was 32 year, the same as Canberra. Unemployment in Macarthur was two and a half percent lower than the Canberra average. The median weekly individual income for Macarthur in 2001 was $600–$699, compared to $500–$599 for Canberra, while the median weekly household income was $1500–$1999. In 2001 the median monthly housing loan repayment in Macarthur was $800–$999. ^[1] ^[2]

The residents of Macarthur are predominantly Australian born, with 81.2% being born in Australia. The three main countries of birth for those born overseas were United Kingdom, 4.6%, New Zealand 1.5, and United States, 0.7%. The most popular religious affiliations in descending order are Catholic, Anglican, no religion, Uniting, Presbyterian and Orthodox Christian. ^[1]

[edit] Suburb amenities

Macarthur Preschool is located on Carson Street; its closure is planned for the end of 2006.^[3] Wanniassa Hills, part of the Canberra Nature Park, is located in Macarthur. Macarthur also includes a horse holding paddock.

Three ACTION bus routes service Macarthur. Route 67 runs through Macarthur along Coyne Street as part of its route between the Tuggeranong and Woden Interchanges; this service runs every 30 to 60 minutes between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on weekdays. The additional service 267 follows the same route through Macarthur as Route 67. It runs during peak hour from the Tuggeranong Interchange to City West. Another service, route 966 runs between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00pm on Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Sundays and from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. on weeknights to link the suburb to Tugggeranong, Erindale Centre, Fadden and Gowrie when the 67 service does not operate. ^[4]

[edit] Sport

For a few short years Macarthur was part of the ACT's motorsport activities. In 1978 a group of Canberra motorcycle racers approached the Department of the Interior for permission to use an unbuilt, yet developed, area in one of the unused suburbs in Tuggeranong for racing. The Department gave them permission provided they found a suitable suburb that was well away from built-up areas in the closest suburb, Kambah, and that they complied with noise restrictions of that time. Macarthur, which was being developed but not actively being built upon, was chosen and was thus called Macarthur Park.

Macarthur Park used Coyne Street, Jackie Howe Crescent, Merriman Crescent and Carson Street to form the circuit and the undulating nature of the course made it one of the most attractive road courses in south-east Australia. The Canberra Road Racing Club (formed while racing at Fairburn Park) organised its first race meeting in 1978. Between 1978 and 1982 many race meetings and championship races were run with some modifications to the circuit made to accept sidecars in the last two years of competition.

Now that the suburb has been developed the circuit no longer exists. The only signs are the miscoloured traffic island extension on Coyne Street, which was put back in after the island was shortened to allow sidecars to be raced on the circuit, and a sign in the nearby pines about 50 metres from a small off-street carpark that explains the short history of the circuit and the riders that rode it. Visitors to the area may notice the name of Wayne Gardener on the sign.^[5]

[edit] Politics

Macarthur is located within the federal electorate of Canberra. The electorate is currently represented in the House of Representatives by Annette Ellis. Canberra is considered a safe Labor seat.^[6]

In the ACT Legislative Assembly, Gowrie is in the electorate of Brindabella, which is currently represented by three Labor and two Liberal members. ^[7]^[8]