Reid, Australian Capital Territory

Reid Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Euree St
Coordinates	35°17′0″S 149°08′30″E / 35.28333°S 149.14167°E / -35.28333; 149.14167Coordinates: 35°17′0″S 149°08′30″E / 35.28333°S 149.14167°E / -35.28333; 149.14167
Population	1,583 (2011 census)[1]
• Density	452/km2 (1,171/sq mi)
Established	1928
Postcode(s)	2612
Area	3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
District	North Canberra
Territory electorate(s)	Molonglo
Federal Division(s)	Fraser
Suburbs around Reid: Braddon Ainslie City Reid Campbell Parkes

Reid (postcode: 2612) is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. With a population of 1,583 ^[1] Reid is located directly next to Canberra City, Reid is one of the oldest suburbs in Canberra.

Separating the suburbs of Reid and Campbell is ANZAC Parade, a ceremonial boulevarde running along Canberra's primary design axis (the ceremonial axis) from Lake Burley Griffin to the Australian War Memorial.

Located in Reid are the Canberra Institute of Technology and St John the Baptist Church, which is the oldest church in Canberra.

History

Canberra Korean Uniting Church

Reid Housing Precinct house

Bega Flats

The foundation stone of St John the Baptist Church was laid in 1841 and it was consecrated on 12 March 1845. It listed by the ACT Heritage Council.^[2]

Most of the suburb was constructed in 1926 and 1927 to provide housing for public servants in preparation for the opening of the provisional Parliament House in 1927. It was a housing precinct planned on Garden City principles and is now heritage-listed.^[3] The Uniting Church on Coranderrk Street was built in 1927 is also heritage listed.^[4]

Reid was named in 1928 after Australia's fourth Prime Minister, Sir George Reid. It was previously consider to be part of Ainslie. The streets in Reid are named after aboriginal words.^[5]

The four-storey Bega flats (containing 114 two-bedroom flats) were completed east of Cooyong street and south of Ainslie in 1957 in order to cope with a critical lack of accommodation for public servants transferred to Canberra. The ACT Heritage Council described them as having been designed in the Post-War International style "similar to post-war housing in Europe, particularly in English new towns. The fine proportions, crisp detailing and low scale of [the Allawah ourt] and their siting continuing the street pattern made them more architecturally successful than the three eight-storey blocks of flats along Currong Street" (nearby in Braddon). The Heritage Council declined to heritage list the buildings^[6] and despite some local opposition it is proposed that they be demolished and replaced by more modern and denser accommodation along with some commercial uses.^[7][8][9]

Demographics

In the 2011 Census, the population of Reid was 1,583, including 26 (1.6%) Indigenous persons and 969 (61.2%) Australian-born persons. 35.0% of dwellings were separate houses (compared to the Australian average of 75.6%), while 10.3% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses (Australian average: 9.9%) and 54.3% were flats, units or apartments (Australian average: 13.6%). 39.6% of the population were professionals, compared to the Australian average of 21.3%. Notably 20.1% worked in government administration, compared to the Australian average of 1.3%, although the Canberra-wide average was identical. Reid was favoured by students and young adults with 22.7% of its population in the 20-29 year old age group (compared to the Australian average of 13.8%). 30.8% of the population had no religion (compared to the ACT average of 28.9% and the Australian average of 22.3%), 17.9% were Catholic and 14.8% were Anglican.^[1]

Politics

Reid is located within the federal electorate of Fraser, which is currently (2014) represented by Andrew Leigh of the Labor Party in the House of Representatives. Polling place statistics are shown to the right for the Reid polling place at Reid Preschool, Dirrawan Gardens in the 2013 federal^[11] and 2012 ACT^[10] elections.

In the ACT Legislative Assembly, Reid is part of the electorate of Molonglo, which elects seven members on the basis of proportional representation, three Labor, three Liberal and one Greens members.^[12]

Geology

Calcareous shale from the Canberra Formation is overlain by Quaternary alluvium. This rock is the limestone of the original title of Canberra "Limestone Plains". Tertiary age pebbly gravels are around Anzac Parade left from when the Molonglo river was at a higher level.

Reid Housing Precinct house

Argyle Apartments

Monterey Apartments

References

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