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Canberra Today 15°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Canberra’s newest suburbs to be named ‘Strathnairn’ and ‘Macnamara’

Yvette-Berry

YVETTE Berry says two new suburbs in West Belconnen will be named after a pioneering medical scientist and a historic local homestead.

“Strathnairn and Macnamara will be the first two suburbs in the new West Belconnen/Parkwood development that is a joint venture between the ACT Government, through the Land Development Agency, and Riverview Developments,” Yvette said.

“A cross-border development that will ultimately add 11,500 new dwellings to the region, this new community will be developed over the next 30 to 40 years. In addition to the two suburbs announced today the development will have two more suburbs, one in NSW and one more in the ACT.

“The suburb of Strathnairn is named after the historical homestead that is located in the first stage of the development area. The Strathnairn property was part of a land grant to 19th century explorer Captain Charles Sturt and was established as a grazing property in 1920s. The property became known as Strathnairn in 1934 when it was transferred to Mr Ian Hamilton Baird, whose family farmed the property till 1974. It has been used as a community arts facility since 1977 and continues to provide working spaces and facilities for a range of artists, crafts people and community groups.

“Macnamara is named after Australian medical pioneer Dame Jean Macnamara, who played a crucial role in the development of a polio vaccine. As Honorary Medical Officer in the Physiotherapy Department of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne from 1927-59, Dame Jean organised the care of children suffering from polio and trained doctors and physiotherapists in the management of the disease. In collaboration with Macfarlane Burnet her discovery of multiple strains of the poliomyelitis virus, proved pivotal in the development of the effective Salk vaccine and was reported in 1931 in the British Journal of Experimental Pathology. In 1935 she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the welfare of children.

“The announcement of these two suburbs today is a significant milestone in this important development that is an essential part of the continued growth of Belconnen, Canberra and the region.

“This new West Belconnen/Parkwood development will be underpinned by leading-edge design and development practices combined with a high level of environmental awareness. It will be a community that provides diverse, affordable and inclusive places to live, work and play and inspire sustainable living.

“Protecting and respecting the unique environment of the area is a key objective of the project. Set on 1623 hectares that span the ACT and NSW border, the development will contain 800 hectares of protected open space, including 577 hectares that will be set aside to be maintained as a conservation, bushfire management and recreation area. This includes the land adjacent to the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creek.

“Land sales are slated for early next year for the first parts of the development in the suburb of Strathnairn.”

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