In this sponsored post “CityNews” speaks with local businesses who are adding to the rich history of the inner-south suburbs, Kingston and Manuka.

RICH in history and stories from the early days of Canberra, the prestigious, inner-south centres of Kingston and Manuka have a lot to protect.

Residents of the two suburbs commonly share a passion for the conservation of buildings as well as other long-term, loved community icons, such as a mature London Plane tree on Franklin Street, Manuka, which was taken down in late July after years of debate. 

But, many historic icons still remain in both suburbs, such as Manuka Oval and the Caretaker’s Cottage, which was completed in 1930. 

The ACT Heritage Council considers it to be “an important component of the body of ‘Federal Capital’ style public buildings associated with the establishment of Canberra as the national capital”. 

Over in Kingston, one of the oldest, most densely populated suburbs in Canberra, there are multiple buildings on the heritage list, too, such as the Kingston Powerhouse Historic Precinct. 

Built in 1915, the powerhouse was the first permanent public building in Canberra. It was closed in 1929, but reactivated for periods between 1936 and 1942 and between 1948 and 1957. The Fitters’ Workshop, the second permanent public building, is also in the precinct. The siren and whistle, which signalled times to government outdoor workers in south Canberra for many years, is included in the listing, too. 

Scott captures the beauty of nature

AFTER having an online store for about 10 years, photographer Scott Leggo decided to open up a gallery in Kingston so he could showcase his nature-inspired photographs in real life.

“Now people can come in and see the prints in person and get a sense of the size, detail and quality,” says Scott, who recently celebrated Scott Leggo Gallery’s first year.

He’s been a photographer for much longer though (about 13 years) and says he was inspired to start a career in photography because of his love for the outdoors. 

“I saw photography as an excuse to get outdoors and travel on my terms,” he says.

“It’s an opportunity to reconnect with nature and then share the beauty of the outdoors with other people through my photos.”

Scott specialises in landscape photography and has a collection of photographs from across Australia.

“Every photo has its own unique style and it’s often of a place that people can’t get to,” he says. 

Open seven days a week, Scott says there’s plenty of time for people to come in and find a print for their home or work spaces.

The gallery also sells wall art and gifts, which Scott says are affordable and make a perfect present for any occasion. 

Scott Leggo Gallery, 45 Jardine Street, Kingston. Contact 6179 7422 or visit scottleggo.com

The dentists ‘people trust’

AS the longest-standing practice in Kingston, the team at Maven Dental Kingston offers quality general, preventative and cos

metic dentistry.

Located on Kennedy Street, Dr Alex Parragi, Dr Anne Henchman and Dr Rami Hussain are dedicated to providing the best possible dental care for all age groups.

“We understand that patients’ needs vary, so the service is suited to the individual,” Alex says.

“We are a well-known practice with a high level of combined experience and have been practising in Canberra for 30 years or more.

“We provide a professional experience and high quality of care. We have built up loyalty and respect, people know and trust us.”

Focusing on all aspects of dentistry, the practice provides general services such as evaluation, prevention, diagnosis and cosmetic services such as whitening, crowns, bridges and restorative work.

“You need to look after your mouth and keep it healthy as you get older,” Alex says. 

“We always do the right thing by our patients. We sit down with the patients, discuss the options and decide on the best treatment for them.”

Maven Dental Kingston, 6/10 Kennedy Street. Call 6295 6190

Physio Greg has a passion to help

WITH a passion to work in a caring profession, Greg Nash has been helping Canberrans through physiotherapy out of Manuka for about 16 years. 

His experience goes back 35 years though and now, as the principle of Manuka Woden Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic, which has a location in Manuka and Woden, Greg specialises in musculoskeletal physiotherapy.

“This covers the areas of sports physiotherapy, orthopaedics and occupational health and safety,” he says.

But he also sees patients who are experiencing pain from past and recent operations, such as orthopaedic procedures.

“We see clients who injure themselves through sport, work and car accidents, too,” he says.

“My job is to help people get back to normal and increase their exercise tolerance.”

To help support as many people as possible through physiotherapy, Greg says the Manuka Woden Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic is open long hours, from 8am-6pm on Monday to Friday, and by appointment on weekends and public holidays, to accommodate workers and students.

“We have a 24-hour number people can call for urgent requests or if they need to change an appointment,” he says.

“We want to try and accommodate people so it’s not a burden to get to your physiotherapy appointment.

 “We’re also very central and are in close proximity to a large number of government departments and other businesses.”

Manuka Woden Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic, 2/26 Bougainville Street, Manuka. Call 6295 6896, email manukawodenphysio@outlook.com or visit manukawodenphysio.com.au

Maria makes it happen with property

AN unpleasant experience with a real estate agent about 17 years ago sent Maria Selleck on a journey to open a boutique real estate agency that focuses on its clients.

Now, backed with 16 years’ experience, Maria has been running Maria Selleck Properties in Manuka for about 10 years. 

“We wanted to ensure that each of our clients receive a personalised service and attention to detail,” says Maria, who’s received the Real Estate Institute ACT (REIA) “Small Residential Agency Award of the Year” in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016 as well as the national REIA title in 2013. 

“We believe that this is essential for achieving outstanding results for our clients.”

To this day, Maria is still energetic and passionate about real estate and says Maria Selleck Properties provides a one-stop-shop for any real estate needs.

“[We do it all], from presenting homes for the market including styling, project management for repairs and maintenance, garden makeovers, to high-quality marketing and photography,” she says.

“We have our own exclusive tradesperson, stylist and photographer readily available and we can organise to have a property placed on the market within a week to two weeks.

“In addition to sales, we also have a property management department.”

Maria Selleck Properties, 30 Bougainville Street, Manuka. Call 6162 1234 or visit mariaselleck.com.au

Boutique solutions for property law matters

PROPERTY impacts everyone, says Susan Proctor, which is why she established the specialist property practice law firm, Proctor Legal in 2017. 

“I wanted to build a specialist boutique property firm based on my significant expertise and experience in property matters,” she says.

Having practised exclusively as a commercial property lawyer for more than 20 years, Susan says she’s a specialist in ACT property matters.

She’s also a NSW Law Society Accredited Specialist in Property Law. 

“Property impacts everyone, be it a home, investment, business premises or commercial enterprise,” she says. 

“The complexities that can arise need to be communicated and addressed in an effective and pragmatic fashion, which is what I do.”

The team is growing with Mili Dukic and Pei Chow joining Eliza Carter and Susan in July. Susan says she is pleased to work with such dynamic, strategic and intelligent women who all share a passion to assist people with their property matters.

“We continually enhance our skill set by understanding the current trends in the marketplace,” she says.

“We challenge both our own views and traditional views when necessary to provide innovative and appropriate legal solutions for our clients. 

“Our clients get a personal, focused and experienced response to their property issues.”

Proctor Legal, Unit 2, 35 Murray Crescent, Manuka. Call 5104 0750, email susan@proctorlegal.com.au or visit proctorlegal.com.au

Elizabeth shares her passion for hair

CLIENTS love the chilled and friendly environment at A Flick of Hares hair salon, located at the Cusack Centre in Kingston, says owner Elizabeth McKeane. 

“Our clients keep coming back and love what we do with their hair, be it colour, cuts or styles,” she says. 

With eight years’ experience as a hairstylist, Elizabeth says she took over the ownership of the business in March, after working at the salon for many years. A Flick of Hares has been designed with an industrial Nordic feel and has a series of hairdressing suites and common areas that are comfortable and inviting.  

“Each client has a private cubicle and can sit back and relax in privacy, receiving personalised service from our hairstylists,” says Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth’s team includes apprentice, Genevieve and hair stylists Kelly and Sarah. There are also freelance hair stylists who operate out of the salon. 

For Elizabeth, the passion she has for her clients is her driving force: “Every day is different and it’s great to build relationships with my clients. I love taking my clients on a journey and work with them about what they want for their hair,” says Elizabeth. 

Elizbeth says the team have a lot of fun with their Instagram profile and encourages people to check it out instagram.com/a_flick_of_hares/

A Flick of Hares, Unit 7, Level 1, Cusack Centre, 27 Eyre Street, Kingston. Phone 6260 8906 or book online at aflickofhares.com  

Family business supporting all things local 

PROHIBITION: The Bottle Shop on Eastlake Parade stocks a wide range of wines, craft beers and premium spirits, says Michelle Cains who owns it with her husband Paul.

“As a family business we are always seeking to meet the needs of the people who live, work and play in Kingston Foreshore,” Michelle says.

“We pride ourselves on sourcing products that people might not always be able to find. We stock a wide range of local and international gins and whiskeys.”

At the moment, Michelle says Japanese and Tasmanian whiskey have been huge. 

“We also strive to have a good range of local wines, beers and spirits to support the local wine makers, brewers and distillers of the region,” she says.

Across the street is Kingston Corner Store, which was opened by Michelle and Paul after local demand for a convenience store. 

“We aim to always have things that people need, as well as items that make them stop and say ‘wow, I didn’t know you had this!’ People come in for milk and leave with fancy ice cream,” says Michelle. 

At Kingston Corner Store Michelle says they go beyond all the essentials. 

“We expanded our range of local produce to include small goods from Pialligo Estate, Poachers Pantry and Balzanelli,” says Michelle.  

With olive oils and vinegars from Homeleigh Grove, Blackhorse jams and pickles and sweet treats from Fudge Nation and Jasper and Myrtle, Michelle says that local produce plays a starring role at Kingston Corner Store. 

Prohibition: The Bottle Shop, 148 Eastlake Parade, call 6295 0864. Kingston Corner Store, 6/81 Giles Street, call 6262 8102.

Jeweller with a unique approach

CLOVER Jewellery has an on-site jeweller and designer so anyone looking for something uniquely beautiful can have it tailor-made, says jeweller James Oh.

Clover Jewellery is a family-run business that has been in Canberra for more than three years after it was in Japan for more than 25 years. 

“We provide a range of high-end and unique handmade jewellery as well as fancy and beautiful silver jewellery,” James says.

“We have lots of samples for customers to try or they can bring in their own design and we can make it on-site by our fully qualified jeweller. We have wedding rings and engagement rings for customers to try on, too. 

“We are a handcraft and platinum specialist and we offer a laser-engraving and laser-soldering service, you can put a message in the ring along with a birthstone. It makes it very special and one of a kind.”

Based in Manuka, Clover Jewellery makes custom and unique pieces and also offers a free quote for its design services.

Clover Jewellery, 16 Bougainville Street, Griffith. Call 6295 8545, email clover.manuka@gmail.com or visit @cloverjewellerycanberra on Facebook. 

Luxury shoe shop stands the test of time

LUXURY shoe shop, Escala, located On the Lawns has become a Manuka icon over the many years it has been there, bringing a curated selection of shoes and accessories from the most exciting and in-demand designers.  

Owner Gail Lubbock says that Escala has been at its current location in Manuka for the past 10 years, and alongside other long-standing boutique retailers they have stood the test of time and help make Manuka the special destination that it is. 

Gail attributes the longevity of Escala to their passion for beautiful design and commitment to quality and excellence.  

“We aren’t slaves to fashion, we are slaves to uniqueness in design,” says Gail who personally travels to Europe to source top-quality shoes and accessories.  

Gail says she stocks a range of shoes for all occasions including comfortable travel shoes and summer-essential sandals.  

“We are seeing some lovely colours coming in the new season such as yellow, orange and green. Our accessories are always beautiful with a range of bags in colours to complement the season.” 

Escala, Shop 1, 21 Bougainville Street, On the Lawns, Manuka. Phone 6232 7666 or visit escala-shoes.com.au

Well-travelled team to get you on the right cruise 

Capital Travel Manuka is a boutique agency established in Manuka in 1987 and is located in a heritage terrace building opposite the lawns in Manuka. Owner Lisa Calabria says that their team of experienced staff has an average of 25 years’ experience in the industry and are well-travelled, friendly and knowledgeable. 

“People might ask ‘why use a travel agent?’ I tell them that the personal one-on-one service, experience and knowledge across all brands and destinations that we give our clients helps build a memorable travel experience,” says Lisa. 

“I have found that the industry is always changing and once someone has dealt with an experienced travel agent, they can see the value this brings and are more than happy to return for future travel.”

Capital Travel are a proud Cruise Co. member and able to offer clients the unique cruising holidays and special packages that are exclusive to Cruise Co. 

Themed music cruises and other cruises to destinations such as Asia, Scandinavia, or European river cruises are available through Cruise Co. and Capital Travel.  

“One-way cruising through Asia such as Singapore to Japan are becoming very popular,” says Lisa. 

“Our team are able to assist with group travel, generational travel, cruises, tours, private travel built to suit the client and their needs,” she says. 

Capital Travel Manuka, 24 Bougainville Street, Manuka. Visit capitaltravel.com.au or call 6295 2733.