In this sponsored post, “CityNews” speaks with experts who have made Civic their business home. 

ESTABLISHED in 1927, and gazetted a year later on September 20 under the division name City, Civic, also known as Civic Centre, was initially planned to have its market centre elsewhere. 

Walter Burley Griffin’s original design for Canberra included a “civic centre” with a separate “market centre” located at what is now Russell. 

However, the Prime Minister of the day, Stanley Bruce, vetoed the idea and only the Civic centre was developed.

Now, Canberra’s central business district is dominated by passionate experts, such as retailers and hospitality businesses, making it their home, or their go-to destination to do business.    

Andrew offers affordable custom framing 

WITH everything from custom frames to art and memorabilia, Civic ProFrame owner Andrew Trousdell says he does custom framing cheaper than many of his competitors. 

Located on the corner of Akuna Street and City Walk, Andrew also offers services such as custom matting, slide and negative scanning, photo restoration and canvas sketching.

In the decade since he took over the business, he says new high-rise apartment buildings have sprung up around the city, but his eclectic mix of clientele has stayed the same.

Andrew also has a gallery space, which at the moment features an intriguing mix of works such as Trevor Dickinson’s bus stop and Canberra-themed prints, as well as movie-themed artworks.

“We try to be a little bit different,” he says.

Civic ProFrame is also the only business in Canberra processing 35mm colour film, he says. 

“If you take your film anywhere else they’ll send it out to Melbourne and it will take about three weeks, while we’ll have it ready the next day in most cases,” says Andrew.

“We’re developing more than a hundred rolls a week and half of them are from disposable cameras of kids’ parties and what not.”

Civic ProFrame, corner of Akuna Street and City Walk. Call 6247 6230, email info@civicproframe.com.au, or visit canlabproframe.com.au

Restaurant serves wholesome Italian food 

OPEN for dinner everyday over the Easter period, except for Sunday, April 4, now is the time to book in at Briscola Italian to lock in an Italian holiday feast, says owner Gianni Guglielmin.

Located in the Melbourne Building, Briscola Italian is fast becoming one of Civic’s iconic Italian restaurants, serving wholesome and traditional Italian food in an historical atmosphere, Gianni says. 

The beautiful colonnades out the front add to the restaurant’s historical facade, says Gianni, who describes Briscola Italian as a casual, unpretentious, quality, Italian dining experience.

The family-run restaurant is owned by Italians, which, Gianni says, influences their traditional menu, with signature dishes such as a homemade ravioli recipe that’s made from scratch. 

The restaurant is award-winning, too, winning titles such as Canberra’s Best Pizzeria in 2014, Canberra’s Best Italian Restaurant, 2015, and in 2016 gained accreditation from the Academy Italian Kitchen, also known as the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, by the Italian ambassador.

Briscola Italian is open for dinner seven days a week, with lunch services running Tuesday until Sunday.

Briscola Italian, 60 Alinga Street. Call 6248 5444, email briscolaitalian@gmail.com or visit briscolapizzeria.com.au

Gallery has plenty to explore 

OPENING every day over the Easter weekend, Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG) has plenty of exhibitions and spaces to explore, says director Sarah Schmidt.

The exhibition, “Habitat: Ways of Living”, reveals life in a variety of environments from high-rise, high-end apartments, to suburban subdivisions and locations where inhabitants have endured the collapse of their communities. 

There’s also “Seeing Canberra”, an exhibition where visitors will journey through four key periods of the city’s development, and for each will encounter an object that represents a prism to understand a way of seeing at that time.

And, the exhibition “Remembrances of my Youth”, features a collection of spray artworks by iconic Australian artist Sir Sidney Nolan.

Children and families are well catered for, too, says Sarah, who points to the dedicated “MakerSpace” for children from four to 10 years of age.

The “MakerSpace” links works of art in the CMAG and Nolan Collections to engaging artmaking activities, she says.

Over the long weekend, the gallery will be open from 10am to 5pm, with the CMAG cafe open from 10am to 1pm, making the perfect addition to the day, Sarah says. 

Canberra Museum and Gallery, 176 London Circuit. Visit cmag.com.au or call 6207 3968.