Nearly 60 years since it was first built, Woden has become one of Canberra’s premier destinations for shopping, community events and recreation.

LOCATED 10 minutes from the centre of Canberra, the development of Woden Valley began in 1962, before its first residents arrived in 1963.

Separate from Civic, Woden Valley was the ACT’s first satellite city to be built, with its own shopping centre, employment opportunities and suburbs located around the town centre.

More than half a century later, Woden has become one of Canberra’s premier destinations for shopping, community events and recreation.

One-stop-shop for a complete, quality printing service

BRINDABELLA Print specialises in books, magazines and educational material, says owner Sean Finn.

“The business has been running for 10 years now, but I’ve been in the industry for more than 40 years,” he says.

“We’re in the high-quality side of printing, so we need to be on the top of our game at all times.

“And there’s only three of us, my eldest son and a graphic designer who are full time.”

Brindabella Print prints books and magazines, brochures, flyers and pamphlets, business cards, labels and stickers and signage.

Sean says it’s a great fun job and he loves supporting local teams such as Cricket ACT and Tuggeranong Valley AFL.

“We have the best equipment. We print the year books for Marist and St Francis Xavier, and we print art books and photography books, too,” he says.

“Woden is where we’ve always lived. I’ve had a press there since 1977. Our customers love us. They know I’m always available and they often say we’re the best kept secret in Canberra.”

Brindabella Print, 19 Givens Street, Pearce. Call 1300 886965, or visit brindabellaprint.com.au

A winning focus on quality coffee

FOR the past decade, local coffee roasters Niugini Arabica has been bringing single-origin coffee beans from the Papua New Guinea highlands to the Duffy community, says owner Theo Levantis.

“But, just last week we opened in Curtin, too,” he says.

“We wanted to expand our production capacity and Curtin is a great opportunity, it’s a nice shopfront in a high-traffic area.”

Still located at the Duffy shops, Theo describes it as “a little cafe that focuses on coffee”. 

“The only thing that’s important [is] how good the coffee tastes,” he says.

“And, we’ve got verification that ours is good stuff.”

The best coffee, Theo says, comes from highland areas along the equator, meaning their Papua New Guinea beans are part of a small and elite list of specialty roasts.

“We’ve recently won a medal at the Royal Adelaide Coffee Show, we won bronze for our single-origin latte,” he says.

“It was a great feeling and shows our effort has paid off. The award was for our Femili PNG beans, which supports women and improves responses to family and sexual violence.

“So, hopefully it results in more sales and more money for the charity.”

And the beans are responsibly sourced, too, says Theo.

“They’re grown by micro businesses and smallholder farmers [who] work for themselves,” he says.

“They’ve got the motivation to make a better-quality product.”

Niugini Arabica, 5 Duffy Place, Duffy and 3/44 Curtin Place, Curtin. Visit niuginiarabica.com

‘Family’ team care that makes a difference

HARTLEY Lifecare is a Canberra based organisation that makes a difference in people’s lives, says CEO Eric Thauvette.

“I’ve been here for 17 years now, and Hartley started in Canberra in 1962. It’s grown a lot through the years but it’s still retained its wonderful atmosphere,” he says.

“There’s a willingness to work, and we’re like a family – real people who look out for each other.”

Hartley Lifecare provides a variety of services for people with disability, their families and carers.

“When Hartley first started it was a group of parents of people with disabilities that came together and supported each other,” says Eric.

“They realised the need was there and they created support groups, and respite care, which gave the parents a chance to have a break and recharge their batteries so that they could continue to provide the proper support.”

Eric says he thinks it’s really important to maintain a connection to the people Hartley Lifecare are supporting.

“We invest a lot in our employees in training and support, so that they feel they’ve got all the tools to be able to do their job properly, and we can strive to do our best,” says Eric.

“We have 24 hour care in 35 homes across Canberra. That’s 85 people in supported accommodation, and we support another 20 to 25 people through our respite care.”

Hartley Lifecare, 6 Hodgson Place, Pearce. Call 6282 4411, or visit hartley.org.au

Personally tailored Pilates classes

OWNER of The Pilates Centre Canberra, Felicia Darbyshire-Pirie says she’s proud that the centre provides pilates sessions that focus on each individual.

“We believe in quality over quantity,” says Felicia, a pilates instructor of more than 15 years.

“Pilates is total body strengthening, conditioning and re-balancing, which is why it’s perfect as rehab. To me it’s a combination of intuition and science that helps people achieve goals.

From two weeks post-spinal surgery all the way through to high-performing, advanced clients, Felica says the centre welcomes anyone regardless of experience or fitness level. 

“A body that is in pain needs time, space and re-education to recover. Each individual’s pain journey is different and therefore we are never comparing one person to another,” she says.

She believes a good instructor is what makes all the difference.

“We only hire really high-quality instructors with really good qualifications,” she says.

“At the Pilates Centre we often work with pain specialists such as osteopaths and physiotherapists for client goals. 

“I like to say Pilates is the perfect training partner for everything, especially for life.”

The Pilates Centre Canberra, 58 Colbee Court, Phillip. Call 6162 1793, or visit pilatescentre.com.au

Nick’s got the gear to get people running

THE Runners Shop carries a great range of shoes for running, walking or going to the gym, says owner and long-time runner Nick Walshe. 

“Having a pair of well cushioned shoes is important – for all types of exercise, but especially for runners,” says Nick. 

“This is because runners are often sending a force equivalent to around four times our body weight, which impacts on our knees, feet and lower back. 

“Good cushioning in runners helps with injury prevention, especially when increasing your training. Running shoes are also designed to flex in a way that supports the motion of your foot when running – much more so than training shoes or casual shoes. With a team of passionate staff all actively involved in running, Nick says customers can experience first hand knowledge of the products available. 

“We take the time to make sure we help customers find the right pair of shoes – suitable for their feet and fitted correctly,” says Nick. 

“Our shoe brands include Brooks, Hoka, Saucony, New Balance, Asics, Mizuno, On, Altra and Topo. Nick says running can be incredibly beneficial not just physically, but also mentally. “It’s a great way to relieve stress, and find some balance in our busy lives,” he says. 

“Also, with the many running groups and events in Canberra these days, there is a social community side to running as well. And it’s surprisingly addictive!”

The Runners Shop, 76 Dundas Court, Phillip. Call 6285 3508, or visit therunnersshop.com.au

Care that makes a difference

SINCE 1999, Lavender Art Studios (LAS) has been delivering a range of established, progressive weekly art classes to young people, eight years old and over, an adult art program, creative and fun school holiday art workshops for five to 13 years, specialised art workshops, art excursions and high-country art retreats, says co-owner Elita Mackay.

“We invite those interested in the art programs to look over our website, where you will see many examples of students’ extensive artwork and also be able to read further points of interest regarding our very popular art classes,” she says.

“Through experienced art demonstrations and one-on-one support, our highly trained staffing team will support any child or adult on a creative journey to learn art techniques and render successful pictures.

“The art classes are managed and operated by the art studio co-owners; Greg and Elizabeth Mackay, who bring forward immense experience in the area of teaching of visual art, including practiced community service expertise, continually working towards positive artistic outcomes for all who attend Lavender Art Studios.”

Lavender Art Studios, First Floor, 42 Townsend Street, Phillip. Call 0412 649770, or visit lavenderartstudios.com.au or drawandpaint.com.au