Stirling Park

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represents a very rare area of untouched bushland in inner south-west Canberra. Located very close to Lake Burley-Griffin and essentially separating the suburban area of Yarralumla from the Lake, has a sense of awe about it for those traversing across town via Alexandrina Drive.

For such a large area of bushland, consuming roughly the same amount of land as the grounds of neighbouring Parliament House, is not easy to find. It would not be uncommon for long time Canberrans to simply stumble upon the Park without meaning to or without knowing it was there. The surprise is a pleasant one though, because whilst is not designed to be anything in particular, it is precisely this lack of human intrusion which makes it such an effective escape from civilisation.



Bound in history , is an important site for the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners of an area of land which includes Canberra. Past generations of the Ngunnawal are thought to have used the slightly elevated bushland as a meeting place on their journey from Black Mountain to Red Hill, all as part of preparing for traditional ceremony.

Canberra's biggest asset is the existence of areas of unkept bushland such as this. These areas bring a dose of native flora not just to built environments but to the manicured parkland common to the highly urban areas of most other major Australian cities. As such, a walk through has the intrinsic value of experiencing true nature as well as the instrumental value of understanding what separates Canberra from other major cities.

's status as untouched, undeveloped land was again brought into the spotlight in early 2013, making the urgency to pay the Park a visit greater than ever before: do it before it becomes too late.

#free
#escape_the_city
#deakin
#curtin
#canberra_central
#hughes
#outdoor
#parks
#walks
#yarralumla
%wncanberra