Autumn at the ANU
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Chris Jackson
The Voice of ANU Students Since 1950
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Chris Jackson
Boo Seeka is an Australian electropop artist currently touring Australia, with a show in Canberra on the 2nd of March. He has featured on the Triple J Hottest 100, played Coachella, and recently released his sophomore album, Between the Head and the Heart. We sat down with Boo Seeka to discuss his creative process, his musical influences, and the highlights of his career.
Let’s start with our first question, you’ve obviously recently released Between the Head and the Heart. We just want to know what’s the song that you’re most proud of on the album?
There’s a few, but I guess the most iconic one that kind of set up the whole record for me was I Like It Like, purely because I actually had a whole record written prior to the one that I wrote for Between the Head and the Heart and I guess where I was at in my life at that particular time and some stuff kind of happened, pretty spontaneously, that I wasn’t expecting that. Everything that I’d written for the record, it wasn’t speaking to me personally at that time. I scrapped it, and I had this moment where I just was standing in front of a mirror, and it was almost like I had this sensation of myself talking back to me through this mirror. I just started writing down like this conversation that I was having with myself, which turned into I Like It Like, so I guess for me, I got to give that song a highlight for the record, considering everything kind of grew from there.
That’s really interesting. You’ve spoken on having to sort of redo the whole record, essentially having to make a brand new record. What was the hardest song on the record to make?
The hardest song was Happen. I’d written the song and we had a demo, and we liked the demo of it, but it still wasn’t speaking to us. And then, literally, I think probably every other song that was on [Between the Head and the Heart] really didn’t take any longer than a day to record it, but Happen probably took nearly three weeks in itself to find the way that I wanted that song to come out.
For me, it was also another stepping stone of not worrying too much. You know, obviously I want things to be cohesive, but not worrying too much about it all sounding the same. I think for me it’s making the sound around the song that I want to write, to have the justice that it needs. So for me, that’s going into the next record that I’m writing now. It doesn’t necessarily have to be one particular sound across the whole record. You know, I think there’s other ways to artistically make it cohesive as a record but serve each song differently in a way so that it has the justice musically for the lyrical content that I’m writing.
So obviously you’ve written two records and you’re currently writing your third. What’s your main source of inspiration? Does it differ between each album?
Yeah, if you speak to most artists, we’re all sponges. I don’t think there’ll be that many artists out there that don’t take in anything that doesn’t inspire them within a day. But I guess the most key one for me is just my brain will suck in a lot of things going on in my world, and yet I find it very hard to just talk to people in a normal conversation about what I’m feeling. But I find it very easy to get it out through a song. So for me, the inspiration is getting out all those thoughts, whether they’re negative or positive in my head through music.
It’s really interesting to hear your opinions on people’s inspiration for music and everything, and how you don’t sort of have one thing but rather everything that you do in your day to day life. So to talk about other musicians, just briefly, what is your dream music collaboration? Like if you could collaborate with anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?
Oh, that’s a hard one. It’s a very hard one actually. I’m going to be a bit sneaky here and pick two. Alive? I’d say Billie Eilish. I just think she’s absolutely incredible in everything that she does. And you know, she’s just doing her, and I think that’s a very inspiring thing.
Someone that’s passed? I’d say George Harrison. What an iconic songwriter. I came from a singer-songwriter background before I started writing electronic music and I still do to this day. Most songs written by me are on an acoustic guitar. At one point in my career, I reckon I’ll do an acoustic tour, with all the songs basically stripped down–bare minimum, to an acoustic guitar– because I really do think that not all songs, but a majority of great songs, can all be stripped down to literally just a piano and a guitar and a vocal. To me, George Harrison was just so iconic in his writing. That would be pretty, pretty awesome.
Our Art Editor is sitting just outside the frame and nodding. Those were good choices for musicians.
Aw, sweet. Thank you.
You’re on tour around Australia now. But I want to know; what’s your most memorable live performance so far?
Well, there’s been so many. There’ll be a few for different reasons. I was actually in a band prior to Boo Seeka and I felt like I cut my teeth with those guys, and learnt everything that set me up to be able to do Boo Seeka the way that I’m doing it. I owe a lot of credit to those guys, but they got to an age where they didn’t want to do it anymore and it was, honestly, the most devastating time of my life, getting told that they didn’t want to do it anymore. To me, I had nothing else to do but play music.
When Boo Seeka kicked off, and I guess having that first iconic moment of completely selling out your first-ever show. You know, you’ve worked so long to get to a point, and then you finally fill the room. I think that would be one iconic moment for me in my career.
Playing Coachella last year was obviously a massive one. Definitely a bucket list thing I never anticipated in doing. Playing Red Rocks in Denver. Growing up as a kid, watching DVDs of Red Rocks with all the bands and artists that I love with my parents, and then actually standing on that stage and playing to a packed house was a moment I’ll never forget.
And I’m just so thankful for all the stepping stones that I have been able to do, from the festival scene within Australia and playing all those iconic festivals. Playing regional tours and capital cities and packed rooms, and having people have that experience of singing back to me songs that I’ve written for myself but connecting in their own ways with me every night. I’ll never forget that and I’ll never get sick of it.
That’s amazing. I follow these big music festivals and it’s really amazing to see people’s progression from small Australian shows and festivals to these massive American festivals like Coachella and Red Rocks. It’s really awesome to see and really interesting to hear it from someone who’s done it.
If you’re able to, can you tell me about your creative process? I know we talked about where you find your inspiration, but once you’ve got the inspiration, how do you go about making a song or a record?
There’s definitely a lot of different ways, I’m not really the guy to just go “right, today I’m going to write a song”. It works for a lot of people. One of my best friends ever, he’s basically my brother, another very incredible and inspiring person, inspires me every day in writing. But he writes in such a different way, he wakes up at like three-thirty or four in the morning, every morning, and just writes. His kind of thing is writing at those very early hours of the day when his brain is fresh, which is a very inspiring thing. But in saying that, I’ve tried that twice and it’s not for me. I like my sleep.
I think for me, again it’s just sucking in inspiration, walking down the street, to finally putting the jigsaw puzzle together in my head, or that there’s a certain line that will set up the whole rest of a song of what I want to say. That might be me just literally humming out a line for a couple of hours just by myself. I’ve always got a guitar laying around the house and picking it up and strumming a couple of chords, and it really is to me like putting a puzzle together. You find one piece and you find the next piece and you put it together. Sometimes those pieces come really quickly and you put the whole thing together in literally 15 minutes. Sometimes you have to put down a couple of pieces and walk away and come back and look at it again and connect more things. I wouldn’t say there’s one specific way that I write music, but in a whole, that would be how I go about it.
You’ve been making music since 2015, so about eight years. Tell me how your creative process differs from how it was 8, 10 years ago.
The first three songs that I wrote were Kingdom Leader, Deception Bay, and Fool. They were literally tracked, recorded, mixed, and mastered in three days. Three songs in three days. That was coming out of this big turnaround in my life with my previous band. It was writing about taking on this new journey and being the ruler of my own kingdom moving forward. Then meeting Sam [Croft], and everything that he brought to the band. We were in sixth gear straight away, we literally put out a song and then, two weeks later, we left on tour. After that tour, we had the whole year booked out. So for us, writing became part of being on the road. When our manager at the time was like, “right guys, it’s time to do a full length record”, most bands will pull off the road and book time into a studio and won’t tour.
For Sam and I, we just loved being on the road and finding that we’re getting more inspiration being on the road. So for us, we basically set up a little recording kind of vibe that we could take literally around the world. We were recording in hotels and in RVs and in buses and at airports. Some of the sounds that no one will ever pick up, I think there’s only been about two or three that have actually picked up some certain things. There are sounds in that first full length record that were literally Sam going around and recording different street sounds and building them into beats. I think that was a big thing that Sam brought to the project at that time that gave that first full length record a bit of a worldly feel.
Whereas now? Writing a record was very different compared to [Never Too Soon] for Between the Head and the Heart, because we couldn’t tour. I was almost struggling to find what I wanted to write about for the next record because for me, again, I pick up inspiration from being outside. Like I hate a regimented kind of routine every day. I hate doing the same thing twice. I like to do everything different, every day, as much as I possibly can. [Lockdown] was really hard for me. I went digging in deeper, inside my soul and into my head to write Between the Head and the Heart. Very different to the first record.
I guess the world has changed a lot in the eight years since you started making music as Boo Seeka. It’s really interesting how your creative process has changed with the world. You were nominated for a Triple J Unearthed Award and you were also on the Triple J Hottest 100. What do you think the value of platforms like Triple J is for emerging artists in Australia? What was the value of that for you and what do you think it is for other people?
It’s massive, I genuinely think Triple J is one of the greatest platforms for any up and coming band ever. We got Unearthed through Triple J, but still to this day, I’m going on and finding new music. I go back on that platform and just go searching for bands all around Australia. Whoever came up with that concept is a genius because you find bands that aren’t packing out rooms all around Australia, not selling out thousands of tickets but you go and find them and you go “holy crap, like, I love this music” and you hope that you see those bands go out and tour. But there’s bands that I follow on there that I’ve never seen play a show but I love listening to their music. You know, I think it’s just a great platform to go and find new music and things that you’re into and see where music is going. It’s an incredible platform.
A final question. Do you have any advice for people looking to get into music here in Australia, like getting into the music scene?
I guess it’s a little bit cliche – it’s very cliche. I just genuinely think it’s where every musician needs to start; just do it because you love it. Like genuinely just do it, doesn’t matter whether you’re in your bedroom or not. There’s some artists who don’t even want to tour, they don’t want to play in front of crowds, and they do it because they genuinely love playing music and writing songs. But if you’re getting into this game to be famous and play in front of a packed room, then you’re doing it for all the wrong reasons.
Don’t get down on playing to one or two people. You should be going into any gig, whether it’s one person or 10,000 people, playing 100% exactly the same as what you would do in a big crowd. I’ve always had that philosophy since I played in my old band. We literally played to two people that were sitting in front of us and the bar staff, and those two people sitting in front of us owned a very well known guitar company that I’m still endorsed by and set us up for life with guitars. It showed me that you just never know who’s sitting in the room. So always get out there and do your best.
That’s great advice. Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview you.
Boo Seeka will be playing in Kambri at ANU on March 2nd with support from Apricot Ink as part of his Regional Tour around Australia.
George Hogg
ALINGA
Runway cleared for takeoff, a clear morning is heralding this service.
Onboard, we will fly though this small universe using highly sophisticated light rail technology. Red backed sentinels will oversee their metal dominion, protective of the finest blue spiral-patterned seating that $675 million of government money can buy.
I give you: The Fare-Evader’s Guide to the Northern Canberra Galaxy.
ELOURA
The air of this tundra blows in icy, colliding with an increasingly humid airlock interior.
Representatives of the Eloura jurisdiction appear in the form of a young couple, deep in terse conversation. They are directly followed by another, shrink-wrapped in black spandex, his neon green socks pulled flush to shivering knees.
IPIMA
Dried grass sprints alongside as we glide into the next dock.
I see the husks of residential halls hovering to the right, old Fenner Hall gone feral, dystopian.
Orange neuron skeletons litter the avenue with roadkill.
They lie supine on their side, with white helmets disjointed. Cranial and skull-like, they reflect the sunlight like bleached plastic bone.
MACARTHUR
ABC Canberra stands unadorned on the crossroads, traffic swarming before it. Onlooker to many, messenger to some. Inside the station, the radio corps that have been enlisted in service will broadcast to those few willing to listen.
The young couple vacate the shuttle, braving the frost in tandem.
Hotels with hundreds of tiny matchbox rooms have shot up from the earth.
DICKSON
The environs of this planet open up, streets suddenly wide.
A few creatures mill around the forest floor, with glass trees towering above. Cranes swing their metal branches in the breeze.
SWINDEN
Here, the glass trees are swiftly cut down to squat brick dwellings. Wire cages encircle asphalt courts, fencing in the inhabitants. They are clothed in matching uniforms, their bodies in a perpetual game. The ground is struck with force, as they run over, around, weaving between one another, up and back again, always focused, rhythmic.
PHILLIP
The world has its back turned. The graffitied rears of houses are sheepish, afraid to meet my eye. Any unique terrain is obscured by scrubland, only occasionally peeking out from behind stiff-lipped pines.
I spot a figure zooming across the scenery. A motorised skateboard, weilding a tiny dog on leash. The four-legged beast is frantic, barely keeping pace with the four-wheeled beast that drags it.
EPIC
An empty expanse, either abandoned, or biding time in wait for harvest. The frozen plateau is packed hard by hooves and tyre tracks. Off-season has silenced the baying of all creatures, their convoys shuffled on. Freedom fighting has long since begrudgingly packed up, migrated, with no trace but memory remaining.
White combat boots and moon-soled sneakers rush up to the doors, eager to be sheltered from the harsh elements outside.
SANFORD
Passing by the light rail stables, the rest of the fleet are standing by. Pilots idle, hands twitching for another stint at the reins.
To the left, a fish bowl is full of runners. They race no one and get nowhere. In ceaseless worship, they toil, Sisyphean, for the Club Lime cause.
Carpet Choices and War Memorial stand side by side, their warehouses occupied, allegedly. There is a lack of life, despite the warning signs.
WELL STATION
The Green Shed flashes by. Mecca for share house dwellers – an epicentre of cheap furnishings, wobbly tables and mismatched dining chairs.
We pause at a platform. It is landmarked by a turnoff, suburbs with the names of fathers of friends I only vaguely remember. Mitchell, Franklin, Harrison – I sat at their family dining table eons ago, universes away.
The loudspeaker warns us that the doors are closing. The doors never opened to begin with.
NULLARBOR
A billboard floats above highrises, boasting “Times Square.”
Maybe if I strained my neck, I could just about spot our Lady Liberty – Telstra Tower.
And as the journey surged forward into cosmopolitan Canberra, I couldn’t help but wonder… If New York City is the Big Apple, what does that make Canberra? Rotten to the core?
MAPLETON
The car creaks around the corner, protesting its own weight. The mechanical belly of this beast is suddenly bloated with passengers. A suburban sprawl seeps through the surroundings.
Brown brick McMansions, piles all the colour of syrup, drip from streets and cul-de-sacs.
MANNING CLARK
Apartments huddle together for warmth in lonely paddocks. White sedans roam the fields.
Eight little dollhouses sit forlorn in a blasted heath, webbed like toes and joined at the unfortunate hip.
GUNGAHLIN
The end of the line, furthest distance allowed by my public transport safety tether.
Another terminal, mirror image of Alinga, played in reverse – passengers drain out instead of pour in.
A new crowd is exchanged for old as I remain sat on my blue patterned perch, observing a faraway planet.
It is alien to me, although I too am an alien to this land. A blow-in from a distant station, unknown to the crowd now chattering around me. Judging, anonymous, from behind a paper mask and clicking laptop keys. My reflection on the dusty carriage window scowls at an uncaring audience.
The car goes quiet for a moment before jerking backwards, flying again into the concrete beyond.
Originally published in Woroni Vol. 72 Issue 4 ‘Alien’
Think your name would look good in print? Woroni is always open for submissions. Email write@woroni.com.au with a pitch or draft. You can find more info on submitting here.
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Letters to the Editor
Have some thoughts? Questions? Ideas? Send a Letter to the Editor below.Name (optional)
Elizabeth Walker
Dear Diary,
Today was NOT a good day ::((((
I got made fun of because I said assaulting women was bad. Wtf???????? Do the haters think it is good??????????
Apparently some people think I should have known that assault was bad without asking Jenny or thinking about my daughters…. What do they know? Isn’t it good to learn new things? To challenge yourself? #keepmovingforward
Anyway, I think this might be a big issue – the whole gendered violence and harassment thing. I’ve decided to put it on my “to fix” list for next week. I’m not sure how yet but we can probably get to the bottom of it if we work hard, pray harder.
That’s it for now I think. Bed time!
Love from Scotty.
P.S – Someone suggested raising Centrelink by a whole $3? Sounds a bit outlandish but I might sleep on it…
P.P.S- I must remember to tell my EA to schedule a meeting with Christian’s office too….
Katie Sproule
It’s finally Spring, and as Canberra cautiously relaxes after its stressful year, it’s time for a well-deserved pint.
I visited, and ranked, the inner-north’s ten biggest pubs. For your convenience and my pleasure.
King O’Malley’s (Civic)
Quality: 2.5 Atmosphere: 3 Price: 3 Overall: 2.83/5
Taking the tenth spot on this list is one of Civic’s two Irish pubs.
Earlier this year, on St Patrick’s Day, the vibe at this pub was great. Mostly, however, there is not a lot about King O’Malley’s which is particularly remarkable. While this pub delivers the Irish staples (Guinness and Kilkenny on tap) and classic pub meals, its beer range is limited and its food is on the dearer end. By way of example, a beef burger costs $25— more than Grease Monkey’s most expensive burger.
This is a place to consider if the occasion calls for it.
Civic Pub (Braddon)
Quality: 3.5 Atmosphere: 2.5 Price: 3.5 Overall: 3.16/5
The Civic Pub sports a pretty standard range of tap beers, though that range notably includes Balter XPA, a decent alcoholic ginger beer, and a tapped espresso martini.
Although its price bracket is pretty standard, sadly this pub does not offer a Happy Hour. What is most confusing about it, however, is the atmosphere. On a sunny day, the pub feels unusually dark and gloomy. Walls lined with books and a ‘yak’ (actually a buffalo) from Fat Yak apparently strive for a refined atmosphere. However, Civic Pub feels like it’s occupying an uncomfortable middle space between classy and conventional.
Brew Nation (Civic)
Quality: 5 Atmosphere: 3 Price: 2.5 Overall: 3.5/5
With an incredible range of canned beers (which can also be taken home) and a great range of beers on tap, beer snobs – and those wanting to learn a bit more about their drink – will love Brew Nation. As a reasonably minimalist, one-room pub, the atmosphere at this place is not particularly special. However, good background music, a volume at which to talk comfortably, and notably friendly staff all add to this space’s value.
One gets higher-end brews here, and it’s reflected in the prices.
Badger & Co. (Acton)
Quality: 3 Atmosphere: 3.5 Price: 4 Overall: 3.5/5
The ANU’s primary bar/pub does its job reasonably well. Its beer range is not enormous, but it pleases a wide crowd, including brewery-fresh Carlton and a couple of Canberra brews in its range. The atmosphere can be good, but – to flog a dead horse – it does not hold a torch to the late ANU Bar. Arguably the best thing about this establishment (after its location) is its daily deals, whether it’s $10 schnitzels or $5 Happy Hour.
Not a bad place for a pint.
Braddon Brews (Braddon)
Quality: 4 Atmosphere: 3.5 Price: 3.5 Overall: 3.6/5
Being a daytime café / coffee roaster and a night-time beer bar, Braddon Brews wins some points for uniqueness.
What’s more, for an establishment that is only sometimes a beer bar, this space offers ten pretty diverse and delicious range of tap beers. The atmosphere is good if you don’t mind drinking in an alleyway. The prices are in the middle-to-upper range.
The Duxton (O’Connor)
Quality: 3.5 Atmosphere: 3.5 Price: 4 Overall: 3.66/5
The Duxton is a good middle-upper pub, plain and simple. Happy Hour is here from 3-5pm on weekdays, during which they offer $5 selected tap beers and $5 house wine. Outside these hours, prices are reasonably standard. They also host trivia every Wednesday.
This pub is in O’Connor, so it’s a little bit of a trip from the ANU area.
PJ O’Reilly’s (Civic)
Quality: 3.5 Atmosphere: 4 Price: 3.5 Overall: 3.66
This is a good Irish pub, although it suffers from the opposite fate of its counterpart in King O’Malley’s: a good range of craft beers, but an absence of the staples (Guinness and Kilkenny) needed in any self-respecting Irish pub.
Significantly, the prices here are better than at King O’Malley’s. There’s also a decent spread of events at PJ’s, including trivia every Monday night and regular live music. This is also the stomping-ground of the Canberra Democrats Abroad. Having been here to watch the 2016 Presidential election, I’d recommend popping in for a pint over the upcoming 2020 election.
The RUC (Turner)
Quality: 3 Atmosphere: 3.5 Price: 5 Overall: 3.83/5
The Canberra North Bowling and ACT Rugby Union Club, or RUC, knows what it is.
Although the Club only offers big-name commercial beers on tap, the range of these is broader than usual, and probably sufficient for every beer-drinker. The RUC’s atmosphere is good, with live music every Friday and relaxed vibes always. Above all, the RUC’s prices stand out. In addition to cheap meal deals from Monday to Wednesday (including $12 rump steak on Mondays), the Club boasts $5 select wines, basic spirits and standard draughts during Happy Hour; $4 Coopers Pale Ale schooners on Fridays; and $3.90 basic spirits from 8-9pm every week.
This is the place to go if you like your beers cheap and simple.
Bentspoke (Braddon)
Quality: 5 Atmosphere: 4 Price: 3 Overall: 4/5
With a range of about 30 tapped beers and ciders, Bentspoke is – beyond all question – Canberra’s tap beer leader. If you’re willing to shell out a bit of money, you can even take some of its delicious brews home.
Adding to Bentspoke’s aesthetic is its Lonsdale Street location, as well as its back wall of large metal kegs. In fact, all that can be detracted from this venue is its higher-price range (especially granted its new $40 minimum spend due to COVID-19). Bentspoke also lacks live music / events.
Nevertheless, the fact remains: Bentspoke offers Canberra’s best home-made beers.
The Old Canberra Inn (Lyneham)
Quality: 4 Atmosphere: 5 Price: 3.5 Overall: 4.16/5
Claiming the top spot on this list is a pub which barely makes it into our ‘inner-north’ scope. However, if one is prepared to venture out to this Lyneham location, good times surely await.
The Old Canberra Inn sports an excellent range of rotating beers, as well as a huge range of packaged beers. Its prices are at the upper-middle end, though these are made better by a 4-6pm Happy Hour every weekday.
What makes this pub truly special, however, is its atmosphere. In addition to hosting regular events, the Inn is one of very few pubs in the ACT which can truthfully boast of providing an authentic, European-style pub vibe. In the winter, roaring fires in its main room keep patrons warm. In the spring and summer, its beer garden delights. The pub’s largest room imitates German beer halls.
If one is looking for an excellent inner-north pint, whatever the weather, then look no further.
Think your name would look good in print? Woroni is always open for submissions. Email write@woroni.com.au with a pitch or draft. You can find more info on submitting here.
Nick Mezo
Thrifting or op shopping is more popular than ever. Perhaps you’ve already shopped in op shops, or are thinking of trying it. Every time I see one of those ‘thrift haul’ videos on YouTube, I get a little jealous that Canberra doesn’t seem to have many cool op shops like in the US, Europe or Japan. However, after a few years of wandering in Canberra, I can tell you, honey, you just need to look in the right places.
First, in Canberra only, there is the Green Shed. There are three Green Shed stores in the city.
If you’re looking for cool home décor, definitely check out the Civic Walk Green Shed. They have a variety of tea sets, plates and more, usually in good condition. Sometimes they’ll have high quality and stylish furniture too.
Near the Civic Walk Green Shed is the Green Shed Underground. Most clothing items are priced at $5. Green Shed Underground can get a bit overwhelming for beginners, due to its less organised display. However, it is a fun place to hang out with friends and is conveniently close to campus.
Then we have the Mitchell Green Shed. It’s probably easiest to get there by car. They take a wide range of donations, from clothes to furniture, even bikes. If you’re moving house, definitely check here. Just bear in mind they don’t mark their prices, so you have to ask staff about every single item. You might want to free up a bit more time when you plan on going there.
Then, of course, we have Vinnies and Salvos. Technically, each Vinnies and Salvos has a little bit of a different vibe and style. Other than the ones local to you, here are some that I recommend checking out.
Dickson Vinnies seems to have more fancy items, also generally more expensive pieces. I have seen some really good quality $40 leather jackets there, which looked like they might have cost you over $100 in some op shops in Sydney.
Also worth checking out is the Mitchell store. The Mitchell Vinnies has more denim items than most op shops in Canberra. Not exactly sure why but, hey, I’m not complaining. Just be careful with the sizing, especially Levi’s jeans. The older the Levi’s, usually the bigger the size, even if with the same number. For example, a size 25 vintage Levi’s can sometimes fit the same as a size 30 new Levi’s.
For all my uni student friends that might be moving at the end of the year, other than Mitchell Green Shed, you should check out the Fyshwick Salvos. It’s huge. If you’re getting a lot at once, sometimes the staff will let you pay first and bring a truck the next day to pick up the furniture. I got a $50 discount on a set of bookshelves once. Don’t forget to check out their basement, they have board games galore.
Sydney has Newtown and Melbourne has Fitzroy and Brunswick. We, Canberra, also have something similar: Fyshwick. I know you might be confused, but in fact Fyshwick has a few really niche, small-scale op shops.
Canberra Vintage & Collectible Centre has the largest collection of second hand vinyl records in Canberra, and other random retro items as well. I’ve seen a board game about WWI there, which takes 50 hours for one game. Remember, they are only open Thursday to Sunday.
Down the street is Dirty Janes, basically a collection of vintage antique shops. They actually have an Instagram account. Not just second hand items, there are quite a few local artists setting up shops there too.
If you’re more into designer pieces, check out the Designer Op Shop Emporium. This is where you can find some pretty unique pre-loved designer fashion, like vintage Chanel wool suits. They also have more designer home décor, and some $100-$400 evening dresses too.
I guess, needless to say, Canberra might not be like New York or London, but we do have a fair amount of cool op shops. The next time you are planning on hanging out with some mates, maybe check out one of these stylish op shops!
Think your name would look good in print? Woroni is always open for submissions. Email write@woroni.com.au with a pitch or draft. You can find more info on submitting here.
Tiana Sun
In recent tragic news, hordes of anxious Canberrans are once again being forced to invent new reasons why they can’t leave the house on Thursday nights now that Mooseheads is reopening. Thanks to the global pandemic, nervous introverts have been given respite from the sweaty, over-crowded rooms of sexually charged socialising with people you only kind of know. Now that this brief window of peace is coming to a close, one can expect to say farewell to chilled drinks with friends and a return to the weekly hellish nightscape.
“If it was just Thursday nights, I could probably deal with it,” commented Anna, a chronically stressed undergraduate. “But it writes all the girls off for Fridays too. Who am I supposed to get brunch with? Am I expected to get coffee by myself? And what about Saturday nights? Are they back too? Will my torment never end?”
The reopening of Mooseheads is not all bad, however, with businesses surrounding the nightclub to have a massive boom. Civic Maccas is expecting a mass increase in late-night purchasing of nuggets and hash browns. Similarly, the 24-hour convenience store is expected to cash in on the return of drunk smokers who buy packets of durries to enjoy exclusively on nights out. ‘Can I cop a dart?’ will no doubt soon again be heard echoing throughout the city bus station.
Amina, a college social rep, also sees the positive side of Mooseheads returning, particularly for first year ANU students. “This will give them the opportunity to experience true university life. Finally, these eighteen year olds can wake up to the smell of vomit in the communal bathrooms, phones missing, and with over $100 mysteriously absent from their bank accounts. They can live, first-hand, the complex repercussions of hooking up with as many people from your college as possible. Our natural habitat is healing. It’s going to be beautiful.”
So dust off those white sneakers, pull out your ‘nice top’, and make sure to check on your friend with sensory-triggered anxiety, because Mooseheads is finally back and it’s time to drink irresponsibly.
Think your name would look good in print? Woroni is always open for submissions. Email write@woroni.com.au with a pitch or draft. You can find more info on submitting here.
Katie Sproule
The ANU boasts a worldly and truly global body of students and academics that hail from around Australia and all over the world. Students (used to be able to) venture out across the globe on exchange and academics came to the ANU from places as far as Japan and Canada. However, it has always struck me that there is one very close geographic blind spot for most ANU students to visit. This region is Canberra’s Southside.
Starting at the lakeside neighbourhoods of Yarralumla and Barton and stretching down as far as Fyshwick and Tuggeranong, Canberra’s southern district is much larger than its northern counterpart. Yet, if your only guide was the average ANU student, you would be hard pressed to find someone with practical knowledge of the inner south, let alone a place as far flung as Tuggeranong.
The ‘iron curtain’ of interest for a lot of students falls just south of Parliament House. It is not unusual for an ANU student to live in Canberra for the four years typical of an ANU double degree and never once venture past the northern banks of Lake Burley Griffin. Wedged between Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie, ANU’s immigrant population consists primarily of Sydneysiders and Melbournians living in the familiar confines of the Inner North.
You could say that these urbanites may just enjoy the proximity to a central business district with similar concrete and glass monoliths to downtown Sydney or Melbourne. Being an Inner Northerner myself and having lived within multiple locations all a 30-minute walk from Lonsdale St, I think that there is a more complex answer.
It’s easiest to start with the assertion that a significant number of ANU students begin their Canberra experience living in the Inner North. There are around 11,000 undergraduate students at ANU and several thousand places in undergraduate student residential colleges, so it is likely that they begin and remain as Inner Northerners during their time here. Before becoming a virtually online university, ANU was in the Inner North and it was easier for students to live close by.
There is a further cultural element to it. The Inner North has a connection with students that other areas of Canberra do not have. The presence of completely vegan cafés on Lonsdale street and pubs with Thursday specials say more about their target audience than ACT demographic data ever could. One trip to that hallowed establishment residing in the Sydney Building would make any sane university student attempt to live within a 15 minute drunk walking distance to Civic. Similar to Melbourne’s Brunswick and Sydney’s Newtown, the image and reputation of the Inner North is intimately tied with the activities of students, specifically consuming niche herbivorous café food and getting drunk.
Known as Canberra’s university, ANU could more specifically claim to be the Inner North’s university. Some may disagree, and I think that an argument could be made for suburbs like the Kingston Foreshore to fall under the list of student suburbs. Perhaps a Tuggeranong campus may be needed to round off the Canberra experience. Yet the point remains— the identity of ANU is intimately linked to Canberra’s Inner North.
Think your name would look good in print? Woroni is always open for submissions. Email write@woroni.com.au with a pitch or draft. You can find more info on submitting here.
Eammon Gumley
So, you’ve been stuck in social isolation with no way of leaving the house. Your outside adventures were limited to exercise and grocery shopping. Now that the restrictions have lifted, your freedom might be overwhelming. The local Woolworths isn’t quite cutting it anymore. How to choose which Canberra supermarket to revisit first?
We can help. Over the past few months, every time we’ve needed something from the shops, we’ve changed the shopping centre (observing all hygiene and social distancing rules). As time progressed, we started to review and rate these centres. Of course, we couldn’t visit every centre in Canberra, so we settled on “group centre” level complexes. These we defined as centres that serve a group (4-5) suburbs, and as containing one or more of an Aldi, Coles, Supabarn or Woolworths, in addition to a decent selection of other shops. Large IGAs or Supabarn Express did not count, and neither did a supermarket on its own.
Some of your favourite shops may not be included, but sadly we couldn’t cover the whole of Canberra. Despite this being the ‘definitive’ ranking, all comments on the centres are only our opinions. If we’ve left a bad review on your local shops, please don’t take it personally! So without further ado, let’s begin:
District: Gungahlin
Name: Marketplace Gungahlin/Gungahlin Village
Suburb: Gungahlin
Supermarkets: Aldi/Coles/Woolworths
Rating: 6.5/10
Summary: The centrepiece of Gungahlin has more character than most of the district, but a fragmented layout holds it back from being in the same league as Belconnen Westfield.
Pros: Nice outside food vibes. More character than the rest of Gungahlin. Has the convenience of light rail. A large variety of shops.
Cons: Layout felt fragmented. Unpleasant parking experience. Free parking only for a short time.
Name: Casey Market Town
Suburb: Casey
Supermarkets: Aldi/Supabarn
Rating: 9.5/10
Summary: A modern and nuanced take on the weekly shopping experience. The Supabarn will be hard to forget.
Pros: Stunning Supabarn. Stylish, modern interior. Large amounts of free parking. Good choice of food options. Can buy fresh pizza at the supermarket.
Cons: Parking can get congested.
Name: Crace Central
Suburb: Crace
Supermarkets: Supabarn
Rating: 4.5/10
Summary: Pretty much just a sterile feeling Supabarn with a handful of shops. Exists for functionality.
Pros: Quite clean. Supabarn pleasant to shop at.
Cons: Very sterile. Not much there. Limited albeit free parking.
District: Belconnen
Name: Belconnen Westfield
Suburb: Belconnen
Supermarkets: Aldi/Coles/Woolworths
Rating: 8/10
Summary: An expansive centre with a wide variety of supermarkets and stores, even if the aesthetic is a little dark.
Pros: Convenient due to a lot of other stores around it. Many supermarket choices. Large amounts of parking. Bustling, expansive centre.
Cons: Takes a lot of time walking around the mall. A bit dark and dimly lit around the supermarkets as a result of being downstairs. Parking not free after a few hours.
Name: Hawker Shops
Suburb: Hawker
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Rating: 4/10
Summary: An unusual selection of shopfronts pared with an aging Woolworths led to a somewhat mediocre shopping experience.
Pros: Perpetual smell of fried chicken from nearby KFC. Community vibes. Decent bakery on the corner.
Cons: Quite an old feeling Woolworths. No bakery section in Woolworths.
Name: Kaleen Plaza
Suburb: Kaleen
Supermarkets: Coles
Rating: 4/10
Summary: Does the job, but lacks charm and finesse.
Pros: Honestly, not much going for it. Free parking though.
Cons: Coles was a bit cramped. Lack of charm. Bit bland and clinical. Had a bit of a depressing vibe – people seemed a bit sad. Deli still used the ticket system, which was confusing.
Name: Jamison Plaza
Suburb: Macquarie
Supermarkets: Aldi/Coles
Rating: 8.5/10
Summary: Ideal choice if you want to get out of the city and do your shopping in the burbs.
Pros: Light and spacious, high roof. Modern and clean. Felt like a well-kept regional shopping centre. A decent selection of shops. Spacious and large Coles. Nice new Aldi. Free parking.
Cons: Entrance is a bit gaudy. The layout doesn’t provide much adventure (i.e. unexciting).
District: West Belconnen
Name: Charnwood Shops
Suburb: Charnwood
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Rating: 5.5/10
Summary: Not as bad as the reputation that proceeds it. Admittedly, the smoky and concrete centre does leave a somewhat dystopian vibe.
Pros: Large, clean Woolworths. Good fried chicken. Sensible layout. Free parking.
Cons: Quite busy. Traffic a bit difficult to navigate. Somewhat grungy vibes.
Name: Kippax Fair
Suburb: Holt
Supermarkets: Aldi/Woolworths
Rating: 4/10
Summary: A very regional feeling centre – can only recommend for the large, modern Woolworths or if you live out there.
Pros: One of the largest, good looking Woolworths in the ACT. Free parking.
Cons: Felt a bit run down. A bit claustrophobic from the narrow hallways. Has dark lighting.
District: North Canberra
Name: Canberra Centre
Suburb: Civic
Supermarkets: Aldi/Coles
Rating: 8.5/10
Summary: Simple, elegant layout (compared to Woden) boasting an enormous variety of modern, clean shops. Parking is a pain though.
Pros: Nando’s. Wide range of sushi. Centrally located. Huge selection of shops. Monaro mall is a stylish new addition. Good lighting. Ten-pin bowling and Dendy’s.
Cons: Coles is usually very busy. No free parking at all. Hard to find a park. The downstairs food court is a bit sad. No butcher despite being in the centre of Canberra.
Name: Dickson Shops
Suburb: Dickson
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Rating: 7/10
Summary: It’s the Dickson shops – what more can you say. An urban community vibe.
Pros: Nice variety of shops and eating places, urban community vibe. Often a sausage sizzle on Saturdays. Convenient for the inner north. Many Asian grocers.
Cons: Not free parking generally. Woolworths is usually very busy. Can feel a bit grotty.
District: South Canberra
Name: Kingston Shops
Suburb: Kingston
Supermarkets: Supabarn
Rating: 7/10
Summary: An inner-city hipster paradise that falls down in grocery shopping and parking.
Pros: Really good vibes, cafes and restaurants.
Cons: Limited parking that isn’t free. The Supabarn is quite small and not ideal for your weekly shopping.
Name: Manuka Shops
Suburb: Griffith
Supermarkets: Coles
Rating: 7.5/10
Summary: Unsurprisingly, similar to Kingston. Less trendy, but better for groceries.
Pros: Decent sized Coles. Many trendy cafes and restaurants.
Cons: Parking spaces are small and difficult to navigate. Coles is quite busy. Parking not free after a while.
District: Woden Valley
Name: Westfield Woden
Suburb: Phillip
Supermarkets: Coles/Woolworths
Rating: 7.5/10
Summary: Like Belconnen, but confusing. Vast and mysterious.
Pros: Lots of shops, lots of space. Harry Hartog. Great for niche interests. Variety of supermarkets.
Cons: Very confusing layout and parking. Parking not free after a while. No Aldi.
Name: Curtin Shops
Suburb: Curtin
Supermarkets: Coles
Rating: 6/10
Summary: Small, inner suburban shops that retain a cosy and quaint atmosphere. Reminiscent of Dickson.
Pros: Nice trees and open-air shops. Convenient layout. Community vibes. Free parking.
Cons: A little bit rundown. The Coles building is not the nicest and a bit small. Limited parking.
Name: Southlands Centre
Suburb: Mawson
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Rating: 6.5/10
Summary: Hidden away with a confusing layout, the expansive Woolworths and wide range of stores will reward the persevering shopper.
Pros: Large Woolworths – spacious and high ceilinged. Fresh fruit market. Open spaces with gardens.
Cons: Confusing layout and confusing aesthetic. Couldn’t decide what it wanted to be.
District: Weston Creek
Name: Cooleman Court
Suburb: Weston
Supermarkets: Aldi/Woolworths
Rating: 7.5/10
Summary: Pleasant shopping centre with a nice community vibe.
Pros: Lots of free parking. Nice main street. Community vibes. Good lighting in the centre.
Cons: Woolworths has a strangely dominating presence for the size of the centre. Had a Target but is not closing.
District: Tuggeranong
Name: Tuggeranong Southpoint
Suburb: Greenway
Supermarkets: Aldi/Coles/Woolworths
Rating: 6.5/10
Summary: Somehow blends a mix of renovation and datedness. One of the more eccentric centres.
Pros: Very spacious, lots of stores. Wide choice of supermarkets. Novelty of climbing stairs to go down an escalator from the carpark. Has some unique stores. Ticket gate was busted (so free parking?).
Cons: Should have stuck with the old name of “Hyperdome” which sounds way cooler. Clinical lighting. Despite what appears to be renovations, still feels dated. Climbing stairs to go down an escalator from the carpark. Takes a long time to get anywhere. Ticket gate was busted.
Name: Calwell Shops
Suburb: Calwell
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Rating: 5.5/10
Summary: A peculiar charm emerges from the plastic and metal interior – vaguely reminiscent of a metro station
Pros: Community vibes. Large Woolworths. Symmetric layout. Free parking.
Cons: Lack of cafes. Rather small. Not very flattering from the outside.
Name: Chisholm Village
Suburb: Chisholm
Supermarkets: Aldi/Coles
Rating: 4.5/10
Summary: Nice and spacious, but nothing much distinctive to recommend this one.
Pros: Good Coles. Brightly lit. Open, crescent-shaped layout. Free parking.
Cons: Not much distinctive.
Name: Lanyon Marketplace
Suburb: Conder
Supermarkets: Aldi/Woolworths
Rating: 9/10
Summary: A scenic and well-designed shopping centre with all the right shops and a nice, modern interior. Too bad it is nearly out of Canberra…
Pros: Mountain scenery. Picturesque layout. Modern interior with wood panelling. All the good shops, especially for food. Large amounts of free parking.
Cons: Very, very, very far south…
Name: Kambah Village
Suburb: Kambah
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Rating: 5/10
Summary: These shops stand out with a distinctive rural style and aesthetic, despite the size and potential lack of variety.
Pros: Interesting rural style and atmosphere. Free parking. Nice central courtyard.
Cons: Shops did not feel modern. A little small.
Name: Erindale Centre
Suburb: Wanniassa
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Rating: 5/10
Summary: Honestly, quite forgettable.
Pros: Large bakery. Simple layout. Largish Woolworths. Free parking.
Cons: Aisles in Woolworths were not where we expected them. Outside was a bit plain.
Name: Wanniassa Shops
Suburb: Wanniassa
Supermarkets: Coles
Rating: 3/10
Summary: Not the flashiest of shopping centres and feels a bit redundant considering the bigger Erindale Centre is in the same suburb. Similar vibes to Kaleen.
Pros: Free parking. Playground in carpark??
Cons: Lacks charm. Feels redundant. Quite cramped and claustrophobic. Not an extensive range of shops.
District: Majura
Name: Majura Park (NB – did not go to Costco)
Suburb: Majura
Supermarkets: Aldi/Costco/Woolworths
Rating: 3.5/10
Summary: Vast, but feels barren and hollow. Not a pleasant place for weekly groceries. (Note: Due to not having a membership, we did not go to Costco. If we did, it may have swung the rating)
Pros: Costco. A huge amount of free parking. Very large Woolworths and a large number of other stores. Near Ikea
Cons: No sense of community. Very sterile.
District: Queanbeyan
Name: Riverside Plaza
Suburb: Queanbeyan
Supermarkets: Aldi/Coles/Woolworths
Rating: 6.5/10
Summary: Large mall servicing a regional area. Hence, it has strong nostalgic regional vibes (both authors are originally from regional areas)
Pros: VERY large Coles. A large number of convenient shops. Free parking
Cons: Woolworths is not in the mall complex. Nothing really stands out, given how many people it services.
Name: Jerrabomberra Shops
Suburb: Jerrabomberra
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Rating: 4.5/10
Summary: Quite small and isolated. Not unpleasant to visit, but also not much there.
Pros: Free parking. Clean exterior. Homey feeling.
Cons: Had highway service station vibes. Quite small with a lack of shops.
Jonah Hansen
Walter Burley Griffin – who, in case you’re wondering, designed Canberra – invested some serious thought over the layout of this prestigious city. There were warm fuzzy feels, great expectations and great things happening in general. Of course, a new city in its entirety was to rise from what was previously grassland, so it’s apparent why infrastructural reconstruction eventually became desirable. It was revolutionary – so much so that our ambitious roads and transport authorities just could not live down the feeling, and henceforth pledged to forever maintain a dynamic system of road construction, for the culture.
We find ourselves in an era emblazoned with the fluorescent glow of makeshift roadside signs. Some of them warn you of the horrors of speeding past a road under the process of resealing. Others are a bit nicer, purposed to be taken-for-granted, like the 40km/h speed limit signs around areas targeted for perfectionist reconstruction. There are orange cones lining the path to your doorstep, always at utmost attention. Some of these are subject to ill-fate and become fallen warriors, their martyrdom caused by drivers who blatantly do not care to drive around them.
There have been whispers amongst the Canberra- folk. These whispers carry the forgotten memories of ancient times, of times when Horse Park Drive once let drivers cruise at the blistering speed of 80km/h. Alas, they are but rumours – for any north-sider can hold testament to never having had the privilege of driving over 40km/h. Then there are those among us who take little heed of the law and choose to be bold. Such brave souls have risked everything that is nothing by driving past 60km/h. We fear their boldness. It makes us yearn for the perhaps unreachable fantasy of having the courage to do so ourselves.
But the roads and transport authorities are smarter. The growing acts of rebellion on the part of
drivers has resulted in severe counter-action. They have since resorted to pre-medieval punishment schemes which comprise of inflicting discomfort upon all members of the public, regardless of who is deserving. In accordance, they inaugurated Canberra’s most radioactive construction spectacle yet… the Light Rail.
Construction for the Light Rail commenced a while ago, to put it in simple terms. In fact, this blessed addition to Canberra’s never-ending road construction aspirations has integrated itself with Canberra’s identity so well, we are not even looking forward to its completion. All things considered, the greater public has become oblivious to the entire purpose of the construction. That there ever was an endgame.
This construction has grown on us – everything about it, including the barren tracks, lined with the infamous orange cones that run from the very heart of Gungahlin to the very heart of Civic. They leave a trail of traffic congestion in their wake, irradiating their surroundings with strict speed-limit restrictions. And let’s turn a complete blind eye to the fact that the route targeted for construction happens to be the only major connection to the city from northside Canberra. Because construction for the culture, right?
Yet travel times within Canberra are still not taken at face-value. Tourists, interstate visitors and those from overseas are all subjected to false allegations about travel time – with one such example being the infamous claim that the city is at a 20-minute drive from literally anywhere in Canberra. For sure… except that they’ve conveniently excluded the fact that this only occurs under exceptional circumstances. Circumstances wherein, by some unearthly force of nature, road construction ceases. As we all know, such circumstances will never present themselves, period.
And hence it is said that road construction and, more appropriately, its re-construction, will live on forever and always. This feat has woven itself into the very essence of Canberra, becoming one with its identity and making a mark on our history. We as a people have accepted its fundamental niche in our existence – but just how willingly we did so remains the subject of much controversy.
So, this one’s to Canberra – for the culture.
Samia Ejaz