Local Haunts

We were delighted to welcome Barry Bignose as our first visitor to Canberra. Him Outdoors supplied him with home brew, which appears to have made them both happy.

Barry Bignose and Him Outdoors

Gubur Dhaura is a little hill near our house that I often icorporate into my runs. The name is a Ngunnawal term meaning 'red ochre ground', and it is a site of great significance to the local Aboriginal community. The distinct red, white and yellow ochres found in this area were used for decoration and ceremony.

It is also relevant to European historians as it contains remnants of old navigational tracks and pits from clay mining and iron mining exploration. There is also evidence of stone tool manufacture, flakes, cores and hammer stones. Many of these rediscovered tools have been incorporated into sculptures that adorn the hill.

Sculpture on Gubur Dhaura



Innovative interpretation panels have been erected to explain the significance of the site and to point out local landmarks. It's quite an attractive feature in the middle of suburbia.

Bungendore is a sleepy little satellite of Canberra that we visited one weekend. It has a good collection of cafes and a labyrinthine second-hand book shop in which you can easily get lost. Settled as part of the search for gold, it was suggested as the nation's capital, but the commissioners of the time were apparently unimpressed.