Kowen Australian Capital Territory | |||||||||||||||
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Coordinates | 35°18′39″S149°18′49″E / 35.31078°S 149.31367°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 38 (2016 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 0.494/km2 (1.278/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 2609 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 77.0 km2 (29.7 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Territory electorate(s) | Kurrajong | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Fenner | ||||||||||||||
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Kowen is a district in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. [2] It is situated in the northeast corner of the ACT, to the east of Sutton Road and the town of Queanbeyan, New South Wales. Kowen is primarily covered by pine forests, and is also used for farming. The main highway between the ACT and the south coast region, the Kings Highway, runs directly through the Kowen.
The 1966 Act describes the Kowen District as being:
The area is well known to mountain bikers as the site of the Sparrow Hill mountain biking area, an eastern enclave of Kowen Forest. A new 5 km alignment of the Kings Highway was constructed in 2010–11 to improve the safety of the road. The new section divides Sparrow Hill into two parts, and includes overtaking lanes in both directions, and bypasses a dangerous, winding section of road, including at least six bends. [3]
Some of the early settlers in the district prior to the establishment of the Australian Capital Territory made their homes on the Kowen district. Luke and Mary Colverwell settled in a cottage on the banks of Glenburn Creek in what is now known as Kowen Forest. [4]
Kowen is perhaps best known for its large pine plantations, known as Kowen Forest. A combined softwood plantation and firewood forest was established at Kowen in about 1926, on land described as otherwise useless. [5] An additional 100 acres of pinus insignis were planted at Kowen in 1928 as part of a 1,000 acre expansion of pine plantations across the new Federal Territory district. [6] When most of Canberra's forest estate was destroyed in the January 2003 bushfire, the Kowen plantation was the only forest that remained undamaged. [7]
The Australian Defence Force joint command and control facility, known as Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC), is situated adjacent to the Kowen District, about halfway between the towns of Queanbeyan and Bungendore.
Residential development in the Kowen district has not been ruled out as part of the Australian Capital Territory's future expansion. Although the ACT's urban expansion needs for the foreseeable future will be accommodated by Gungahlin and the new Molonglo Valley development, the ACT Spatial Plan acknowledges that if the population of the ACT continues to grow beyond the capacity of these areas, further settlement will occur on the Kowen Plateau. [8] Development of the Majura Parkway to the north of Canberra Airport would provide key access to the area.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a federal territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, and serves as the territory's primate city. It is located in southeastern Australian mainland as an enclave completely within the state of New South Wales. Founded after Federation as the seat of government for the new nation, the territory hosts the headquarters of all important institutions of the Australian Government.
The Molonglo River is a perennial river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin. It is located in the Monaro and Capital Country regions of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, in Australia.
Queanbeyan is a city in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. At the 2021 census, the Queanbeyan part of the Canberra–Queanbeyan built-up area had a population of 37,511.
Barton Highway is a highway in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It connects Canberra to Hume Highway at Yass, and it is part of the route from Melbourne to Canberra. It is named in honour of Sir Edmund Barton, the first Prime Minister of Australia.
Monaro Highway is a 285-kilometre-long (177 mi) highway in Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory, in Australia, linking Cann River in Victoria to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) via the Monaro region. From its southern terminus, it follows the nearby Cann River upstream towards the New South Wales border through heavily forested terrain. Within New South Wales (NSW), it makes its way through further forest before reaching the pastures typical of the Monaro. There are multiple towns and villages along the highway, including Bombala, Nimmitabel, and Cooma. The terrain within the Monaro is largely hilly, and there are numerous crossings. The road also parallels the former Bombala railway line in several locations. Within the ACT, the road becomes a high volume roadway and serves the southern suburbs of Canberra. The highway has more recently had a grade-separated dual carriageway extension constructed within Canberra, as part of the Eastern Parkway construction project. It is designated part of route M23, and route A23 within Canberra, and route B23 within Victoria and New South Wales, with a concurrency where it also carries route B72 between the two sections of Snowy Mountains Highway.
Kings Highway is an interstate highway located within the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, Australia. The highway connects Canberra with Batemans Bay on the South Coast. It is designated route B52.
Weston Creek is a district in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. The district is subdivided into divisions (suburbs), sections and blocks. The district comprises eight residential suburbs, situated to the west of the Woden Valley district and approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) southwest of the Canberra City centre. Situated adjacent to the district was the large Stromlo Forest pine plantation until the forest was destroyed by bushfires in 2001 and 2003.
Duffy is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, located in the district of Weston Creek.
The Queanbeyan River, a perennial stream that is part of the Molonglo catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Monaro and Capital Country regions of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, in Australia. The river is 104 kilometres (65 mi) in length with a catchment area of 96,000 hectares. The Queanbeyan River and the Cotter River meet the potable water supply needs of the Canberra and Queanbeyan region and whose water quality is specifically protected under Federal legislation.
The Cotter River, a perennial river of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The Cotter River, together with the Queanbeyan River, is one of two rivers that provides potable water to the Canberra and Queanbeyan region.
Fadden is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Tuggeranong. The postcode is 2904. The suburb is named after Sir Arthur Fadden, Prime Minister of Australia briefly in 1941. It was gazetted on 5 August 1975. Its streets are named after Queensland politicians. It is surrounded by Macarthur, Gowrie and Wanniassa. It is bounded by Erindale Drive, the Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve, Fadden Pine Plantation and Sternberg Crescent.
Oaks Estate is a suburb in the district of Jerrabomberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory in Australia. It is situated on the northern side of the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales border abutting the town of Queanbeyan in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. The estate covers an area of approximately 40 hectares and is bound by the Molonglo River to the north, the Queanbeyan River to the east, 'The Oaks' to the west, and the Queanbeyan-Cooma railway to the south. Oaks Estate is located 12 kilometres from the centre of Canberra. The village is also noteworthy as the nucleus of Queanbeyan's industrial development during the second half of the 19th century. Oaks Estate takes its name from 'The Oaks', which was part of Duntroon, Robert Campbell's farming estate. This makes Oaks Estate one of only a few place names in the ACT with significant connections to early colonial times.
Uriarra Village is a town in the district of Coree, in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. It is situated on the western side of the Australian Capital Territory, about 30 minutes from Canberra, established in 1928 at the foothills of the Australian Alps. A nearby area to the north of the border in New South Wales is also called Uriarra.
Mount Stromlo is a mountain with an elevation of 770 metres (2,530 ft) AHD that is situated in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The mountain is most notable as the location of the Mount Stromlo Observatory. The mountain forms part of the catchment area of the Cotter River which in turn is the primary water supply for part of ACT.
The Palerang Council was a local government area located in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. On 12 May 2016 the Minister for Local Government announced dissolution of the Palerang Council with immediate effect. Together with Queanbeyan City the combined council areas were merged to establish the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. Both councils had opposed the amalgamation. Elections for the new Council area were held in September 2017. The former mayor of Queanbeyan City Council was appointed by the New South Wales Government as administrator until that date.
Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) is the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) operational-level headquarters responsible for the command and control of ADF operations worldwide. It was formed from "Headquarters Australian Theatre" (HQAST) in 2004 to reflect the changing internal structure of the ADF and the need to establish a purpose-built, co-located joint headquarters. Since December 2008, it has been based in NSW adjacent to the Kowen district of the Australian Capital Territory. The complex is known as the General John Baker Complex, named after a former Chief of Defence Force who was a strong advocate of joint command and control.
Majura Parkway is a 11.5-kilometre-long (7.1 mi) north–south parkway located in the Majura district of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It links the interchange with Federal Highway and Horse Park Drive at the edge of Gungahlin district to Monaro Highway in Fyshwick.
Mountain biking in Australia is a mix of dedicated mountain bike parks, ski resorts with mountain bike facilities, and other parks that have become popular with mountain bikers despite lacking dedicated facilities. The peak body for the sport is Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA).
The ACT Rural Fire Service is a branch of the Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency. It is responsible for the prevention, detection and extinguishment of all bushfires within the ACT, as well as assisting the other branches of ESA.
Cycling in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is a popular means of transportation, sporting and recreational pass time. Commuting in the city is supported by an extensive network of urban cycleways and on-street bicycle lanes. As a city established in the 20th century, Canberra's development was heavily influenced by the automobile for much of its history. The popularity of cycling in the city has increased dramatically in the 21st century with growing awareness of environmental issues, government policy supporting active transport and investment in cycling infrastructure. This has led to the development of a strong cycling culture.