Symonston, Australian Capital Territory

Symonston
Suburb
Symonston Location in Canberra
Coordinates: 35°20′47″S149°10′40″E / 35.34639°S 149.17778°E / -35.34639; 149.17778
Country	Australia
State	Australian Capital Territory
City	Canberra
District	Jerrabomberra
Location	10 km (6.2 mi) SSE of Canberra CBD 8 km (5.0 mi) W of Queanbeyan 96 km (60 mi) SW of Goulburn 293 km (182 mi) SW of Sydney
Established	1928
Government
•  Territory electorate	Kurrajong
•  Federal divisions	Bean Canberra
Area
• Total	9.90 km2 (3.82 sq mi)
Elevation	583 m (1,913 ft)
Population
• Total	655 (SAL 2021) [1]
Postcode	2609
Gazetted	20 September 1928
Suburbs around Symonston Narrabundah Fyshwick O'Malley Symonston Queanbeyan Hume HMAS Harman

Symonston is a primarily industrial and agricultural suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Symonston is named after Sir Josiah Symon a Legislator, Federalist and one of the Founders of the Constitution of Australia. ^[2]

Located in Symonston are the Periodic Detention Centre and Symonston Temporary Remand Centre and three caravan parks: Canberra South Motor Park, Sundown Village and Narrabundah Longstay Caravan Park. Geoscience Australia has its headquarters in Symonston, as does the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Planning

The Symonston area has traditionally been denoted 'Broadacre' area by the planning authorities, meaning that it has retained a traditionally rural character with some larger institution uses, particularly by the Australian Defence Force and Geoscience Australia. With the release of the Canberra Spatial Plan by the ACT Government, the area and the adjoining Majura Valley has been denoted as an employment corridor centred on Canberra Airport and Fyshwick.

Geology

See also: Geology of the Australian Capital Territory

Rocks in Symonston are from the Silurian age Mount Painter Volcanics dark grey to green grey dacitic tuff underlies most of Symonston. Narrabundah Ashstone Member is found in the northern corner near the motor park. Canberra Formation, calcareous shale found to the east of the ashstone. Further to the east and over to Harman is found the dacitic andesite of the Ainslie Volcanics. An unnamed coarse leucogranite has a small out crop east of Jerrabomberra creek. ^[3]

Geoscience Australia is the Australian Government organisation tasked with supplying scientific information and knowledge about the geography and geology of Australia. It has information about the geology of the whole of Australia including Canberra.

Geoscience Australia in Symonston

Aerial view from east

Education

Symonston residents get preference for: ^[4]

• Depending on the address: Forrest Primary or Red Hill Primary
• Telopea Park School (for high school)
• Narrabundah College

Footnotes

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Symonston (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
2. "Suburb Name search results". ACT Environment and Sustainable Development. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
3. Henderson G A M and Matveev G, Geology of Canberra, Queanbeyan and Environs 1:50000 1980.
4. "Priority Enrolment Areas 2015 by Suburb" (Archive). Education Directorate, Australian Capital Territory. Retrieved 8 February 2016.