Inside Canberra’s slow living clubs
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In today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world, the idea of slow living can feel like a fantasy.
While the concept might conjure idealised imagery – cottages, grass swaying in the breeze and unhurried mornings – there is a growing network of clubs in Canberra offering practical and wholesome ways to slow down and reconnect.
Far from being aspirational social trends, these communities offer tangible, hopeful ways to slow down, disconnect from screens, and rebuild genuine human connection. They show that slow living is so much more than a pleasant idea or Instagram hashtag.
Here are six you should know about.
Awâre Conversation Circle
Once a month, this free, not-for-profit initiative brings together strangers in a public space, encouraging them to have real and structured conversations. It’s not networking and there’s no agenda –it’s simply a chance to connect with others.
With one in three Australians feeling lonely at any given time and roughly one in six experiencing severe or persistent loneliness, Awâre was founded in 2024 and consistently attracts a wide mix of Canberrans – from newcomers to long-term residents, people going through transitions, and people craving something more than surface-level interaction.
Awâre meets once a month. Find out more here.
Slow Pages Society
Founded by economist and lifestyle/wellbeing coach Dr Alicia Mollaun, the Slow Pages Society is a monthly reading group that offers a screen-free space for people to read independently, chat optionally, and support a charitable cause.
Alicia – who also authors Well, Well., a Substack newsletter and community for people who take their inner lives seriously – created the event to help people slow down and settle in with a good book, a drink in hand, and connect with a table full of fellow readers.
Unlike other book clubs, the Slow Pages Society only has a ‘loose’ monthly theme, and attendees are encouraged to read whatever they would like. Tickets are also donation-based, with 30 per cent of proceeds supporting the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Tickets to August’s event are now available
Find out more here.
Silent Book Club at Café Stepping Stone
Hosted fortnightly at Café Stepping Stone in Strathnairn and Dickson, at the Silent Book Club there’s no assigned reading or discussion – just the chance to curl up in a peaceful space with a good book.
Running for two hours, attendees are welcome to bring their current books and order a beverage for some uninterrupted reading time with optional socialising. Open to everyone – with no age limits or fees – you can socialise as much or as little as you would like.
Strathnairn’s sessions run fortnightly on Sundays from 2–4 pm and Dickson’s run fortnightly on Saturdays from 1:30–3:30 pm. Keep an eye on Café Stepping Stone’s website for dates.
Scrap Society
Beginning as a way for young Canberrans to connect and make friends, the mindful practice of scrapbooking offers so much more than a chance to be creative.
Launched at the end of 2024 by Brooke Corkhill, Scrap Society invites participants to get crafty for three hours via scrapbooking, junk journalling or collaging. Each session offers tactile mindfulness as well as a tangible creative outlet away from digital screens – it’s no surprise that the sessions often quickly sell out.
Find out more here.
The Canberra Homemaker Swap
Designed for local makers, bakers, growers, and crafters, the Canberra Homemaker Swap is bringing together like-minded women to connect, slow down, and share items made with intention.
Held once a month in Yarraluma’s English Garden, the concept is simple: attendees bring five of the same items and swap them with one another. There’s time for coffee and cake, and towards the end of the event, each person will come up and choose an item until everyone leaves with five things made with love and intention.
The only rule? The item must be homemade or grown – think vegetables, preserves, baked goods, flowers, candles, and crafts.
Find out more here.
Latitude 55
Less of a traditional club and more of an immersive event series, Latitude 55 is unique in its offering: nature therapy experiences.
Held at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Mulligans Flat Sanctuary and the National Arboretum, the one-to-three-hour sessions are designed to nourish mind, body and spirit, inviting you to slow down and really recharge.
Latitude 55 was founded by Sarah Murray-Boyd, an outdoor activity facilitator, nature connection guide and event manager, following her own experience recovering from debilitating burnout. The events encourage you to let nature nurture your nervous system.
Find out more here.
