The Golden Age Of Suburban Shopping: Scullin Shops

Posted on 20 August, 2020

Canberra’s planners had strong ideas about the importance of small suburban shops anchoring each suburb and providing a community hub as well as a place to purchase essentials.

Over the decades the fortunes of these commercial strips have often waxed and waned.

But these days, Canberra has a strong contingent of suburban shops—not only servicing their own streets, but attracting crowds from all over the city for their quirky mix of convenience stores, eateries and odd shops. We bring you five of the finest.

Scullin Shops

Residents in the Belconnen suburb of Scullin talk about ugg boots more than most Canberrans.

No, they aren’t especially fond of the cosy but sartorially-questionable footwear, rather, it’s a reference to the former state of their local shops. While the Scullin shops hummed in the 1970s and 1980s, the last decade has seen it slide into a far quieter state.

When the former supermarket became better known for filling their store with more ugg boots and baby formula than shelves of milk and bread, so began the decline of the shops. At least, until a year ago.

Enter the Scullin Community Group (SCG) which has established the currently-on-COVID-hiatus Scullin Traders (selling boutique wares from local makers) alongside fresh local businesses like Change Yoga and Wellness.

There are also 2000 bulbs bursting to life across the shops, with the Floriade Reimagined trail snaking through there and the SCG will soon unveil its latest project—community events rentals—which will allow locals to access affordable rental furniture such as outdoor bean bags, Astroturf, PA systems, lights and more for at-home events.

A new beginning all round.

WANT MORE LOCAL GOODNESS? THERE’S MORE TO THIS SERIES 

• Ainslie Shops
• Cook Shops
• Deakin Shops
• Griffith Shops

PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Bean